Orange Shirt Day in Langley

October 2, 2017

Schools across the district recognized Orange Shirt Day on September 29. Staff and students came wearing their orange shirts reading “Every Child Matters”.

Orange Shirt Day is a day of reflection and reconciliation around residential schools. It began with the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, who, when attending Residential School as a child, had her brand new orange outfit taken away on her first day of school. She never saw the outfit again.

Students across the district held assemblies to reflect on the meaning of that moment, and the effects of Residential School on the First Nation’s communities across the country.

DW Poppy Secondary School was visited by Hereditary Chief of Kwantlen First Nations, Marilyn Gabriel, as well as Kevin Kelly, and DW Poppy grad, Michael Kelly-Gabriel. Students and staff were honoured as witnesses, being brought forward at the end of the assembly to share their thoughts and feelings on what they learned. During the assembly, they repatriated the school’s House Pole, a carving of a Red Hawk that hangs in the large gym of the school. The carving was done by Coast Salish artist Xwalacktun in 2007 with the help of student carvers. Xwalacktun was honoured at the ceremony and spoke about how his wife was a graduate from Poppy. He told everyone about the process of carving the pole, the ceremony involved, and the help he had from his assistant Pam.

At James Hill Elementary, students prepared paper hearts with messages about their reflections on the effects of Residential School. After a short assembly in the gym, students took their hearts outside and walked to the far side of the field where they planted them in the ground. Then they made a second lap and read the all of the hearts and reflect upon their messages.