Watch Phyllis Webstad's
Orange Shirt Story
When a residential school survivor shares their story, they should only have to share it once.
Why Do I Wear Orange?
We’re challenging 1 million people around the world to listen to Phyllis Webstad's orange shirt story.
Join thousands of others as they take a meaningful step on the path of reconciliation.
September 30th - Orange Shirt Day
Phyllis Webstad, the founder of Orange Shirt Day and a Residential School survivor, is renowned worldwide as one of the leading voices behind the global movement.
Phyllis is a 3rd generation residential school survivor from Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band) near Williams Lake in northern British Columbia. When she was just 6 years old she was taken to St. Joseph Mission Residential School in 1973.
When you watch Phyllis' first-hand account, you’re taking a powerful step toward reconciliation.
And you’ll honour the stories of thousands of children who attended and may never have returned home from residential schools.
Video Trailer
Join thousands of others as they take the first steps towards reconciliation.
Advisory: Some of the following content features traumatic Indigenous historical contexts.
Listen as Phyllis Webstad shares her orange shirt story that began an international movement now known as "Orange Shirt Day".
Joseph Naytowhow
Joseph is a respected Knowledge Keeper, from the Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, and highly regarded Indigenous Adviser for many Universities, organizations, and communities throughout Canada. As a residential school survivor, Joseph embodies extraordinary resilience and unwavering tenacity, along with a quiet strength and unexpected optimism. Joseph graciously shares his story of a painful past to help his audience restore lost parts of Canadian history and to better understand Indigenous identity. He is admired for his vulnerability and power to transform his important story into a motivating call to action.
Advisory: Some of the following content features traumatic Indigenous historical contexts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should people watch Phyllis Webstad's Orange Shirt Story?
Many people do not know or understand the full history of residential schools in Canada or abroad. Or why we wear orange shirts on September 30, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
By watching this video, and inviting others to join you, you’ll begin to educate yourself about this painful part of our collective past.
Asking residential school survivors to share their personal stories again and again is painful. Every time a residential school survivor tells their story they do it at the sacrifice of themselves. Watching this video allows you to hear Phyllis’ story, and the stories of many generations of survivors, without causing more harm.
When we have shared understanding about our history, then we can begin to walk together toward healing and reconciliation.
Just imagine the impact and healing that can begin when 1.5 million Canadian households take this meaningful reconciliACTION.
Who are the collaborators for the #OSD10for10 campaign? How does it work?
Who is Phyllis Webstad? What is Orange Shirt Day?
Can I watch this video with my children and family? What ages are best for this?
Absolutely! The Phyllis’ story is appropriate for all ages, from 6 to 96 years old!
Reconciliation doesn’t happen by itself. It happens together. The more people who watch with you, the greater the impact!
Think about how you can inspire others to watch the film with you:
- Watch it with your family
- Engage in conversation with your colleagues
- Share it on social media
Watching Phyllis’ Orange Shirt Story is a meaningful way to stop the silence and start a conversation.
I’m not Canadian. Can I still participate?
How can I get more involved in the campaign?
Where do the proceeds go?
100% of the proceeds from Organze Shirt Day will go to Indigenous organizations to support residential school Survivors and communities, and to provide further Indigenized educational opportunities for the world.
From the IISB Family
"THIS is a significant moment in time to change the trajectory for all our future generations. Reconciliation is a generational journey, but understanding why the ‘Orange Shirt Day’ movement needed to happen, is a foundational step to building better pathways and walking together." - Kathaleen ’Shannon’ Loutitt Matriarch, CEO and Co-Founder of IISB
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