“Put in a place no one wants to be; A hundred miles away from family; To save the man and kill the native child in me...”
Orange Shirt Day is not just a date on the calendar; it's a significant commemoration that holds deep meaning for Indigenous communities.
Phyllis Webstad, a First Nations Indian residential school survivor, is the strength behind and founder of the Orange Shirt Day movement. Her personal journey, marked by the trauma of having her orange shirt taken away on her first day at the residential school, and her subsequent resilience have inspired the commemoration of Orange Shirt Day on September 30 each year since 2013.
Orange Shirt Day remembers relatives who attended Indian residential schools in Canada and Indian boarding schools in the United States. These schools were part of a government-sponsored system designed to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Colonial culture, often through abusive and neglectful practices, leading to intergenerational trauma that still affects Indigenous communities today.
In 2008, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was established to document the history and lasting impacts of the Canadian Indian residential school system on Indigenous children, their families, and communities. The TRC provided an opportunity for residential school survivors to share their experiences during public and private meetings held across First Nations Territory.
Native Children’s Survival founding president Robby Romero performed and participated in the first national event of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, held June 16-19, 2010, at The Forks National Historic Site, First Nations Territory, Winnipeg, Canada. His performance was a tribute to the survivors of Indian Residential Schools and a commemoration of those who were lost.
In 2011, a significant alliance was formed to address the need for Truth and Reconciliation with the United States. This alliance, a pivotal moment in the history of Indigenous rights, emerged following a national symposium that brought together leaders and survivors from First Nations (Canada) and Indian Country (United States). The symposium was a platform for sharing stories of resilience and survival, and it led to the incorporation of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) under the laws of the Navajo Nation in June 2012.
NABS is committed to leading the pursuit of understanding and addressing the ongoing trauma created by U.S. Indian Boarding School policy. NABS is urging congressional leaders to bring the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act to the floor and pass it!
The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act is a crucial step towards acknowledging and addressing the historical trauma inflicted on Indigenous communities. Learn more about this Act and its significance on Orange Shirt Day.
