TOGETHER WE
CAN RELIGHT THE
FIRE OF HOPE
CAN RELIGHT THE
FIRE OF HOPE
Together we are relighting the fire of hope for all generations, past, present and future.
It is our mission to inspire all people to support the end of racism by taking personal action to help create a culturally safe community where all Indigenous peoples can thrive. But we can't do it alone. Through this campaign, we are inviting people from all nations to join us as we come together in inspired ways to change the future for Indigenous peoples.
Show your support by wearing orange, getting involved, and speaking truth.
All proceeds from Orange Shirt sales support Atlohsa Family Healing Services, which assists community members impacted by the legacy of residential schools and colonization. Your support is greatly appreciated.
In 1973, six-year-old Phyllis (Jack) Webstad bought a shiny new orange shirt to wear to her new school, with the little money her and her Grandmother had. On her first day of school at St. Joseph's Mission residential school in British Columbia, school officials took away her clothes, including her new orange shirt, as a measure to strip her personal identity and sense of self-worth. Her orange shirt was never returned.
September 30th has been declared Orange Shirt Day in support of Phyllis’ story and her work to raise awareness. On this day and every day, we honour those who survived the residential schools and to remember those who did not. We acknowledge that Every Child Matters. It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussions, to build awareness of the legacy and lasting impacts of residential schools and to inspire action, hope and healing.