By: Abigail Streifel, SFU Student
Content warning: mentions of residential schools.
As we head into late September, we’re hearing more and more about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The statutory holiday, which falls on September 30 and coincides with Orange Shirt Day, honours Indigenous children and communities that were harmed by the residential school system.
The story of Orange Shirt Day’s creator, Phyllis Webstad, is now widely known: as a six-year-old Secwépemc girl, she, like many others, was forced into a residential school. There, her orange shirt was taken away — an action that exemplified the attack on identity and agency that over 150,000 Indigenous children faced in residential schools. It is thanks to Webstad’s activism that an orange shirt is associated with justice and remembrance for Indigenous children. However, the shirt — a powerful symbol to recognize the abuses perpetrated by the Canadian government — has been co-opted by companies looking to make a profit.
An orange shirt can be bought practically anywhere. They’re easily found at Walmart, London Drugs, and websites like Amazon and Etsy. But it’s important to consider where the designs for these shirts are coming from. Often, they’re original designs by Indigenous artists like Andy Everson that have been stolen by opportunistic vendors. The lack of recognition contributes to the attempted erasure of Indigenous Peoples that this holiday should be combatting. Indigenous artists deserve credit for their creations, as well as the profits that come from sales.
The reality is that proceeds from orange shirts often aren’t donated to Indigenous causes. This is inappropriate for a symbol that seeks to promote protection for Indigenous Peoples following centuries of systemic abuse and oppression. Without tangible benefits to Indigenous communities, the orange shirt is stripped of its significance. Instead of being a symbol for reconciliation, it’s become no more than another way for sellers to capitalize on oppression.
The best way for us to combat this is to purchase orange shirts from sources that are Indigenous-run or that document their donations to Indigenous causes. Fortunately, there are many places where an orange shirt can be ethically purchased. First, there is Victoria Orange Shirt Day, a campaign started by residential school survivor Eddy Charlie. Their website sells shirts designed by Bear Horne, as well as books to teach children about reconciliation.
MAKE Vancouver has partnered with Urban Native Youth Association since 2021. Proceeds from their orange shirts are donated to the organization, which benefits Indigenous youth. This year, the shirts are designed by Heiltsuk artist KC Hall. Both adult and youth t-shirts can be found on MAKE Vancouver’s website. Indigenous Marketing Solutions is another Indigenous-owned initiative that supports the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s Elder Council. Their orange shirts are designed by Indigenous artists from various nations: Clayton Gauthier, a Cree and Dakelh artist; Aiden Duncan, a Cree artist; and Stacia Goodman, from the We Wai Kai Nation.
Each of these organizations clearly benefit Indigenous communities. There are many other Indigenous businesses like them, and any of them would be a fantastic choice to support. But support for Indigenous people shouldn’t just happen around the end of September. We should all be making an effort to uplift Indigenous communities year-round. This can be done in part by listening to Indigenous voices, educating ourselves, supporting Indigenous businesses and charities, and learning more about reconciliation.
The observance of this day should not be reduced to simply wearing an orange shirt. The intent behind an orange shirt matters far more than the item of clothing itself. It represents reconciliation and solemn acknowledgement of the damage caused by residential schools. Choosing to purchase a shirt from an Indigenous creator carries more significance than buying one arbitrarily from a supermarket.
