The Importance of Truth and Reconciliation. With the slogan of “Every Child Matters,”
The orange shirt now symbolizes how the residential school system took away the indigenous identities of its students. However, the association of the colour with the First Nations goes back to antiquity, the colour represents sunshine, truth-telling, health, regeneration, strength and power.
The “orange shirt” refers to the new shirt that Phyllis Webstad was given by her grandmother for her first day of school at St. Joseph's Mission residential school in BC. When Phyllis got to school, they took away her clothes, including her new shirt.
This day acknowledges that residential schools are a part of our history. Wearing an orange shirt is a national movement to recognize the experience of those who went to Indian residential schools, to honour them, and show a collective commitment to ensure that Every Child Matters.
The purpose of wearing orange is to show a unified step towards reconciliation and building stronger relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
It is a sacred color in many Eastern religions. Hindu and Buddhist monks wear orange robes, and in Hinduism, orange represents fire and therefore purity; impurities are burned in fire.
Orange represents autumn, warmth, and harvest in Western cultures. However, in the Middle East, it is associated with mourning and loss. Many Eastern countries link orange to love, happiness, and good health. In Indian cultures, orange (specifically the yellow-orange hue) is considered sacred.
Its goal is to educate people about residential schools in Canada and to honour and remember the experiences and loss of the First Nation, Inuit and Métis children who were stolen from their families and placed in these schools.
On the plus side, people often associated orange with optimism, confidence, enthusiasm, warmth, and agreeableness. Because it is a bright and vivacious color, it may help people feel outgoing or even bold. On the negative side, it may bring to mind feelings of superficiality, arrogance, or pride.
It is an expression of the belief that all children are important, including the ones left behind at residential schools and adults who are still healing from the trauma they endured there.
Wear Orange is now observed every June. Thousands of people wear the color orange to honor Hadiya and the more than 43,000 Americans are killed with guns and approximately 76,000 more are shot and wounded every year.
The colour orange is a symbol of the many losses experienced by thousands of Indigenous children, their families and their communities over several generations.
It's a day to honour children that survived residential school, and to remember the lives that were lost. Wearing orange is a symbol of respect and mourning. This year, September 30 also marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. You may not know the tragic history of residential schools.
The black symbolises the Aboriginal people, the red represents the earth and the colour of ochre used in Aboriginal ceremonies, and the circle of yellow represents the sun, the constant renewer of life. The flag is flown or displayed permanently at Aboriginal centres throughout Australia.
Because it's associated with optimism and energy, many brands use orange to convey a message of positivity. If you're looking to get your audience excited about something, go for orange. It's an attention-grabbing, warm color that really pops when combined with cool blue or green tones.
The colour psychology of orange is optimistic and uplifting, rejuvenating our spirit. Positive words associated with orange are: warmth, security, sensuality, passion, abundance, fun, social, welcoming, liveliness, active, happiness, joyfulness, cheerful, assertive, dynamic, extroverted, exuberance.
Orange is associated with health and vitality. In design, orange commands attention without being overpowering. This color promotes a sense of general wellness and emotional energy that should be shared.
Oranges are citrus fruits with fragrant, leathery skin and juicy flesh. The most common types are the sweet (or common) orange, the sour (or Seville) orange, and the mandarin orange. The sweet orange is the most widely grown citrus fruit in the world.
Wear orange
The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations. On September 30, we encourage all Canadians to wear orange to honour the thousands of Survivors of residential schools.
Orange is the color associated with warmth, ambition, enthusiasm, and energy. If you're wearing orange, you're probably the life of the party and in a positive and engaging mood.
The hex code for orange is #FFA500.
In Buddhism orange (or more precisely saffron) was the colour of illumination, the highest state of perfection. The saffron colours of robes to be worn by monks were defined by the Buddhist texts. The robe and its colour is a sign of renunciation of the outside world and commitment to the order.
The color we know as orange was referred to in Old English as “geoluhread,” which means yellow-red. The word “orange” was adopted after the eponymous fruit was introduced to English via the Spanish word naranja, which came from the Sanskrit word nāraṅga. Orange conveys energy, enthusiasm, and balance.
During this day Indigenous and non-Indigenous people come together in the spirit of hope and reconciliation to honour residential school survivors, their families, and communities. Take time to learn about the impacts of the policies and actions of the Government of Canada and the churches that operated the schools.