Phyllis Webstad

... a federal, um, statutory, uh, it came about actually, uh, through a grassroots, uh, movement called Orange Shirt Day initially.

Uh, started by Phyllis Webstad, who is a residential school survivor.

Uh, it became an observed day, I think, in 2013, and it was based upon her experience going, uh, on the first day to residential schools.

Her grandmother had given her, uh, a lovely orange shirt that she was very happy with.

Memoir, we are still here.

Please welcome back to the show, advocate for Indigenous education and reconciliation, award-winning author and founding member of Orange Shirt Day, Every Child Matters, Phyllis Webstad.

Phyllis, it's so nice seeing you again.

Yes, nice to be back.

But when I would go into schools, People didn't know I was alive.

They thought this was ancient history, happened 100 years ago.

And I would often be introduced as the real Phyllis Webstad.

So people were surprised that I was even alive.

It's the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which honors residential school survivors, their families, and their communities.

and its Orange Shirt Day, Every Child Matters, which grew out of one survivor's story, Phyllis Webstad, who was six years old when the new orange shirt her grandmother bought her was taken away on her first day at residential school.

And I want to make it clear that the National Day didn't replace Orange Shirt Day.

The two sit alongside each other.

So as I mentioned, those stories are theirs to tell, and a lot of them are being told right now.

So if you want somewhere to start, Phyllis' story is linked in the episode description.

Let's start with history, because the Dream Speakers have a complicated one, both their own and how they ended up in a room with the other eight traditions.

The spiritual practices that feed into the Dream Speaker tradition are among the oldest forms of human magic on the planet.

And the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established in response to the calls to action, Truth and Reconciliation Day being call 80 of the one of 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which called on the federal government in collaboration with Indigenous peoples to create a countrywide day of learning, reflection, and action.

And Phyllis Webstad, founder of the Orange Shirt Society and residential school survivor says, in order for the world to be different, people need to know our truths and truth comes before reconciliation.

This is usually my approach.

And I wanted to offer some words from Bonnie Duran, who is a mixed-race Oblusa-Kunceta descent, and she's also a professor in the School of Social Work.

And she continues, colonization has gotten into our heads.

And I think these are the distortions that the Bonnie Duran is talking about from that particular ancient twisted karma from beginningless greed, hate and delusion.

And the book, Decolonization and Me by Christy McLeod, who is a Metis educator and Phyllis Webstad, right? The decolonization is about committing to be in relationship to one another in a manner that acknowledges the value we have for each other.

And in this book, they highlight supporting Indigenous sovereignty, economic reconciliation, systemic change and social justice are all processes of decolonization.

It's often called Or- an Orange Shirt Day.

The orange shirt is from a story by a woman, a residential school survivor, Phyllis Webstad.

She remembered going with her family to the store and picking out a shiny orange shirt, and that shirt was taken away from her when she was taken from her family and made to wear a uniform at a residential school.

And so the campaign is called Every Child Matters.

And so if you see flags or T-shirts with those words, it's because of Phyllis Webstad's story.

But all the stories, particularly of those who never survived.

I'm proud of our country that we have this day of remembrance.

And I know that there have been lots of others who have been speaking up about this, about the residential school systems, about things like day schools, you know, helping change be made.

People like Phil Fontaine and later on Phyllis Webstad.

But Jackie, I have to be honest, I had no idea about Willie's story and the role that he played in all of this.

Yeah, I had no idea either until I started reporting this story.