Every Child Matters

First Nation Goods is working tirelessly to support the Every Child Matters movement

Why an Orange Shirt? Former residential school student Phyllis (Jack) Webstad has shared her story of her first day at residential school when her new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken from her as a six-year old girl. This act left Phyllis feeling invisible and worthless and affected the way she lived for much of her life.

September 30th is annually recognized as Orange Shirt Day, highlighting the damage the residential school system did to the well-being of Indigenous children. Equally, it serves as a healing journey for the survivors and a commitment by all who wear an orange shirt, that every child matters.

Orange Shirt Day can be hard for those who survived residential schools and their families. Over 150,000 Indigenous children attended residential schools in Canada from the late 1800’s until the last one closed in the 1990’s and of those attending, it’s estimated that over 5,000 died while under residential school care. Many survivors are still dealing with the trauma of abuse experienced at these schools, and the impact it’s had not just on them, but on their families as well

Now is the time to listen to the stories of survivors and their families and learn from them, so that these mistakes are not repeated. It is a time for conversations about understanding the survivors’ truths and beginning the journey toward reconciliation. Now is the time for an exploration of opportunities to do better for generations of children to come.