The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community, and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of the Salish Current.
Commentary: Orange Shirt Day, commemorating the Indigenous children who were taken from their families and sent to boarding schools, is about remembrance, and about reconciliation and action.
Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have thrived across the Americas with rich communities and traditions that nurtured and honored the environment around them. They protected the land, animals, and waters, striving to live in balance with the natural world.
While there were many visitors to the area during the 1700s, it wasn’t until the mid-1800s when non-Natives really began to settle in the Whatcom County region. In less than 200 years, settlers dismantled much of what had been safeguarded by Indigenous people in the area by depleting natural resources such as wild game, fish and forests. Through this process, Indigenous communities were violently uprooted leading to the unraveling of social and cultural structures and practices.
Acknowledging this history is crucial while also recognizing that acknowledgement is not about blame. Rather, it is noticing the lasting impact of colonization. The devastation inflicted upon the land and Indigenous people isn’t just historical; it continues to ripple through generations in the form of intergenerational trauma and current events/systems.
Boarding schools are a part of the traumas that have rippled through the generations. They were targeted against families and children for assimilating them into mainstream colonial social and economic structures. Children were forcibly taken from their families and communities to be placed in these schools. Through this assimilation process, Native children experienced intense violent abuse, ridicule and neglect.
Orange Shirt Day, represented every year on Sept. 30, is a day to commemorate the children who were taken from their families and sent to boarding schools. It honors the resiliency Indigenous people have that supported them through the painful traumas and losses. This day was inspired by Phyllis Webstad, whose orange shirt was taken from her on her first day of residential school at 6 years of age.
Beyond the individual pain, the intergenerational trauma from boarding schools continues to affect Indigenous communities. Families today are still healing from the emotional scars left by a system that sought to erase their identity. Broken family bonds, mental health struggles and substance use disorders are all part of the damage left behind by these facilities.
However, Indigenous communities are also beacons of resilience. In the face of historical and ongoing oppression, Native people have turned to their cultural roots as a source of strength and healing. Practices like beading, weaving, canoe journeys and other aspects of culture are more than just cultural expressions: they are powerful tools for reclaiming identity, resiliency and healing from trauma. These practices reconnect individuals to their heritage, fostering unity and belonging within communities.
Many of the cultural practices had been outlawed up until 1978 with the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA). The significance of these cultural traditions in modern healing cannot be overstated. They offer a way for Indigenous people to cope with and overcome the effects of intergenerational trauma while building the communal bonds that colonization tried to sever. Reclaiming these traditions is reclaiming resiliency and healing.
For non-Native people, Orange Shirt Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the history of colonization and its ongoing effects. It’s a day to educate oneself about the experiences of those who survived boarding schools and the systemic issues that persist today and foster a deeper understanding and inspire meaningful action in solidarity with Indigenous communities.
Non-Natives can support healing by standing with Indigenous people in their efforts to reclaim their culture and history. This begins with active listening — hearing the stories of survivors and their descendants without judgment or defensiveness, engaging with Indigenous-led organizations, attending cultural events and participating in Orange Shirt Day activities are other tangible ways to show support. It’s essential to recognize that while non-Natives cannot change the past, they can be part of a collective effort to create a better future by supporting Indigenous healing and sovereignty.
Colonization disrupted a balance that had existed since time immemorial. In less than 200 years, settlers not only harmed the people but also destroyed the ecosystems that Indigenous communities had stewarded. In today’s world, driven by profit and capitalism, we are reminded that material wealth alone cannot sustain us. The long-term effects of colonization continue to affect both the people and the environment, making it even more important to bridge the gaps between communities and heal.
Orange Shirt Day is about more than remembrance; it’s about reconciliation and action. It’s a reminder that every child matters, past, present, and future. The trauma caused by boarding schools still reverberates, but the resilience of Indigenous people is stronger than the forces that tried to destroy them.
Everyone is invited to wear orange on Sept. 30 as a commitment — not just as a symbol of remembrance, but as a promise to support healing, protect the environment, and foster a world where every child matters.
— Sstipsn Kalime (Thrisa Phillips Jimmy)
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