Winnipeg students craft orange creations to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Winnipeg students from several schools displayed their orange creationsin advance of thefirst National Day forTruth and Reconciliation on Thursday tohonourIndigenous families touched by the residential school system.

Sept. 30,formerly known as Orange Shirt Day, is being observed as a federal statutory holiday beginning this year, so students won't be going toclass on Thursday.

Grade 11 and 12 graphic design students at R.B. Russell Vocational School in the North Endcreated a number of designs they printed onorange T-shirts to symbolize what the day is all about.

Their teacherJohn SobkovichisMtis andexplored the history of the residential school system with his students something hesays Canadian teachers across all disciplines should be doing.

"Finally it's coming out to the forefront, so as a class, we wanted to help do our part to bring that message to people," he said.

"It's not a day of celebration, it's a day of honouring and respecting the children that did not make it home, and honouring the people that have lived through this and survived."

Phoenix Ferland-Spence was eager to make her vision a reality.

"I heard that you could be able to put your design on the back of a T-shirt and I thought that was pretty cool," she said.

The project also brought her a littlecloser to her own Indigenousidentity, she said.

Riffing off the Canadian flag design, her orange design includes a maple leaf at the centre flanked by orange feathers and the message "every child matters" across the top.

cole Guyotstudents also marked the day with a series of installations in front of their school in Southdale that included orange dreamcatchers,shirts and knit works.

Grade 8 student Kate Glenwrightsays theywill be taking time on their day off Thursday to reflect.

"This is not like a PD[professional development] day or like a day off for just fun," they said."This is a day for people to think about their family members and people that were lost in residential schools."

Carly Peto teaches art, Spanish, math and social studies for Grade 8 at the school. She says she's taught her students about residential schools and what they can do as allies moving forward.

"We're the oldest class in the school, so it's our responsibility to lead and start the conversation with the whole school," she said.

"It's an extremely serious day, it's a day of reflection, and we've encouraged all of our Grade 8 students to spend that day reflecting on the children that did not come home."

That message resonated with Abigail Ochoa and Bailey Miller, both also in Grade 8 at cole Guyot.

The pair helped create detailed knit pieces that were combined and wrapped around trees on the school grounds.

"It's important to show respect and teach people about the Indigenous communities that went to the residential schools, so that we make sure that it never happens again," said Miller.

Ochoa said for her, Thursday will be all about considering "what all of the kids had to go through and how terrible it is to find out that there's still more to uncover."

"It's a lot to take in," she said."We have to educate a lot of Canadians just so they have a grasp on what really happened, and just for everyone to contribute in their own unique way, like how we did here."

Orange creations to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

3 years ago

Duration 1:56

Winnipeg students from several schools displayed their orange creations in advance of the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Thursday to honour Indigenous families touched by the residential school system.