Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council executive and staff members wore orange today to honor the children who survived the Indian residential schools and to remember those who did not. A close up at this link http://www.hashilthsa.com/photos/orange-shirt-day
September 30 has been declared Orange Shirt Day annually in Canada in recognition of the harm the residential school system did to the children, their self-esteem and to affirm a commitment to ensuring that everyone matters.
The story behind the day comes from Williams Lake, B.C. Phyllis Webstad's grandmother had taken her to buy a new outfit for her first day of residential school. Part of the outfit Phyllis selected was an orange shirt, and on the first day of school she wore the shirt with pride.
It was the first and last day she would wear her shirt, and in fact never saw it again. The children were stripped of their clothing and made to wear the school uniforms instead.
“The color orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn’t matter…how I felt I was worth nothing,” said Webstad in an article with Native Currents.
One elder in Canada described September as crying month, because that was the month children were removed from their families to be sent to the schools.
