Orange Shirt Day (September 30) is an official day to honour and build awareness of residential school survivors.

The Original Orange Shirt

Phyllis Webstad describes her first day at the residential school:

“When I got to the Mission, they stripped me, and took away my clothes, including the orange shirt! I never wore it again. I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t give it back to me, it was mine! The color orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying and no one cared.” 

–Phyllis Webstad, Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation
(Source: orangeshirtday.org)

Because of this story and the mistreatment it represents, the orange shirt has become a permanent symbol of remembrance for residential school survivors. According to The Orange Shirt Day Act, September 30 now officially bears the name “Orange Shirt Day.”

>> Read more: Phyllis’s Story: The Original Orange Shirt

The Orange Shirt Day Video Collection

AV Services Presents The Orange Shirt Day Video Collection (photo credit: NFB.ca)

AV Services has curated a collection of videos to honour Orange Shirt Day, now on display outside AV Services in the Library. For your convenience, many of these titles are streamed and available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device (RRC staff or student log in required).

View the list of titles here >> The Orange Shirt Day Video Collection