For the first time, Alberta schools are marking Orange Shirt Day – a day to honour the tens of thousands of residential school survivors.
For years, this sad legacy in Canadian history went ignored but now it’s slowly becoming part of school curriculum.
Every Sept. 30 from now on, Calgary’s St. Martha School – and many others across the province – will share the painful past of residential schools with their students.
READ MORE: Canada’s aboriginal residential school system was ‘cultural genocide,’ report says
Survivor Violet March shared her story of survival with the students on Friday.
“They cut your braids off and grabbed my doll and put a uniform on me.”
She said residential school stripped her of her culture and her identity.
“My name was not Violet anymore. My name was Number 78.”
St. Martha School principal Lynn Leslie said she was honoured to bring the subject to the school.
“We weren’t connected when we were younger and I am proud to be part of Canada. Now we can have these conversations and be honest about how things occurred.”
Students too, were moved by the presentation. Grade 8 student Hiwot Tadesse said she will never forget what she learned.
“Our government is trying to apologize but I don’t think an apology will make up for the abuse,” Tadesse said. “But it’s nice of them to confess what they did, not to hide it. It is our history.”
READ MORE: Up to 6,000 children died at Canada’s residential schools, report finds
It’s hoped Orange Shirt Day can inspire a movement across the country.
It was created by Phyllis Webstad. She was forced into a residential school when she was just six years old. She remembered the first day she arrived, proudly wearing a bright orange shirt. She was stripped of her clothing and was forbidden to speak her language.
She admitted the colour orange still reminds her of that painful past.
“It’s overwhelming what it signified to me. What I didn’t have in school is learning about the history.”
And Webstad is comforted knowing a whole new generation is becoming more aware of the past.
“That was my dream – for the conversation to happen annually about residential schools,” she said.
“I am blown away and I am humbled and honoured how it’s taken off.”
Watch below: Elder shares deeply personal experience with residential schools on Orange Shirt Day
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