聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 People across Canada participated in The Orange Shirt Campaign 鈥� Every Child Matters, on Friday, Sept. 30. The day developed as a way to recognize and remember the experiences of Residential School survivors and honours the commitment to reconciliation needed.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Beginning in the mid-1800s and continuing until the late 1990s First Nations children were taken from their communities and placed in Residential Schools. They were run by religious orders in conjunction with the federal government.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Children as young as four-years-old were simply taken to attend school. Scared and alone they were prohibited from speaking their language or practicing their culture. A small but significant act included the cutting of the students鈥� hair. It had been that long hair was a source of pride, it was only cut if a loved one had passed away, but at school it was simply taken and they mourned for their own lives.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Over 150,000 children were forced into attending these schools and experienced sexual, mental, and physical abuse. The affects of these experiences endured and still linger in First Nations communities.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Although assimilation was attempted, it was never fully achieved, and there has now been an effort to revive languages and cultural practices amongst First Nation peoples.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The campaign originated in British Columbia three years ago, but has now spread to other provinces and territories.
Why an orange shirt?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For Phyllis (Jack) Webstad it was a memory from her first day of school at Williams Lake Residential School in B.C. in 1973. She had been living with her grandmother on the Dog Creek reserve, had just turned six-years-old, and was allowed to pick out a new outfit to go to school in. Her family never had much money, but she remembers the orange shirt perfectly: 鈥淚t had string laced up in front, and was so bright and exciting 鈥� just like I felt to be going to school!鈥� 鈥� she writes on the Orange Shirt Day website.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When Webstad arrived at the school her clothes were taken, including that orange shirt. She couldn鈥檛 understand how they could simply take it away from her and the colour, throughout her life, then reminded her feeling like she was worthless: 鈥淎ll of us little children were crying and no one cared,鈥� she continues in her story.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Her experiences were carried with her and it wasn鈥檛 until she was 27-years-old that she sought to embark on a healing journey. She writes, 鈥淚 finally get it, that the feeling of worthlessness and insignificance, ingrained in me from my first day at the mission, affected the way I lived my life for many years. Even now, when I know nothing could be further than the truth, I still sometimes feel that I don鈥檛 matter. Even with all the work I鈥檝e done!鈥�
White Bear Education Complex
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The day was marked at White Bear Education Complex where Sarah McArthur addressed the students: 鈥淥range Shirt Day is an important day because it recognizes the Residential School students who have attended a residential school in Canada. There are many former Residential School students who reside on White Bear First Nations. Many of the students here are grandchildren of former students. September 30 is significant in that it symbolizes the time of year when the students would be transported to the Residential Schools in Canada.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A season of beauty forever marred by the forced attendance of residential schools.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥range Shirt Day is significant, and is symbolic in that the Residential School students and their generations have been and continue to be affected by the forced removal from their traditional languages, cultures, and religious practices,鈥� McArthur explained.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淯nderstanding our history, is important as it helps us to understand who we are. 鈥榃ho am I?鈥� is a question we should all be addressing. Who are my relatives?聽 What language do/did my parents/grandparents speak. When we reconcile, embrace our cultural teachings, languages and ceremonies, we have a stronger foundation. 鈥榃ho am I?鈥� is the result of the daily teachings our children receive from the significant people in their lives.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Orange Shirt Day is therefore a way to remember Residential School survivors as well as those that didn鈥檛 survive or have lost their life following the experiences of the Residential School.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The students of White Bear Education Complex all joined together to walk down to the Resort Office and back in a showing of unity. Following the walk everyone enjoyed a meal together.
Lampman School
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In an effort to educate students in Lampman, teacher Christine Branyik-Thornton, brought in Angline Delorme of White Bear First Nations to speak of her Residential School experiences.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淐hildren were taken to break up First Nation families and to extinguish our cultural ways and languages for various reasons,鈥� Delorme explained to the grades seven, eight, and nine classes in Lampman.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he Europeans that came didn鈥檛 want us here, they just wanted our land,鈥� she explained. 鈥淲e were a real pain for them and they didn鈥檛 know what to do with us. So, in an attempt to assimilate us they sent all children to these big schools, they took us away from our parents. Can you imagine a community without kids?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 had never been separated from my family before and it was awful. We were sent to this foreboding alien world. We were sent to live with nuns, priests, and brothers 鈥� those training to become priests 鈥� who didn鈥檛 know how to look after kids and if we didn鈥檛 do something fast enough or the way they wanted us to we would be slapped or hit or our hair pulled.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Delorme explained that she attended the school with her brothers, but as soon as she arrived was separated from them as boys went one way and girls another. They were then stripped, their hair cut and deloused, and were then given a uniform and sent to their dormitories.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen I first got there I cried, I was so afraid, and I couldn鈥檛 stop crying,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne of my older brothers was sent to get me to stop and he did, I don鈥檛 remember what he said, but it made me stop. I learned how to shut down as a child and not show any emotions.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 spent seven years there, I was in Fort Qu鈥橝ppelle, and the school has literally been torn down since then, but even though it鈥檚 out of sight, it鈥檚 not out of mind.鈥�
Reconciliation
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reconciliation is defined as 鈥渢he restoration of friendly relations.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A formal apology was issued by former Prime Minister Steven Harper on behalf of the Government of Canada on June 11, 2008. But there is still much to be done in terms of reconciliation efforts to bring our nation together as people.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e want to move forward from this,鈥� Delorme told the grades 10, 11, and 12 students in Lampman. 鈥淎ll we want is to be looked at with respect; approach our culture with curiosity because we have a lot to offer, especially in the form of natural medicines, but we are a strong and gentle people who have a lot to offer.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 First Nations, Inuit, and Metis families have vibrant cultures and it is important to rectify what happened because Canada purports to be a leader in human rights around the world, so something like the forced assimilation of peoples is an atrocity. Enduring hardships for First Nations people still stem from the abuse and violence experienced by Residential School survivors and many Aboriginal communities suffer the same conditions as developing nations around the world.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 We as a people share this land and encouraging education and reconciliation through efforts like Orange Day is important.
