Clad in orange T-shirts, students across the country will spend their Mondays learning about the intergenerational harm done to children at Canada害羞草研究所檚 residential schools.

Sept. 30 marks the seventh annual Orange Shirt Day, started by Phyllis Webstad, a residential school survivor and Stswecem害羞草研究所檆 Xgat害羞草研究所檛em from Williams Lake. The national day of remembrance refers to one of her first memories at St. Joseph害羞草研究所檚 Mission Residential School in B.C.害羞草研究所檚 central Interior in the 1970s, when staff took away her orange shirt, bought especially for school, when she was six years old.

害羞草研究所淭he colour orange has always reminded me of that [incident] and how my feelings didn害羞草研究所檛 matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing,害羞草研究所� Webstad writes on the Orange Shirt Day website. 害羞草研究所淎ll of us little children were crying and no one cared.害羞草研究所�

Her story has inspired many across the country and around the world to talk about the realities of residential schools and the wider historical marginalization of Indigenous peoples.

Thousands of First Nations, M茅tis and Inuit children were removed from their homes and forced to attend residential schools. The last one closed in 1996.

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Webstad spends her time sharing her story and her beliefs about reconciliation with young people, including at an elementary school in B.C.害羞草研究所檚 Fraser Valley earlier this month.

害羞草研究所淭he elementary (schools) are the hardest,害羞草研究所� she told the . 害羞草研究所淚 have to really watch what I say with the younger ones. With the older ones, I can tell them more, but with the younger ones, it害羞草研究所檚 really just surface stuff to introduce the topic.害羞草研究所�

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This year害羞草研究所檚 Orange Shirt Day will also celebrate Bill C-369, a federal bill awaiting a second vote in the Senate to make Sept. 30 the . If passed, the last day of September will be a statutory holiday.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 the truth of the history of Canada,害羞草研究所� Webstad said of residential schools. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not just First Nation history, this is Canadian history. And Canadians that live in this country need to be aware of this dark past.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� with files from Grace Kennedy

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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