Phyllis Webstad, whose orange shirt was taken away when she attended Residential School in the 1970s, started the Orange Shirt movement by sharing her story. Since 2013, the Orange Shirt Society has raised awareness of the impacts of Residential Schools and the work Survivors and their families do to heal Indigenous communities. September 30 has been declared the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and recognized as Orange Shirt Day to honour Residential School Survivors, their communities, and the children who never came home.

In honour of Orange Shirt Day, RRC Polytech has partnered with Anishininew artist and alumna Erin Ringland to create an original Orange Shirt design and with Red Rebel Armour, owned and operated by alumnus Sean Rayland-Boubar, to produce the Orange Shirts.

The design features a family of loons, birds that are common all over Turtle Island and carry with them Teachings from many different Indigenous communities. Her inspiration for the design was drawn from a story that came out of Maine a few years ago in which a loon had killed an eagle to protect its chicks.

The gathering of loons and the lengths they’re willing to go to protect their families is a demonstration of how strong the bond is between parent and child. It’s a testament to the strength of community and family – it’s a statement on how powerful love is, and how that love can protect and heal our families from trauma.

Erin Ringland, Digital Media Design, 2017

The Orange Shirts will be available through the Campus Store and all proceeds from Orange Shirt sales go to the Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award when applications open for 2025.

Show your support for Truth and Reconciliation by wearing the RRC Polytech Orange Shirt on Friday, September 27 on campus.

Purchase your 2024 Orange Shirt through the Campus Store.

Learn more about Phyllis Webstad and the Orange Shirt Society on their website.

Read more about Erin and this year’s Orange Shirt design on the Alumni Blog.