ATHABASCA – Orange Shirt Day is held yearly on Sept. 30, but at Landing Trail Intermediate School in Athabasca, time is put aside for the whole month to teach Grade 4-6 students about the residential school system and the Sixties Scoop, as well as the impact those events have had on Indigenous communities.
Promoting the concept ‘Every Child Matters’ Orange Shirt Day started in 2013 in Williams Lake, B.C. in an effort to encourage communities to support reconciliation and create awareness of the inter-generational impacts of residential schools. It is based on the true story of Phyllis Webstad who had her brand-new shiny orange shirt taken away when she went her first day of classes at a residential school.
“We focus on that actually, the whole month of September in our class lessons; the teachers focus on the meaning of it with all the students. It's just not a day to put that shirt on, it's the symbol, but also what's behind that in the meaning. So, we pay close attention to Phyllis Webstad's story of the Orange Shirt Day,” said assistant principal Shona Hunter.
Hunter added they take into account the age and grade of the students, but try not to sugar coat Canadian history and try to tie everything to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
“We're honest with that point of history, that it was a difficult point in history for all of us and it has implications to our future so, we talk about that,” she said. “We try to just ignite the meaning of it and that it has to be talked about in order for healing, and the recovery and then change to continue.”
Last year the students had the same month of learning, but took part in a school-wide craft day, decorating elk antler medallions with images of what Orange Shirt Day meant for them. The medallions were then put on strings for the students to wear. This year however a large-scale craft event had to be put on hold.
“This year for our school-wide activity work, it's kind of exciting, we're tuning into a live stream from the Stanley A. Milner library in Edmonton,” said Hunter. "They're doing a live stream of the Orange Shirt Day event.”
The virtual event will be streamed through YouTube starting 12:45 p.m. Sept. 30 and is produced by Jesse Lipscombe and supported by Make It Awkward, Be the Change, the Orange Shirt Society, the City of Edmonton, Edmonton Public Libraries and blu Lantern Inc.
"There will be different performers, different music being played, they're going to talk about the importance of Orange Shirt Day, what it's about so, Phyllis Webstad's story and she's supposed to make a special appearance,” Hunter said.
“I think it's going to be a really nice way to honour that day – not that the teachers don't do a great job – but I think it's going to be nice for the kids to see the global part of Orange Shirt Day and of course they understand it's bigger than Landing Trail, but all the encompassing parts of it.”
The hour-long pre-recorded event will showcase DJ Matthew Cree Assassin, Phyllis Webstad, Elder Elsie Paul, Lana WhiskeyJack and a performance from Dancing Cree all emceed by Stephanie Harpe who will perform and speak about being a residential school survivor.
“We made our newly opened Stanley A. Milner library available for filming,” said Andrew Halberstadt, the chair of the Indigenous services team for EPL. “Several scenes were shot this past Sunday (Sept. 20), after we were closed and there were some other scenes that were shot elsewhere. So, that'll all be put together in a production and then it'll be kind of be like it's broadcast, but really, it's a pre-recorded event.”
At LTIS, Hunter said the hope is that students feel the meaning, so future generations can learn from mistakes and foster healing.
“You know, it's one thing to talk about it, but do you feel it? Do you understand that everybody does matter? That every single person out there matters, and that we’re commemorating Orange Shirt Day so we don't repeat that point in history and we can move forward,” said Hunter.
The students will be having soup and bread while watching the streaming event on the smart boards in their classrooms to maintain physical distancing.
You can find the Stanley A. Milner Library Orange Shirt Day event at https://youtu.be/2fOLXTYiNZQ.
Heather Stocking, TownandCountryToday.com
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