6 Indigenous artists share the inspiration behind their Orange Shirt Day designs for 2022
The meaning behind their T-shirt designs for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, in their own words
Sept. 30 will mark the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day when many people will wear orange to recognize the legacy of residential schools and their ongoing harms to Indigenous peoples. This day is also known as Orange Shirt Day, inspired by Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, a Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation elder in Williams Lake, B.C., who, at the age of six, had the orange shirt her grandmother gave her taken away when she attended a residential school. You can read an in-depth history of Orange Shirt Day on the Orange Shirt Society's site here.
Each year, the society holds a contest to determine the new official Orange Shirt Day design. This year's winner is Geraldine Catalbas, a Grade 11 student from Ponoka, Alta. She shared a little bit about her winning design with the Orange Shirt Society: "The shoes represent the children who died in residential schools. The shoe lace coming off into an eagle representing their freedom up in the heaven and their fight through difficult times."
This year's official shirts can be purchased at these retailers and proceeds go to the Orange Shirt Society. In addition to having an annual official design, the society also welcomes other makers to create a design that "means something to you or to your Nation." We reached out to a few Indigenous artists who have done just that and asked them to tell us a bit about their designs for 2022, along with the inspirations behind them. Their responses, which have been edited for length and clarity, are below, along with information about where their shirts can be purchased.
Daniel Puglas for Strong Nations
Kwakwaka'wakw artist Daniel Puglas' wolf design is this year's orange shirt for Strong Nations, an Indigenous-owned and -operated publishing house and online book and gift store. It's available to purchase on their site, and a portion of the sales will be donated to the Indian Residential School Survivor Society.
"My inspiration came from our late mother, Sally F. Williams, who passed from cancer Feb. 27, 2021. Our mom often talked about her home, Hopetown Village on Watson Island, and how the island was shaped like a wolf head. There is a story of the Gwawaenuk Tribe on how the island got to be shaped as a wolf, but I would need to talk to our elders. Our mom passed down a lot of her knowledge to her children and grandchildren. So it seemed fitting to put a mother wolf and baby wolf on the shirt."
Bizaanide'ewin X Kokom Scrunchies
These limited edition t-shirts were designed by Ojibwe artist Caitlin Newago of Bizaanide'ewin in collaboration with Kokom Scrunchies, a scrunchie company founded by Mya Beaudry, who's an 11-year-old Algonquin entrepreneur from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation. The orange shirts are sold out on Kokom Scrunchies' site, but are still available to purchase online from bizaanideewin.com. Kokom Scrunchies will be donating all of the proceeds from their portion of the shirts to the Orange Shirt Society and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. Newago will be donating 50 per cent of the proceeds to the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, adding that she has donated nearly $500 so far. "I would love to be able to donate even more," she said, "as this is a cause near and dear to my heart."
"My inspiration for this design stems directly from my family. Both of my maternal grandparents are survivors of the boarding school located in Odanah, Wis. My family suffers the effects to this day. I made this design as not only a means to spread awareness, but as a direct reclamation of culture. My floral work is based off of traditional Ojibwe floral beadwork and quillwork." - Caitlin Newago
"We connected with Caitlin over Instagram because she is such an amazing and talented artist. Her Ojibway floral work being similar to Algonquin floral, so we thought it would be a great and amazing collaboration, and it was! We exchanged ideas and Caitlin quickly started putting the ideas into the beautiful design featured on our orange shirts. We also shared a special feature as artists and businesses, as both our work was featured on the TV show Reservation Dogs." - Kokom Scrunchies
Tina Taphouse
Tina Taphouse, an Interior Salish photographer and designer who lives in Langley, B.C., designed her 2022 orange shirt in honour of her mother. She shares more info about how to order her T-shirts on her Facebook and Twitter accounts. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Orange Shirt Society.
"I'm Interior Salish from St'át'imc Territory. Lillooet is where my band, T'it'q'et, is. This is my second year designing an orange shirt.
"I am a Sixties Scoop survivor. I met my birth mom in July 2012 in Lillooet. I learned that my dear mom gave me up for adoption so I wouldn't have to attend the Kamloops Indian Residential School. What a heartbreaking decision that was.
"Last year, my mom silently watched me as I made my orange shirts, as I weed vinyl and heat press onto shirts, during the heat dome.
"My design this year is dedicated to the day I met my dear mom, July 2012 in Lillooet. I've had this image in my head for the past year since she passed away in August 2021. I feel my mom is still with me when I make my shirts that are dedicated to us. Each shirt is made and packaged by me, and to me; each is a piece of art sent with respect and love for my dear mom."
Flourish and Grow x Rezonance Printing
These shirts are a collaboration between Rezonance Printing, which describes itself as "an Indigenous-led print shop on deshkan ziibiing," and London, Ont.-based Mi'kmaq beadwork artist and designer Mikaila Stevens of Flourish and Grow. Online orders are closed, but Adam Sturgeon of Rezonance Printing said they'll be doing local pop-ups in London over the weekend and into next week. The first one is this Saturday at the Punk Rock Flea Market. Proceeds will be donated to the Orange Shirt Society and the Rezonance Youth Internship Program.
"This Orange Shirt Day, I was inspired to create a design for Rezonance Printing that was very personal and close to my heart. I grew up in Kamloops, and I wanted to honour and pay tribute to the beautiful place I called home as a kid. As an Indigenous person, and truthfully, as a screen printer, Orange Shirt Day brings up a lot of complicated feelings. In my art, I use a lot of vibrant colours to create works that bring a light and positivity to whatever I'm trying to create. For this Orange Shirt [Day] design, I chose bright contrasting colours against the orange shirt to bring a unique and otherworldly look to the landscape inspired by the view from the Thompson River located on Secwepemc (Shuswap) Territory. The white version of the shirt was extra special to me, and I really love how the orange highlight in the mountains.
"I can still feel the power of the mountains, trees, and water in Kamloops. A lot of different feelings and memories came back when Kamloops was in the news last June and sparked a wave of grief through all Indigenous communities. It hit me in a unique way that is still hard to put into words, but with this design, I wanted to remind myself that there is still beauty on the other side of grief and there is power in acknowledging and honouring our stories made possible by the resilience of our ancestors." - Mikaila Stevens
Aritzia X Atheana Picha
Atheana Picha, an interdisciplinary Salish artist from Kwantlen First Nation, designed Aritzia's orange shirt for this year's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is currently sold out online and all of the proceeds will be donated to the Orange Shirt Society. We reached out to Picha and she shared her artist statement with us:
"I wanted to make a design about Indigenous joy, celebrating our future and recognizing what our Elders have gone through. To honour the survivors in my life, I asked one of my Elders what orange shirts mean to him. He explained that they make him feel seen and that he matters. He's done a lot of healing work after surviving a residential school, and this design recognizes some of that process.
"The salmon egg and the mature salmon represent our young ones and our elders. The wave represents the movement of teachings between generations and the rippling effect of our impact in each other's lives — it's a reminder to be compassionate to one another and to be gentle. The sun represents brightness. 'Every Child Matters' is a phrase to uplift and recognize the importance of community."
Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools.
A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.
Mental health counselling and crisis support is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca
