It was the third year for which Akron Schools recognized Orange Shirt Day, September 30th, a day to acknowledge the “Every Child Matters” movement in the United States and Canada meant to bring awareness, recovery, and reconciliation for the atrocities at Residential Schools against Native American people and their children in both countries. Students and staff wore orange shirts on Monday, September 30th at school.
The orange shirt is inspired by Phyllis (Jack) Webstad’s experience of having her orange shirt, given to her by her grandmother, taken away upon arrival at a residential school for Indigenous children. Webstad is the founder of the Orange Shirt Society and has published two children’s books that tell her story and raise awareness.
Age-appropriate activities planned for all grade levels at Akron Schools included Native American high school students reading Websted’s book, Orange Shirt Story or Firefly – A Boarding School Story by Elizabeth Albert-Peacock, to elementary students. Facts about Residential Boarding Schools were also posted around the middle and high schools. The facts are answers to questions from students following last year’s docu-video presentation of interviews with local experts on residential schools that was shared with middle and high school students. Many thanks to the student readers as well as Mrs. Abrams, Ms. Patterson, Mrs. Smoke, Mrs. Sundown-Jonathan, and Mr. Logan, Native American counselors and Seneca language teachers at ACS who helped organize the days events.
Samples of beadwork and quillwork, as well as many other visual examples of local Native American handiwork and culture, were used to spur creativity for a second t-shirt design contest held last spring that challenged students to create an attractive graphic to help raise awareness. Junior Rosemary Van Every’s design was selected and printed on orange shirts. Some shirts are still available through Akron’s Intro to Business class that collaborates with Market on Main and runs the Tiger Den School Store.
For additional information about the shirt sale, please contact Mrs. Karen Saeli at ksaeli@akronk12.org. To learn more about the “Every Child Matters” movement, visit orangeshirtday.org.
