At the end of the month, and the end of this week (Sept. 30), Canada will recognize the second ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a statutory holiday that was declared last year soon after the revelation of more than 1,000 unmarked graves near former residential school sites.
Prior to the federal declaration, the day was already recognized for years as Orange Shirt Day, which brought awareness to the abuse of Indigenous people in Canada and the cultural genocide at the hands of the government and the church. The orange shirt was chosen as a symbol inspired by the story of Phyllis Webstad, a six-year-old girl who was stripped of her clothing when she first arrived at her residential school, including a brand new orange shirt given to her by her grandmother, never to be returned.
Every year, orange shirts emblazoned with the words Every Child Matters are sold across the country. Swan Valley Teachers Association (SVTA) President Nicole Bobick thought it would be a good idea to commission a locally made shirt with a design from an Indigenous student and the print job being sent to 734 Custom Apparel and Promo.
“The inspiration for getting a local artist to design an orange T-shirt came from True North Youth Foundation Vice-President Kevin Chief and Leticia Spence, a graphic designer who incorporated Indigenous symbols into the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose logos,” said Bobick. “I have heard Kevin Chief speak on a number of occasions. Every time he is impactful and inspiring. His story reminds me that we have a long way to go towards an equitable society.
“The hope for these shirts is to unify the community with an orange shirt that was designed by a local Indigenous student leader.
“Many people or organizations are purchasing orange shirts from non-Indigenous companies,” Bobick continued. “This seems unjust that companies are selling shirts to make a profit from harms Indigenous people like Phyllis Webstad encountered when attending residential school. The orange shirt story is her story, we must honour and respect it. We also must do what we can to protect it.”
The artist who created the local design is Grade 12 student Rylee Stevens. The design features a dreamcatcher with beads and feathers, as well as a picture in the middle of trees and a train track. The design also includes silhouettes of birds flying.
“The seven beads on the feathers of the dreamcatcher represent the Seven Teachings,” said Stevens. “The train track through the trees in the middle of the dreamcatcher represent the story of a boy who ran away from his residential school and tried to follow the train tracks home.”
The story was of a 12-year-old boy named Chanie Wenjack who escaped Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in Kenora, Ont., in 1966. He died of exposure a couple of days later.
The birds on the front symbolize freedom, for all the students that made it home to their families.
The back of the shirt also features a translation of the phrase ‘Every Child Matters’ in several recognized Indigenous languages, according to the Indigenous Languages of Manitoba organization.
“To do something like designing an Every Child Matters shirt really means a lot to me,” said Stevens. “I have family that went to residential schools. To be asked to create a design for something so important like these T-shirts is a big step to honour the children that made it home to their families and the ones that didn’t.
“I also really love the idea of a lot of people out there going to wear these shirts.”
While Bobick and the SVTA have organized the purchasing of the shirts for those who were able to confirm an order in time, neither the SVTA nor 734 Custom Apparel and Promo is making a profit off of the custom shirts. Stevens will receive an honorarium for her work and the remaining profits will go towards an organization of her choice.
“If we truly want to foster reconciliation, we must respect Indigenous people, cultures, identities and history,” Bobick added. “We must include Indigenous people when we are working on projects, changing colonial systems and especially when working towards reconciliation.
“We must support Indigenous organizations and individuals. We must face the hard truth about residential schools and the lasting effects they had on many generations. We must acknowledge the racism taught to non-Indigenous people in schools. We must counter the systemic racism within our systems by allowing our Indigenous peoples to guide us in the right direction. Indigenous voices must be part of the conversation but also must be part of the decision-making process.”