responsible to and for . The children . The youth . The survivors who have been silenced all these years . Talking in whispers or speaking up and not being believed .
The silent power of a pair of child-sized shoes to honour the children who attended residential schools . The silent flight of the soaring eagle as a symbol of a free spirit , flying highest in the sky , closest to Creator and a messenger to the Creator . These are the images on the Official 2022 Orange Shirt Day Design created by this year ’ s winner , Geraldine Catalbas , a Grade 11 student from Ponoka , Alberta . The quiet part is what we should be paying attention to . The challenges of addressing this history and no longer choosing to keep this history hidden have proven to be a powerful and moving reflection , promoting empathy and learning for young and old , all across Canada .
I was 20 before I heard about residential schools ; my family never shared their experiences . We can all participate in breaking the silence open now . We can speak up and listen to the stories that were once kept silent .
“ The residential school system was based on an assumption that European civilization and Christian religions were superior to Aboriginal culture , which was seen as being savage and brutal .”
Without talking about the difficulties , we can ’ t heal , learn , or move forward . There are so many ways to speak up now to our families or community . We can wear an orange shirt to support the children who survived residential schools and those who didn ’ t . We can learn the history , the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report , and the Calls to Action that affect all parts of society . The Calls to Action are the specific things that need to be done to advance reconciliation in Canada . They are not the work of Indigenous people at all but are directed toward all levels of government , churches , museums , lawyers , police , health-care workers , educators , businesses , and more .
© Orange Shirt Society
Sandra Lamouche is nehiyaw iskwew ( Cree woman ) a member of the Bigstone Cree Nation . She was born and raised in northern Alberta . Sandra has an MA in Indigenous Studies . She is a champion hoop dancer and an awardwinning educator , writer , artist , and two-time TEDx Speaker .
Designer Jolene Arcand is Metis from Region 3 located in Calgary , Alberta , and a graduate from Emily Carr University in Communication Design .
Sources : The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada ’ s ( TRC ) Final Report 2015 (
nctr . ca / records / reports /# trc-reports ). Phil Fontaine , Aimée Craft , and the TRC . A Knock on the Door : The Essential History of Residential Schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada ( 2016 ).
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