September 30 is an annual day to recognize and raise awareness about the residential school system in Canada, join together in the spirit of reconciliation, and honour the experiences of Indigenous Peoples. Between the late 1800s and 1996, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children attended Indian residential schools – Orange Shirt Day commemorates this legacy.
#orangeshirtdayUBC | September 30
UBC’s Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) seeks to raise awareness about Orange Shirt Day and its meaning to affect positive change within the UBC community by providing opportunities and approaches to reflect on complex historical legacies, personal experiences and community.
Wear orange
Order a T-shirt, button or other materials from the Orange Shirt Society, or purchase a shirt from UBC Bookstore (while supplies last). Wear orange to show your support on September 30.
Learn about the origins
Who is Phyllis Webstad and what does Orange Shirt Day mean for residential school Survivors?
Explore, share and act
Explore our resources and share them with colleagues, friends or family to raise awareness about the ongoing legacy of residential schools.
Upcoming events
“The Orange Shirt Story” with Phyllis Webstad
UBC Learning Circle and the First Nations House of Learning
Tuesday, September 22, from 9:30-11a.m.
Open to all ages
Every Child Matters: Reconciliation through Education
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Wednesday, September 30, from 7 – 11 a.m.
For youth grades 5-12 and educators
Orange Shirt Day at the IRSHDC
Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
Wednesday, September 30
Details to be announced
Origins of Orange Shirt Day
“The colour orange has always reminded me of that, and how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared, and how I felt I was worth nothing.”
Phyllis Webstad
Six-year-old Phyllis Webstad was excited about her first day at St. Joseph’s Residential School in Williams Lake, B.C. in 1973. Her granny had bought her a new, bright orange shirt for the occasion. But when she proudly arrived at the church-run residential school, she was stripped of her clothes, and her hair was cut. Her new shirt was taken away and she never got it back.
Phyllis is Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band). Today she is the Executive Director of the Orange Shirt Society, which encourages local school districts, organizations and the general public to wear orange and discuss the legacy of residential schools annually.
The annual Orange Shirt Day commemoration on September 30 is an opportunity to discuss the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. The date was chosen as it is the time of year when children were taken from their homes to residential schools. It also marks the beginning of the school year, and reaffirms that “Every Child Matters.”
Resources to share
Between the late 1800s and 1996, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children attended Indian residential schools – Orange Shirt Day commemorates this legacy. These resources are a starting point to explore, learn more about residential schools, and begin a dialogue. Share these resources and your learnings with your friends, colleagues, and family.
These days when the steps to stay safe from COVID19 keep many of us physically separate, it may be more difficult to learn about the experiences of residential school students and their families. Please take the time to do something for your mental wellness as part of participating in Orange Shirt Day events.
Early years
- Color a t-shirt (PDF)
- Explore the BC Teachers Federation teachers guide for ages K-5
- Make an attachment heart
- Read or Watch When we were alone (below)
Use When We Were Alone to think about the following questions:
In the story, the words used to describe the narrator’s grandmother are kókum and Nókum (“grandmother” and “my grandmother”). These are the words in Nókum’s language which is Cree, What words do you use for grandmother in your language?
How do you think Nókum felt when she was made to wear different clothes and speak a different language at school? Did Nókum have a choice about what she wore or what language she spoke?
What are some of the things Nókum did with her family before she went away to residential school? Why was Nókum separated from her brother?
Middle years
- Write a letter to your MP to ask for more progress on TRC Calls to Action, or to make September 30 a national day of reconciliation (Call 80). Find your MP.
- Explore the resources in My Name is Seepeetza.
- Read the Orange Shirt Day handout
- Explore historical sites in BC such as residential school markers – are there any near you?
Use the Orange Shirt Day handout to reflect on the following questions:
Where was Phyllis from? What was the name of her home community?
What happened to Phyllis’s orange shirt when she arrived at school? How did this experience make Phyllis feel?
How do you think Phyllis and other children felt while at School?
Why is it important to Phyllis to share her story? What impact does it have on others to hear it?
How do you think hearing support for Phyllis and her story will impact the lives of other Residential School survivors?
When a person chooses to wear an orange shirt on Orange Shirt Day, what statement are they making?
Secondary
- Ask your relatives about what they learned about residential schools.
- Watch the residential schools timeline video and then tell someone else about what you learned.
- Find out if there was a residential school near where you live. Look at the distances between schools and communities.
- Having trouble finding words to express what you learned? Make some art.
- Watch Phyllis Webstad and hear her testimony
Explore the residential schols timeline video and reflect on the resources:
Did you find a residential school in your area? If so, does this come as a surprise to you? If not, where was the nearest residential school?
Do you have an older relative who remembers a residential school in your area? What were their perceptions about residential schools?
Take some more time to reflect on the location of your City, town, or community. In whose traditional territory do you reside? What is the language spoken?
Postsecondary
- Watch The Road Forward
- Choose a BC school to explore and learn about in our records and collections.
- Listen to Survivor testimony in the Legacy of Hope collection.
- Read the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
- Make a collage about Orange Shirt Day using historical photos, maps or other information
- Explore the mental health services or approaches at CMHA.
- Read the TRC Calls to Action and look into how your university has implemented the calls.
Speak out, share now
Share resources or a message to continue the conversation:
