Every child matters. On September 30th, people across Canada wear orange and participate in Orange Shirt Day events to recognize and raise awareness about the history and legacies of the residential school system in Canada.
The Canadian government designated September 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, beginning in 2021. This responds to Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action 80, which states that the federal government will work with Indigenous people to establish a statutory day to “honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process”.
Orange Shirt Day originates from the story of Phyllis Webstad from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation. In 1973, on her first day at St. Joseph’s Residential School in Williams Lake, BC, Phyllis’s shiny new orange shirt was stripped from her, never to be seen again
Wear orange
Wearing orange is a way to show your support for Survivors and their families and acknowledge the legacy of residential schools.
Each year, the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre works with an Indigenous artist to create a unique Orange Shirt Day t-shirt design. This year’s shirts feature the work of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist Darryl Blyth.
Learn more about Darryl Blyth and how you can get your own orange shirt here
Pick up your orange shirt at the UBC Bookstore here
Namwayut: we are all one. Truth and reconciliation in Canada
Chief Robert Joseph shares his experience as a residential school survivor and the importance of truth and reconciliation in Canada.
Learn about Phyllis Webstad and Orange Shirt Day
Read about the origin story of the Orange Shirt day and Orange Shirt Society on their website! Learn about resources and how to get involved here.
Get involved with Orange shirt day at UBC!
UBC is hosting many events in for Orange shirt day, don’t miss out and please be sure to not miss out on these awesome events. Website here.
Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education
Enhance your understanding and knowledge of practices that advance reconciliation in the places where you live, learn, and work. Learn how to sign up for this 6-week massive open online course here.
UBC Faculty of Medicine 2022 Commemorative Event for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | Orange Shirt Day
On behalf of Dermot Kelleher, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President of Health at UBC, we invite you to join us in coming together in a concerted effort to reflect on the purpose of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. This important event will take place virtually on the morning of Tuesday, September 27th, 2022. Learn and sign up for this event here.
We Are Children of Indian Residential School Survivors: Awakening Our Spirits, Our Purpose & Our Confidence
Join us on Wednesday, September 21st for the first Indigenous Speaker Series session in 2022-2023. This event brings together a panel of Indigenous people who are children of Indian residential school survivors to acknowledge the importance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and to think about ways to heal, to figure it out, to come to terms with each other, and to give permission for the Indigenous people to also grow, learn and prosper.
Intergenerational March
Once again this year, UBC Applied Science and Land and Food Systems are leading an intergenerational march on UBC’s Vancouver campus on September 30. The march will begin at 11:45 AM at the Centre where bannock and tea will be available for purchase, followed by a performance by Tsatsu Stalqya (Coastal Wolfpack). The march will conclude at the Reconciliation Pole at the end of Main Mall where we will hear closing remarks from an Elder. Elders, children, and others will be able to add their messages of support and handprints to the engineering cairn outside the Kaiser building after the march.
There will also be Indigenous food trucks and t-shirts on site available for purchase. There are multiple activities, performances and presentations planned throughout the day at UBC including family and children’s activities at the UBC Longhouse.