Orange Shirt Day

Centre for Indigenous Education and Community Connections

OSD events will take place in Na’tsa’maht at Lansdowne and at Interurban in the gathering place in the new Alex & Jo Campbell Centre for Health & Wellness. Events will take place on September 29 as beginning in 2021, September 30 will be recognized in Canada as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and the college will be closed.

At this year’s event, Indigenous Education and Community Connections (IECC) will invite participants to help prepare “love baskets” which will be filled with goodies such as canned sockeye, honey, teas, medicines, preserves, candles, tea, and sugar-free treats and more. These will be delivered to residential school survivors that the college works closely with. 

IECC is also launching pins and a new t-shirt designed by Carey Newman where the proceeds will go to The Orange Shirt Society and towards a new Orange Shirt Award at the college. 

Carey Newman will attend the Interurban event and will talk about the design and campaign. Author Darrel J. McLeod will be at Lansdowne talking about the “Reveals” as he put it, of the 215 Plus, Plus, Plus, bodies at Canadian Residential Schools. He is asking us to use the term reveals as the word discoveries indicated that we did not know the bodies were there.

The confirmation of the locations of unmarked burials at residential schools across Canada in 2021, has further emphasized the ongoing and devastating impacts of Canada's Indian residential school system.

On September 29 and 30, we encourage you to wear an orange shirt and to learn what this day means for residential school survivors and their families.