Orange Shirt Day 2020

On September 30, 2020, CMHA HKPR invites you to participate in Orange Shirt Day, a day to recognize and honour the healing journey of residential school survivors and their families, as well as to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation.

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) Residential School (1891-1981) Commemoration Project and Reunion events that took place in Williams Lake, BC, Canada, in May 2013. This project was the vision of Esketemc (Alkali Lake) Chief Fred Robbins, who is a former student himself.

Chief Justice Murray Sinclair challenged all of the participants in the events to keep the reconciliation process alive, as a result of the realization that every former student had similar stories.

“The annual Orange Shirt Day on September 30 opens the door to global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools,” reads orangeshirtday.org.

“It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind.  A discussion all Canadians can tune into and create bridges with each other for reconciliation.  A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected.  Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.”

According to orangeshirtday.org, the date of Sept. 30 was selected because it’s the time of year children were taken from their homes to the residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year.

“It is an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.”

For more information about Orange Shirt Day, visit www.orangeshirtday.org.