September 30th is Orange Shirt Day. This is the day we honour the Indigenous children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada, and learn more about the history of those schools.
The “orange shirt” in Orange Shirt Day refers to the new shirt that Phyllis Webstad was given to her by her grandmother for her first day of school at St. Joseph’s Mission residential school in British Columbia. When Phyllis got to school, they took away her clothes, including her new shirt. It was never returned.
To Phyllis, the colour orange has always reminded her of her experiences at residential school and, as she has said, “how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared and I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying and no one cared.”
Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity to learn about and honour the healing journey of survivors of residential schools and their families, and to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation.
Commemorate and Educate
Commemorating Orange Shirt Day creates an opportunity to create meaningful discussions about the effects of Residential Schools, and the legacy they have left behind.
Listed below are just a few of the books available from KPL to begin, and continue, conversations about this significant piece of Canadian history.
The Orange Shirt Story by Phyllis Webstad
When Phyllis Webstad (nee Jack) turned six, she went to residential school for the first time. On her first day at school, she wore a shiny orange shirt that her granny had bought for her, but when she got to the school, it was taken away from her and never returned.
This is the true story of Phyllis and her orange shirt. It is also the story of Orange Shirt Day (an important day of remembrance for Indigenous people and all Canadians).
Place a hold on this gravely significant true story here.
Orange Shirt Day, September 30th by Orange Shirt Society ; edited and approved by Phyllis Webstad & Joan Sorley
Readers of Orange Shirt Day will embark on a sacred journey to deepen their understanding of Orange Shirt Day, the Orange Shirt Society and residential school reconciliation. This book provides the necessary resources and sparks a passion for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals to make a difference moving forward. For Phyllis Webstad, as well as other survivors and their families, the orange shirt has become a symbol of healing and of hope for the future.
Place a hold on this impactful book here.
Speaking Our Truth : A Journey of Reconciliation by Monique Gray Smith
Canada’s relationship with its Indigenous people has suffered as a result of both the residential school system and the lack of understanding of the historical and current impact of those schools. Healing and repairing that relationship requires education, awareness and increased understanding of the legacy and the impacts still being felt by Survivors and their families. Guided by acclaimed Indigenous author Monique Gray Smith, readers will learn about the lives of Survivors and listen to allies who are putting the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into action.
Place a hold on this thought-provoking book here.
I Am Not a Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer
When eight-year-old Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school she is confused, frightened, and terribly homesick. She tries to remember who she is and where she came from, despite the efforts of the nuns who are in charge at the school and who tell her that she is not to use her own name but instead use the number they have assigned to her. When she goes home for summer holidays, Irene’s parents decide never to send her and her brothers away again. But where will they hide? And what will happen when her parents disobey the law? Based on the life of co-author Jenny Kay Dupuis’ grandmother, I Am Not a Number is a hugely necessary book that brings a terrible part of Canada’s history to light in a way that children can learn from and relate to.
Place a hold on this empathetic yet somber book here.
When We Were Alone by David Alexander Robertson
When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother’s garden, she begins to notice things that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully coloured clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where all of these things were taken away. When We Were Alone is a story about a difficult time in history, and, ultimately, one of empowerment and strength.
Place a hold on this poignant story here.
Kimotinâniwiw itwêwina = Stolen words / omasinahikêw/by Melanie Florence ; otâpasinahikêw/illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard ; translated by Dolores Sand êkwa Gayle Weenie kî-nêhiyawastâwak
The dual language edition, in Plains Cree and English, of Stolen Words, the award-winning story of the beautiful relationship between a little girl and her grandfather. When she asks her grandfather how to say something in Cree, he tells her that his language was stolen from him when he was a boy. The little girl then sets out to help her grandfather find his language again. This sensitive and warmly illustrated picture book explores the intergenerational impact of the residential school system that separated young Indigenous children from their families. The story recognizes the pain of those whose culture and language were taken from them, how that pain is passed down, and how healing can also be shared.
Place a hold on this moving story here.
Orange Shirt Day gives Canadians from coast to coast an opportunity to come together in the spirit of reconciliation, remembrance, and in recognition of Residential School survivors. On September 30th let us all take the time to honour the healing journey of the survivors, their families and communities. And let us all hope for, and work towards, a better future.
POST WRITTEN BY SARAH M., CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMER