Orange Shirt day grew out of the story of a young aboriginal girl, named Phyllis, who had her brand new orange shirt taken away on her first day of residential school. Her grandmother had given it to her as a gift.
The Orange shirt taken from one child is a symbol of the many losses experienced by thousands of indigenous students, their families and communities over several generations. These include loss of family, language, culture, freedom, parenting and self esteem. Orange Shirt Day is celebrated on September 30th, although Wilkinson will observe the day on Friday, September 29th. It is a day to listen, learn and celebrate Indigenous culture.
The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which First Nations, Metis and Inuit students were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to talk about anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year.