Orange Shirt Day / National Day For Truth and Reconciliation
Tansi, Oki, Âba wathtech, Taanishi, Tawnshi, Dadanist’ada, Edlanet’e, Hello, Bonjour
Orange Shirt Day serves as an annual time to reflect on the history and legacy of residential schools. Originating from Phyllis Webstad’s account of her first day at St. Joseph Mission residential school where her new orange shirt, a reminder of home, was taken, this day is an acknowledgement of Canada’s past and time to hold hope for a future where Every Child Matters. Effective June 2021, Orange Shirt Day is now recognised as a statutory holiday in Canada: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Continuing into the 1990s, mandatory residential schooling in Canada extracted Indigenous children from their homes and communities, depriving them of their culture, traditions and language. Twenty five residential schools were located in the province of Alberta.
This webpage and the resources available here focus on the Treaty Areas, Métis Regions, and Inuit Peoples situated in the province of Alberta and was made possible by grant funding from Alberta Education. We, the Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia (ARPDC) are guided in this work by a Partner Circle of Elders and Knowledge Keepers living in the province of Alberta.
Designed to support the educators in the province of Alberta, this webpage provides educator professional learning and lessons for use in classroom programming, including:
- Materials and teachings for youth in schools are available here: https://empoweringthespirit.ca/orange-shirt-day-and-beyond/programming-supports/
You can find upcoming ARPDC First Nations, Métis and Inuit professional learning events here.
In partnership with Elders and Knowledge Keepers living in Alberta, these professional learning resource focus on the people who live in Treaties 6, 7 and 8, as well as Métis and Inuit peoples.
- Testimonials from Indigenous peoples with supporting activities to guide professional conversations and/or personal reflection about the past
- Activities and information to support educator foundational knowledge of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples living in the province of Alberta
- Information about Indigenous contemporary artists, business and local locations to visit while you continue your personal path to understanding
- Examples of how schools across the province are incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being
- PD Playlists to advance your own learning, or, engage in it together with your school team to learn, reflect, and take action together
Access K to 12 lesson plans and classroom activities to engage your students in learning that explores the history and legacy of residential schools in age appropriate ways and invites Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being into the classroom including:
- K-12 lesson plans for use during the week before Orange Shirt Day/National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- Talking Circle Guides
