Every year on September 30, Canada looks back. Communities come together. Not to just remember, but to honor the children taken from their families, those who survived residential schools, and those who never came home. September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.
One might wonder what this day has to do with children’s art. Keep reading to know.
Orange Shirt Day was inspired by a simple story. When Phyllis Webstad arrived at residential school in 1973, her new orange shirt, a gift from her grandmother, was taken away. That shirt became a symbol of everything that was stripped from Indigenous children. Their culture, language, family, and identity. Today, Orange Shirt Day is celebrated on September 30 because that is the time of year Indigenous children were taken from their homes to the residential schools.
When in residential schools, children made drawings. Not works of art, but honest, small, sometimes heartbreaking glimpses into a child’s daily life. These drawings brought truth to light about what they missed, what they feared, and what they hoped their life would be.
An artist and art teacher, Robert Aller, taught at several residential schools. He encouraged students to draw. He also kept all their drawings. He kept them hidden from the school priest, who once instructed Aller to destroy the paintings. Years later, Aller’s family donated these artworks for an exhibition titled “There is Truth Here: Creativity and Resilience in Children’s Art from Indian Residential and Day Schools.” These historic artifacts are a witness to children’s experiences at these schools.
Truth and Reconciliation is not just about this past. It is an ongoing process. For both children and adults. And art is one of the ways that process happens in real life. One great example of that is the artworks of children recovered and presented at the Indigenous History and Heritage Gathering in Winnipeg. Many of these survivors are glad that their drawings have finally emerged. For them, these drawings represent hope, a tool for healing, and cultural reclamation.
September 30 is one day on the calendar. But the conversation it opens does not have to end there. It should keep on healing the hearts, just like the children’s drawings that were saved from oblivion and that continue to inspire courage even today. Dialogue is key to the reconciliation process. Speakers from the Orange Shirt Society can visit your community. Reach out and share.
