Clad in orange T-shirts, students across the country will spend their Mondays learning about the intergenerational harm done to children at Canada91裸聊视频檚 residential schools.

Sept. 30 marks the seventh annual Orange Shirt Day, started by Phyllis Webstad, a residential school survivor and Stswecem91裸聊视频檆 Xgat91裸聊视频檛em from Williams Lake. The national day of remembrance refers to one of her first memories at St. Joseph91裸聊视频檚 Mission Residential School in B.C.91裸聊视频檚 central Interior in the 1970s, when staff took away her orange shirt, bought especially for school, when she was six years old.

91裸聊视频淭he colour orange has always reminded me of that [incident] and how my feelings didn91裸聊视频檛 matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing,91裸聊视频� Webstad writes on the Orange Shirt Day website. 91裸聊视频淎ll of us little children were crying and no one cared.91裸聊视频�

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.91裸聊视频檚 Fraser Valley earlier this month.

91裸聊视频淭he elementary (schools) are the hardest,91裸聊视频� she told the . 91裸聊视频淚 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, it91裸聊视频檚 really just surface stuff to introduce the topic.91裸聊视频�

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This year91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 the truth of the history of Canada,91裸聊视频� Webstad said of residential schools. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not just First Nation history, this is Canadian history. And Canadians that live in this country need to be aware of this dark past.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频� with files from Grace Kennedy

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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