Orange Shirt Day 2020

Every Child Matters.

Today, we wear orange to commemorate the residential school experience, honour and witness the survivors’ healing journey, and commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. Orange Shirt Day brings the opportunity to have a meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools, and for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter.

Local Artist, Nyle Miigizi Johnston, designed these t-shirts which carry the message “Every Child Matters.” These T-shirts are available at Finding Our Power Together.

The Story Behind Orange Shirt Day

In 1973, Phyllis Webstad’s Grandmother gifted her a brand new orange shirt. She wore it to her first day at the residential school. Upon her arrival, the Mission Oblates stripped her of the shirt, discarded it and replaced it with a school uniform. In 2013, Phyllis started a campaign to raise awareness of the negative impacts the residential school system had on the mental, physical, and spiritual well being of Indigenous children and their parents. Phyllis’s story is the foundation for what has become a national movement to acknowledge survivors’ experience at residential schools, honour them, and collectively pledge that every child matters.

About the Artist

Born and raised on a beautiful reserve in Georgian Bay, Nyle took a keen interest in painting and art from a young age. He draws inspiration for his artwork from the great woodland painters, traditions of his culture, and story-tellers such as his great-grandmother and elder, Verna Johnston. Nyle paints the stories of The Anishinaabe people, raising awareness of their unique histories as they, in turn, inform his process. He is also an active Aboriginal Community Worker. Learn more about Nyle, and his work.