September 30, 2021 marked the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. To acknowledge the paintful history and ongoing impact of residential schools, and to begin the reconciliation process, Divison 4 wore orange shirts on Wednesday, September 29th. Orange Shirt Day was created as an opportunity to discuss the effects of residential schools and their legacy. It honors the experiences of Indigenous Peoples, celebrates resilience and affirms a commitment that every child matters.
As a class, Division 4 discussed the importance of Orange Shirt Day and what “Every Child Matters” truly means. Below are a few written reflections shared by Division 4:
“Orange Shirt Day is important because it is a day to honour and respect the children and families who suffered when going to Residential School. It must have been so hard for Indigenous Children tonot be able to speak their language and not have their clothes the way they want them to be.”
“Every child matters” means that in the past not every child mattered, and some past away and in the future we do not want any child to not matter, to not be special, to not be unique because Every Child Matters!”
“I wear an orange shirt because it lets me remember the kids that weren’t treated well.”
“Orange Shirt Day is important becasue it helps us learn about what happened to the children who went to Residential Schools.”
“I wear an orange shirt because I’m grateful that we can do whatever we want, and to remember all those kids who couldn’t.”
“To me, “Every Child Matters” means that we care about every child in the world and they all matter. At the residential school the nuns didn’t care about any of the children. They didn’t matter. Now they all matter.”