A Niagara-based company is selling orange shirts in honour of this Friday's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Calhoun Sportswear in St. Catharines says it is acknowledging their Indigenous neighbours by offering Orange Day T Shirts.
"Orange T Shirt Day helps us atone for the damage caused by the Indian Residential School System. This simple t shirt can help acknowledge this “sad chapter” in our history and help us to continue the healing process."
All proceeds from the sales of the Orange Day T Shirt will be donated to the Mohawk Village Memorial Park located on the grounds of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School.
They are sold at Calhoun's retail store in St. Catharines, or online. They are $19.99.
The Orange Day T Shirt was designed by Kanerahtaien Doxtador-Swamp, a grade 10 student at Brantford Collegiate High School. She is a descendant of a Residential School family.
“The effects of residential schools are greater than words can express. I wanted to share this piece of the feeling it leaves on me, and many others. I don’t have the words to properly describe what it exactly did to me, but I could express it in a way through this drawing. It shows the way that our culture and languages can heal the damage that the schools have done to us. It’s important to realize how much our culture can play a part in the way we do things, so, with that in mind the mother hugging her child is an important portrayal of the way that Haudenosaunee teachings are. I wanted to portray this mother and child pair because of the comfort and safety that this mother gives through this hug is important. The way that the child is crying is important to share because it doesn’t hide the way that the schools wrecked all these little kids ’lives. They were just kids. It’s a very emotional piece and it means a lot to me because of that. I hope that everyone can look at this and not just see a mother and her child but also feel the feelings that I felt while making this and really think about what that means.”