91原创

Editor鈥檚 note: The story below may trigger difficult or traumatic thoughts and memories. The Indian Residential School Survivors Society鈥檚 24-hour crisis line is available at 1-866-925-4419.

A fundraising initiative to purchase Indigenous history and cultural resources for the library, by creating orange shirts with designs and language supplied by Kwantlen First Nation members, was a runaway success, with almost all of the more than 300 shirts selling in about a week.

Organizer Nancy Gleeson, a retired teacher librarian and kindergarten teacher, would like to see some less 鈥渨asp-y鈥� books about First Nation history and culture purchased for beginning readers.

On the front, the shirt bore the school logo of a Coast Salish hawk design created by Kwantlen First Nation artist Phyllis Atkins and the message 鈥渆very child matters.鈥�

READ ALSO: Teaching Canadians to observe solemn new Truth and Reconciliation Day could take time

On the back was an image of an eagle feather and a person with hands raised, along with a message in the h蓹nq虛 虛蓹min蓹虛 m虛 dialect saying 鈥渨e have a strong soul, spirit, and life force,鈥� provided by KFN member Fern Gabriel.

Orange Shirt Day was inspired by a residential school student, , who recounted how, when she was six, her new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken from her.

Gabriel said she hoped personal stories will 鈥済ive a face to the painful past and lead the children to compassion and understanding.鈥�

Atkins explained the human figure was 鈥渞aising his hands in a gesture that indicates thanks, respect, and acknowledges something or someone.鈥�

鈥淭he figure is singing,鈥� Atkins continued.

鈥淭he eagle feather is very sacred. The eagle flies higher than any other bird and it is believed that the eagle carries our prayers to the Creator. The eagle feather is used in talking circles. Whoever holds the feather has to speak the truth.鈥�

READ ALSO: Aldergrove woman handcrafting masks in honour of Truth and Reconciliation Day

As well, the design incorporated the motto T.R.U.T.H. 鈥� Talk, Remember, Understand, Teach, Heal 鈥� the idea of Gleeson, who hoped the acronym will lead to discussion.

鈥淎s a society, we need to talk together, and let the Indigenous elders remember their experiences through sharing their stories,鈥� Gleeson said.

鈥淭his will lead us to better understand the truth of their journey and our history.鈥�

READ ALSO: Day of Indigenous learning planned at 91原创-based Trinity Western University

Parent Byron Smith, a designer who assembled the different elements, said when the school PAC decided on the orange shirt initiative, they felt it was 鈥渟uper important鈥� to have involvement by the Kwantlen First Nation.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the land we live on,鈥� Smith remarked.

Gleeson explained Orange Shirt Day, Sept. 30, now Truth and Reconciliation Day, 鈥渨as the time of year that the children were taken from their homes.鈥�

鈥淚t is a day for survivors, and all the following generations, to be reaffirmed that they matter. Every child matters, even the one buried inside the adult survivor.鈥�