NU to mark Orange Shirt Day
On Thursday, September 27, Nipissing University’s community is invited to come together to acknowledge Orange Shirt Day.
Orange Shirt Day is an annual day of remembrance of the St. Joseph Mission residential school commemoration event held in Wiliams Lake British Colombia in 2013. It is a day to reflect and honour both those across the country who survived Residential School and those who did not.
Nipissing’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives invites students to visit the Enji giigdoyang lounge for a light lunch and to pick up an orange t-shirt that can be worn on September the 30, National Orange Shirt day, to show your respect and understanding.
Orange Shirt Day grew out of Phyllis' story of having her shiny new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually. The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to 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 also gives teachers time to plan events that will include children, as we want to ensure that we are passing the story and learning on to the next generations. Orange Shirt Day is also 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.