To raise awareness for Orange Shirt Day, the Native WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Association of the NWT and Yellowknife Victim Services were stationed outside the Yellowknife post office until 1 p.m. Wednesday.
The organizations were giving away Orange Shirt Day pins and answering questions to honour the survivors of residential schools and recognize those that never came home.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 important that people, the general society, is aware of the residential school system,SA国际影视传媒� said Gail Cyr, a former human rights commission member and frequent volunteer with the Native WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Association.
SA国际影视传媒淭hey figure there are about eight thousand kids that have passed away in the system and a lot of people in the Northwest Territories went into residential schools,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Orange Shirt Day started in 2013 when Phyllis Webstad spoke up about her residential school experience.
Webstad, who at the time lived with her grandmother on the Dog Creek reserve in B.C., went to a SA国际影视传媒渕issionSA国际影视传媒� school for one year in 1973. Before she went to her first day of school, six year-old Webstad was allowed to choose a new outfit, despite their family not having a lot of money. Webstad chose a shiny orange shirt.
When she got to school, Webstad had her clothes taken from her and was never able to wear the shirt again. On the , She said SA国际影视传媒渢he colour orange has always reminded me of that, and how my feelings didnSA国际影视传媒檛 matter.SA国际影视传媒�
Now wearing orange on Sept. 30 promotes the concept that every child matters.
Among those in attendance, was Yellowknife staff Sgt. Yannick Hamel.
On the importance of showing their support for the event, victim services co-ordinator Trish Bullis said she was SA国际影视传媒渞eally happy that he came by.SA国际影视传媒�
She said Victim Services and the work SA国际影视传媒渉and in hand every day.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淚f we do have any kind of awareness or intervention, or whatever we do, theySA国际影视传媒檙e usually right behind us 100 per cent.SA国际影视传媒�
Considering the SA国际影视传媒檚 colonial history, Bullis said the officer's presence SA国际影视传媒渋s a really nice example.SA国际影视传媒�
NWT spokesperson Julie Plourde, said the NWT , like all divisions across the country, SA国际影视传媒渉ave been encouraging their employees to wear an orange shirt on Sept. 30, to remember Indigenous children who were sent away to Residential Schools.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淭he employees are invited to take this day to reflect on the past and work towards reconciliation, and the support this campaign,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Residential schools, while taught in history classes, are still a recent memory for many Canadians. The schools ran for over 100 years with the last federally operated facility closing its doors less than 30 years ago in 1996.
CyrSA国际影视传媒檚 mother was a student at that school on GordonSA国际影视传媒檚 Reserve. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 important that we remember the people and their pain and everything that they went through,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
