Written by: Eden Rechtoris-McNab
From 1925-1936, over 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their homes and placed in residential schools. This number may seem unbelievable, but with approximately 80 schools and 2000 children attended each one, each year, this was the outcome. In Canada, the residential school system harmed various Indigenous individuals (Including First Nations, Métis and Inuit) significantly by removing them from their homes, in the hope of removing influence of Indigenous culture and thus assimilating them to Canadian culture. These children were deprived of their ancestral language, accustomed to physical and sexual abuse, and forcible enfranchisement. These actions by the Government resulted in estimates of 6000+ deaths of young Indigenous people. This began from the Indian Act in 1876 - Amendment of 1884, which made attendance for all Indigenous persons a requirement in day and industrial schools. The schools were set far away from family or familiar, in purpose of minimizing family and parental visits, or any type of contact at all. Sadly, this occurrence caused a significant disrupt in transmission of Indigenous practices, beliefs and traditions across many generations. September 30th of every year was the time of the trucks and busses to enter the Indigenous lands and communities, to “collect” children and place them in schools. This dedicated day officially started in 2013, although was considered since 1973, with the purpose of educating others and promote awareness about the Indigenous residential school system and the impact this system made on Indigenous people, and the country of Canada as a whole, till this day. In 1973, 6 year old Phyllis Webstad visited the St.Joseph Mission Residential School “wearing a bright orange shirt for her first day of school”. It was recalled that Mission Oblates stripped her of her ‘new clothes’ (said to be a rarity for a First Nations girl under the care of her grandmother), and was forcibly clothed in a school uniform. Webstad attended this residential school for 1 year, and recognized “that feeling of worthlessness and insignificance, ingrained in me from my first day at the mission, affected the way I lived my life for many years. Even now, when I know nothing could be further than the truth, I still sometimes feel that I don’t matter.” Webstad’s story catalyzed a change, and the Orange Shirt Day Movement began; to honour those who survived Indian Residential Schools. Every child matters. No matter the race, religion, sexual orientation, sexuality etc. Everyone deserves to be treated in the school system properly. The way these Indigenous individuals were treated was highly unethical in multiple ways. There are approximately 80,000 survivors alive today. Remembrance of this event is one of the most effective ways to gain recognition and display everlasting reconciliation for this incident. http://www.orangeshirtday.org
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