Orange Shirt Day t-shirt pre-orders available until Aug. 29

On Sept. 30, the University of Saskatchewan (USask) community is encouraged to participate in Orange Shirt Day to help acknowledge and remember residential school survivors and their families.

To help affirm our commitment that Every Child Matters, orange shirts featuring artwork by local Indigenous artist Kevin Peeace will be available for pre-order through Shop USask. Special thanks to Dr. Holly Graham, PhD, who commissioned this artwork through her position as Indigenous Research Chair in Nursing.

Proceeds from the sales of these shirts will be directed toward a fund supporting the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action with a portion of proceeds also being directed toward the artist.

 

To order a shirt through the USask Bookstore, two options are available:

NOTE: USask Orange Shirt Day shirts will be available for pre-order until Monday, August 29 to ensure delivery before Sept. 30.

There are also additional ways to get involved with Orange Shirt Day:

  • Design your own shirt with the phrase “Every Child Matters” or find an orange bandana, scarf or button to design and wear on Sept. 30.
  • Visit http://www.orangeshirtday.org/ to learn about the history of Orange Shirt Day — the annual event inspired by Phyllis Webstad's personal experience of having her new orange shirt taken away on her first day in the Canadian residential school system.
  • Seek out or share stories of the residential school system with others (such as the personal stories shared on https://youtu.be/vdR9HcmiXLA or the ““Residential Schools in Canada Timeline” located at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFgNI1lfe0A). The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has also produced “Every Child Matters: Truth – Act One” available for viewing at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFTHHtRy8Do
  • Share this email or the links to the official Orange Shirt Day website with others.
  • Post an image of yourself and/or your friends and colleagues to social media with the hashtag #EveryChildMatters and/or #OrangeShirtDay.

The University of Saskatchewan Plan 2025 recognizes that, “as a community, we have a shared responsibility to honour and join in the journey of reconciliation” and the truth that “residential schooling exploited education as a tool to destroy identity.”

Together, we can come together in the spirit of reconciliation, work toward rebuilding relationships, and move forward in a good way by sharing the truth of the residential school system.