To honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation—also known as Orange Shirt Day—on September 30, the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is answering frequently asked questions to help spread awareness about the ongoing impacts of the residential school system.
What is Orange Shirt Day?
Orange Shirt Day is a grassroots movement. It raises awareness about the impacts of residential schools.
It takes place on September 30, which is now known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
This is a day to honour Survivors and their families, and to remember and commemorate the many children who did not return home from residential schools.
Who is Phyllis Webstad?
Phyllis (Jack) Webstad is the founder of the Orange
Shirt Society. This is a grassroots organization
dedicated to raising awareness about the impact of
residential schools.
As a young child, Phyllis was sent to St. Joseph
Mission Residential School.
On her first day, she proudly wore a brand-new orange
shirt her grandmother had given her.
Sadly, upon arrival, school officials took the shirt away.
She never saw it again.
To Phyllis, the colour orange served as a reminder of
her experience, and the experiences of many other
children who were forced to attend residential school.
This is why, on September 30th, we wear orange—to
honour Survivors and to remember the children who
never made it home.
How many residential schools were there in Canada?
It is unclear how many residential schools operated in Canada. It is likely there were close to 200 schools.
There were 139 residential schools in Canada that are formally recognized in the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.
These were schools that received financial support from the federal government.
However, many other schools also operated without federal funding.
According to Paths to Reconciliation—a project by Canadian Geographic and the Department of Canadian Heritage (2022)—there were at least 61 additional residential schools across the country that have not been formally recognized.
I am not Indigenous. How can I support Survivors and intergenerational Survivors?
There are many ways to support Survivors.
Support means giving Survivors the space to tell their stories, as well as amplifying their voices.
It’s about listening, learning, unlearning, and striving to understand.
This can also look like everyday acts of care and solidarity. For example, you can support Indigenous artists and small businesses, attend community events, or offer to take a Survivor out for lunch or coffee—creating space to simply listen if they wish to share.
Of course, you can also show your solidarity and care by wearing an orange shirt!
These small but intentional gestures show respect, build trust, and help strengthen community connections.
How many children were sent to residential schools?
“An estimated 150,000 First Nations, Metis, and Inuit children were removed from their families, homes, languages and lands,” according to the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, located at the University of British Columbia (2021).
Who oversaw residential schools?
The Canadian government provided financial support to 139 residential schools.
Various religious groups, including the Anglican, Presbyterian, United, and Roman Catholic churches, operated the schools.
However, religious organizations that did NOT receive any federal funding also operated some schools.
Photo credit: Franklin Hugo Kitto / Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development fonds / Library and Archives Canada
Why were residential schools created?
Residential schools were “a systematic, government-sponsored attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages and to assimilate Aboriginal peoples so that they no longer existed as distinct peoples,” according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
In other words, residential schools were meant to eradicate Indigenous peoples and our cultures.
How many children didn’t make it home?
More than 3000 children died between 1867 and 2000, according to Canada’s Residential Schools: Missing Children and Unmarked Burials in the Final Report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Volume 4. The total number of children who died was 3201.
These figures only represent recorded deaths. The actual number is probably much higher.
Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for us to advocate for the children who never made it home and to remind everyone as we move forward that Every Child Matters.
I am not Indigenous. Can I take part in Orange Shirt Day? Should I wear an orange shirt?
Yes! The Southern Chiefs’ Organization encourages everyone to take part in Orange Shirt Day.
This is a day to honour Survivors and remember the children who didn’t make it home.
SCO encourages everyone to wear an orange shirt. To help with this, we are giving away orange t-shirts to show support for Survivors, their families, and the children who never returned home from residential schools.
You can pick up a t-shirt at SCO’s sub-office, located at 1572 Dublin Avenue in Winnipeg, during our regular office hours: Monday to Friday, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (closed daily from 12 noon to 1 pm).
Quantities are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. These t-shirts are for pick-up only and will not be delivered.
You can also buy official merchandise directly from the Orange Shirt Society here.
Why is September 30th important?
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a federal holiday in Canada.
It honours the children who never returned home and the Survivors of residential schools.
September 30 serves as a day of reflection and education about the lasting effects of the Canadian Indian residential school system.
It is a day for us all to reflect, lend an ear to Survivors, and remember that we need to continue down the path of reconciliation as we move forward.
In December 2023, Manitoba established Orange Shirt Day as a provincial statutory holiday, so that all Manitobans have the opportunity to reflect on the legacy of residential schools and the profound impacts of that trauma that still exists today.
Establishing this statutory holiday directly responded to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #80.
What are the lasting effects of the residential school system?
Although residential schools have closed, they continue to impact both Survivors and their descendants.
Children were forbidden to practice their traditional ways or speak their language in residential schools. This supported the schools’ efforts in disconnecting children from their own families, Nations, and cultures.
Survivors and families are impacted by the intergenerational effects of the schools because personal trauma has been passed down.
This is accompanied by a loss of languages, cultures, traditional teachings, and mental/spiritual well-being.
However, some First Nations citizens are inspired by their family members who have survived the schools—and they work to honour their legacy and their memory.
SCO recognizes that there are Survivors and intergenerational Survivors who have committed their lives to working with First Nations to contribute to the recovery from the negative impacts of residential schools.
When did the first residential school open in Canada?
The first residential school, known as the Mohawk Indian Residential School, opened nearly 200 years ago in 1828 in Brantford, Ontario.
It was established by the New England Company, a British Anglican Missionary Society.
In 1929, the Canadian government took over daily operations, though the school remained Anglican in denomination until its closing.
It was in operation for over 140 years, closing in 1970 (according to the Survivors’ Secretariat).
Photo credit: Canada. Dept. of Mines and Technical Surveys / Library and Archives Canada / PA-023095
When did the last residential school in Canada close?
The last federally funded residential school to close was the Gordon Residential School in Saskatchewan. It closed in 1996.
One year later, in 1997, Kivalliq Hall in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut closed. This school was not federally funded.
NOTE: These photos were taken in 2021 at a gravesite site where the former Elkhorn Residential School in Manitoba once stood. This gravesite has a monument that was erected in July 1990 by former school staff and students. In part, the monument reads, “In this consecrated plot of ground lie buried the remains of several children who died while attending the Elkhorn Indian Residential Schools.” These photos also show unmarked crosses that have been erected to honour the 26 children who died at the school.
How do I learn more about Orange Shirt Day?
To learn more about Orange Shirt Day or about the impact of the residential school system in Canada, you can visit the website for the Orange Shirt Day Society.
SCO’s webpage for the Residential School Research Project is online here.
The webpage has many resources, such as:
~Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future
~Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
~the Final Report of the Office of the Independent Special Interlocutor
~Books, papers, videos, and music about residential schools
You can also learn more by making an effort to attend ceremonies and event, like the people pictured in this photo—they attended an earlier healing walk in honour of Orange Shirt Day in Manitoba.
Why should I take part in Orange Shirt Day?
Recognizing and acknowledging Survivors and their families is a crucial step toward supporting their healing.
Orange Shirt Day honours residential school Survivors and remembers the atrocities and lasting trauma they endured.
September 30 is a time for us to remember and honour the children who didn’t make it home, such as the eight students whose names appear on the pictured memorial. Along with their pilot, they died in a tragic plane crash in Winnipeg on June 24, 1972. The young people were heading home to the Bunibonibee Cree Nation in northern Manitoba for their summer break—they were students at the Portage la Prairie Residential School and the Stonewall Collegiate Institute.
Orange Shirt Day is a day of learning, unlearning, and support.
Showing up for Survivors, and for all the impacted families, is an act of solidarity.