Orange Shirt Day

Cultural Wellness

Get your orange shirt

On Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, we encourage everyone to wear an orange shirt to honour and remember the experiences and loss of the thousands of children who were stolen from their families and placed in Indian Residential Schools.

One of the greatest impacts of residential schools was cultural genocide; this is why we decided to turn this painful history into a positive one, to reclaim this time of year, and get back to our cultural and traditional roots in post-secondary. We encourage your support in purchasing orange shirts.

All the proceeds from the sales of the U of A orange shirts goes back to First Peoples' House to fund cultural programming. Just because our students leave their homefires to continue their academic journey does not mean they leave behind their traditions. We need to uphold them and to provide them with space to reconnect with traditions and culture.

Thank you so much for your support.

Purchase an Orange Shirt

First Peoples' House would also like to thank the beautiful partnership with the U of A Bookstore for all of their support in coordinating, promoting and selling the orange shirts since 2013.

Events

Exhibit on the legacy of residential schools

Date: Sept. 23 - Oct. 3, 2024
Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: U of A Bookstore

Painted panels with original artwork are on display from Sept. 23 to Oct. 3.

Live painting with Artist-in-Residence Jerry Whitehead

Date: Oct. 1 - 2, 2024
Time: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: U of A Bookstore

First Peoples’ House is hosting Artist-in-Residence Jerry Whitehead who will be painting live at the U of A Bookstore. Participate by leaving your “mark” to complete the paintings. Artwork will also be available for sale with proceeds going to First Peoples' House.

Traditional dancing and drumming

Oct. 2, 2024
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Location: U of A Bookstore

First Peoples’ House is hosting traditional dancers and drummers at the U of A Bookstore.

Why Orange Shirts

Orange Shirt Day is a day for coming together to discuss moving toward a journey of respect and equal partnerships for a greater outcome of reconciliation. This journey of reconciliation is a lifelong relationship that needs to be nourished and cherished, with clear communication, kindness, and honesty.

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake, BC, Canada, in the spring of 2013. It grew out of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad's story of having her new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually.

You can read Phyllis' story at orangeshirtday.org .

Why September 30th

The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.

The U of A will be closed on Sept. 30 in observance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Events and activities on campus will take place in the days before and following.

Message from Shana Dion

Assistant Dean, First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Students

Orange Shirt Day is about honouring Indian Residential School Survivors and the ones that we have lost along the way. This is the simplest way to say it – yet each one of those words carries a weight so heavy it is simply too hard to put into words.

Since 2016, I wanted to bring awareness to Orange Shirt Day, to ensure the lives of Indian Residential Survivors were honored and to shed light on one of the greatest impacts of residential schools that was cultural genocide; this is why I decided to turn this painful history into a positive one, to reclaim this time of year, and get back to our cultural and traditional roots in post-secondary.

We may be green and gold here at the University of Alberta but on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 WE ARE ORANGE in honour of Indian Residential School survivors and for all of the ones who did not make it home back to their families and communities.

Whether you are at home, on campus or out in community on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 wearing orange is a symbol of allyship. As we move forward on this journey of reconciliation, it truly is about each person’s willingness and commitment to work through the TRC Calls to Action . This work requires all of us to be committed in a meaningful way of working alongside First Nation, Métis and Inuit students, colleagues and communities.

I believe this is where the heartwork lies and where minds begin to shift and hearts can heal.

On a personal note, as a first generation residential school survivor, whenever I am given the space I will always want to honour my dad George Dion, who was stolen from his mother, Sarah Dion, and forced into Blue Quills Residential School from the age of 7 to the age of 11.

I wear my orange shirt to honour intergenerational Indian Residential School survivors. I honour your pain and peace. I honour your love and sorrow. I honour your brokenness and resilience. I honour your grit and grace. I honour your shame and pride. I honour your loneliness and lovability. I honour your sadness and humour.

We are the sum of many parts all to be honoured equally.

kisâkihitin.

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