Orange Shirt Day SEPTEMBER 30 Phyllis Webstads Story
Orange Shirt Day SEPTEMBER 30
Phyllis Webstad’s Story • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=E 3 v. Uqr 01 k. Ak
Phyllis Webstad • Went to the Mission Residential School in 1973 -1974. She just turned 6 years old. She lived with my grandmother on the Dog Creek reserve. • Granny bought her a new outfit to go to the Mission school. She remembers going to Robinson’s store and picking out a shiny orange shirt. It had string laced up in front, and was so bright and exciting – just like how she felt to be going to school! When she got to the school they took away her Orange shirt. She never wore it again. Since then color orange has always reminds her of her shirt being taken away and how she felt.
Discussion Questions • Why was Phyllis upset about the orange shirt? Was it just a shirt? • How would you feel if your parents bought you something very special to start the school year and it was taken away from you? • Would it make it worse if you were being sent away to a new and very strange school being taught a language you don’t speak or understand?
Questions continued …. • 300 sleeps is a long time. How do you think you would manage? • What do you think Phyllis means in her video when she says “nobody would listen us. Our feelings didn’t matter. We didn’t matter. ”
Symbolism • This orange shirt taken from Phyllis Webstad, is a symbol of the many losses experienced by thousands of students, and their families and communities, over several generations including: loss of family, language, culture, freedom, parenting, self-esteem and painful experiences of abuse and neglect. • Wearing orange shirts are a symbol of defiance against those things that undermine children’s self-esteem, and of our commitment to anti-racism and anti-bullying in general.
Why September? • The date was chosen because it is the time of year that children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year.
Reconciliation • Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for the generations of children to come.
Wear Orange on SEPT 30 • Shows our commitment to raise awareness of the residential school experience and to ensure that every child matters as we focus on our hope for a better future in which children are empowered to help each other. • It doesn’t have to be a shirt, it can be anything orange: >any type of clothing >accessories: jewelry, scarf, hat >nail polish • Share with your family and friends to help raise awareness
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