Clad in orange T-shirts, students across the country will spend their Mondays learning about the intergenerational harm done to children at Canada香蕉视频直播檚 residential schools.

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

香蕉视频直播淭he colour orange has always reminded me of that [incident] and how my feelings didn香蕉视频直播檛 matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing,香蕉视频直播� Webstad writes on the Orange Shirt Day website. 香蕉视频直播淎ll of us little children were crying and no one cared.香蕉视频直播�

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.香蕉视频直播檚 Fraser Valley earlier this month.

香蕉视频直播淭he elementary (schools) are the hardest,香蕉视频直播� she told the . 香蕉视频直播淚 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香蕉视频直播檚 really just surface stuff to introduce the topic.香蕉视频直播�

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This year香蕉视频直播檚 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.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 the truth of the history of Canada,香蕉视频直播� Webstad said of residential schools. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not just First Nation history, this is Canadian history. And Canadians that live in this country need to be aware of this dark past.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播� with files from Grace Kennedy

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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