Tomorrow, orange will punctuate the green spaces, classrooms, and offices of our campuses. It’s become a familiar sight: for one day each…
September 27, 2018 By Hallie Brodie
Tomorrow, orange will punctuate the green spaces, classrooms, and offices of our campuses. It’s become a familiar sight: for one day each September, the colour orange unfurls across the university in a display of remembrance. This is the day that we observe Orange Shirt Day at the University of Alberta.
Orange Shirt Day — recognized across Canada on September 30 each year — honours and remembers the experiences and loss of the thousands of children who were stolen from their families and placed in Indian Residential Schools. Stemming from the story of one survivor, Orange Shirt Day has grown into a nation-wide occasion for commemoration, discussion, and reconciliation.
We asked the members of our U of A community: “Why do you wear your orange shirt?”
Here’s what they had to say:
“The colour itself represents “separation” (in scripture) so this is such a powerful colour to represent Residential School Survivors. If you read the meaning for “separation” it does entail all the trauma the IRS victims endured: apart, away, detachment, distanced, disconnection, divided. So with that being said, understanding the colour first for myself to acknowledge the pain and suffering my people went through.” — Janet Delorme“As an education professor, I encourage colleagues and students to participate in book clubs that explore works like Richard Wagamese’s Indian Horse and similar stories about residential school survivors to start engaging in the work of reconciliation. I wear an orange shirt because I realize I have so much more to learn and share.” — Jonathan Anuik, Educational Policy Studies, Faculty of Education“I wear my Orange shirt in support of my gramma (nohkôm) who went to residential school. Inter-generational trauma is still prevalent in my family today, but with my education, community, and the reclamation of our culture we are healing.” — Katherine Belcourt, Student“I wear my Orange shirt because ninohtenêhiyawe, I want to learn Cree, since it was part of the assimilation policy to ensure our parents and grandparents didn’t speak it and pass onto the next generation.” — Lana Whiskeyjack, Faculty of Extension“I am learning about the injustices and learning to honor those that were treated without respect. I can not imagine the fear and sadness of a child and parents being separated. I will continue to learn and if my awareness can help bring on knowledge and discussion, I welcome it.“I will wear Orange to honour our students who went (or whose family went) through residential schools, and to honour my own family who went through Catholic day schools”. — Chris Andersen, Dean of the Faculty of Native Studies“I wear my Orange shirt in support of learning more about the legacy of residential schools on survivors, their families and our community and how as a nation we can all play a role in the TRC Calls to Action.” — Heather Kennedy-Plant, Faculty of Education“As a settler colonial, I wear my orange shirt to acknowledge my ancestors and my own ongoing meritocracy and responsibility in the legacy of harm and oppression of this lands’ Indigenous Peoples and I am actively committed to the healing process on Indigenous terms.” — Anonymous“I will wear my orange shirt to honor intergenerational survivors. I honor their pain and peace. I honor their love and sorrow. I honor their brokenness and resilience. I honor their grit and grace. I honor their shame and pride. I honor their loneliness and loveability. I honor their sadness and humor. We are the sum of many parts all to be honored equally.” — Shana Dion, Assistant Dean, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Students (Office of the Dean of Students)
The University of Alberta will be honouring Orange Shirt Day on Friday, September 28, 2018. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to wear their orange shirt and to gather in Quad at noon for a commemorative group photo. If you are planning to participate in the photo, please make your way to the meeting point at the Sweet Grass Bear.University of Alberta will be honouring Orange Shirt Day on Friday, September 28, 2018. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to wear their orange shirt and to gather in Quad at noon for a commemorative group photo. If you are planning to participate in the photo, please make your way to the meeting point at the Sweet Grass Bear.
