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Phyllis Webstad

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Phyllis Jack Webstad is a Northern Secwepemc (Shuswap) author from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation[note 1], and the creator of Orange Shirt Day, a day of remembrance marked in Canada later instated as the public holiday of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. She is a First Nations residential school survivor.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] She has written multiple books, including a picture book depicting her experience with the Indian residential school system.[8][9][10][11]

Phyllis Webstad
BornPhyllis Jack
1967 (age 56–57)
Dog Creek, Cariboo Regional District[note 1], British Columbia
NationalityCanadian
GenreHistorical
SubjectCanadian Indian residential school system
Years active2018 to present
Notable worksThe Orange Shirt Story
Notable awardsThompson Rivers University Distinguished Alumni Award - 2017; Governor General's Meritorious Service Cross (Civil Division) - 2022

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Main article: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The inspiration for the Canadian public holiday National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, originally called Orange Shirt Day, came from Webstad, who shared her story at a St. Joseph Mission (SJM) Residential School Commemoration Project and Reunion event held in Williams Lake, British Columbia, in April 2013. Webstad recounted her first day of residential schooling at six years old, when she was stripped of her clothes, including the new orange shirt her grandmother bought her, which was never returned. The orange shirt now symbolizes how the residential school system attempted to take away the Indigenous identities of children.[3][4][5][6][12] It is held annually on September 30 as a national day of remembrance in Canadian communities, where people are encouraged to wear an orange shirt. It was elevated to a statutory holiday for federal employees by the Canadian government in 2021.[13]

 
An Orange Shirt Day banner flying in Williams Lake, B.C.

Orange Shirt Day exists as a legacy of the SJM Project, and September 30 signifies the time of year when Indigenous children were historically taken from their homes to residential schools. The official tagline of the day, "Every Child Matters", reminds Canadians that all peoples' cultural experiences are important.[4][6]

In addition to simply wearing an orange shirt, Canadians are encouraged to learn more about the history of residential schools and their assimilation practices, drawing from Phyllis' experience in particular. For instance, many communities have held memorial walks, film screenings, and public lectures to raise awareness about Indigenous history.[14] Accordingly, school boards across Canada have begun to use this event to teach children about the historic system.[15]

She is profiled in Sean Stiller's 2021 documentary film Returning Home.[16]

Career

Phyllis Webstad's journey as an activist and public speaker began in April 2013 when she shared her residential school story at the St. Joseph's Mission Residential School Commemoration Project and Reunion event in Williams Lake.[17] This marked the first time she had publicly recounted her experience, including the story of her orange shirt.[18] The event was a pivotal moment for Webstad, as it allowed her to voice the trauma she endured and connect with other survivors.[19]

Following this event, Webstad's story gained traction on social media, leading to the creation of Orange Shirt Day.[20] The day, observed annually on September 30th, aims to educate people about the impact of residential schools and honour the experiences of Indigenous children.[21] The date was chosen as it coincides with the time of year when Indigenous children were historically taken from their homes to residential schools. Orange Shirt Day has since become a significant movement in Canada, symbolizing the ongoing journey towards reconciliation.[22] Her message, "Every Child Matters," has become a rallying cry for those working towards reconciliation and healing in Indigenous communities.[23]

In 2021, the Canadian government elevated Orange Shirt Day to a statutory holiday, establishing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.[13]

 
An Every Child Matters sign on display.

Webstad serves as the ambassador for the Orange Shirt Society, a non-profit organization she founded to support reconciliation events and create awareness about the impacts of the residential school system.[24] The society operates with minimal staff, with Webstad at the helm and one part-time employee assisting with administration. The Orange Shirt Society offers programs that "teach the importance of respect and community."[25] Webstad often gives presentations and facilitates workshops, sharing her story and emphasizing the significance of treating all people with respect.[26] Webstad also participates in the Orange Jersey Project, an initiative of the Orange Shirt Society led by her son.[27] The initiative, which is a collaboration with the Western Hockey League, aims to educate young people about Indigenous history and the value of reconciliation through sports.[28][27]

Awards

In 2017 Webstad received the Community Impact Award from Thompson Rivers University and was recognized as a distinguished alumni. [29][30]

In September 2021, she won the First Nation Communities Read Award for best Indigenous literature for her book "Beyond The Orange Shirt Story."[31]

In December 2021, she won the 2021 Doris Anderson Woman of the Year award. [32][20]

In January 2022, Webstad was awarded the Governor General's Meritorious Service Cross in the civil division.[30][33] This award is given to Canadians for their exceptional deeds accomplished that bring honour to Canada.[34]

Education

Webstad pursued higher education later in life, earning a diploma in business administration from the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology in Merritt, British Columbia[35][30] and a diploma in accounting from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops.[35][30][36] In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from Simon Fraser University on October 6, 2023.[37]

Personal life

Early life

Webstad was born on July 13, 1967, on the Dog Creek Reserve[note 1], approximately 85 kilometers south of Williams Lake, British Columbia.[38]

 
Canoe Creek[note 1], British Columbia

Webstad was primarily raised by her grandmother on the Dog Creek Reserve until the age of ten. Their home lacked modern amenities such as electricity and running water. Despite these challenges, Webstad recalls a childhood rich in traditional practices and connection to the land.[19] The family lived off the land, maintaining three gardens in the valley and storing food in a cellar. Webstad participated in catching sockeye salmon at night by the Fraser River.[19] In the mornings, they would gut the fish, cut them up, and place them on drying racks. Berry picking was a common activity. During summers, Webstad's grandmother, the youngest of ten siblings, would take her and her cousin to camp along the Fraser River.[19]

Webstad's family has a multi-generational history with the residential school system.[39] Her mother and father were largely absent during her early years, leading to feelings of abandonment. Her grandmother, who didn't have a paying job, was her primary caregiver and taught her traditional ways of living. Webstad's great-grandmother, born in 1880, grew up under the oppressive Indian Act and believed that residential schools would provide opportunities for her descendants. Both Webstad's mother and grandmother attended St. Joseph's Mission Residential School for ten years each.[40]

 
Girls sewing at St. Joseph's Mission Residential School.

On September 30, 1973, at the age of six, Webstad was sent to St. Joseph's Mission Residential School, located just outside Williams Lake. Before leaving, Webstad's grandmother took her shopping for new clothes. Webstad chose a shiny orange shirt, which symbolized her excitement about school. On her first day, upon arrival, school authorities stripped Webstad of her clothes, including the new orange shirt, which was never returned. This traumatic experience would later become the inspiration for Orange Shirt Day.[41]

Webstad spent one year at St. Joseph's Mission, where she was bussed to a different school in Williams Lake for classes during the day and returned to the residential school at night. During her time at the school, Webstad had minimal contact with her family, as was common in the residential school system.[42] The residential school system aimed to assimilate Indigenous children, often forbidding them from speaking their native languages or practicing their cultural traditions.[41]

The following year, a school was established on the Dog Creek Reserve, allowing Webstad to return home and live with her grandmother. The experiences at the residential school left lasting emotional and psychological effects on Webstad, influencing her later work in reconciliation efforts.[43]

During her teenage years, Webstad became a mother at a young age, having her son while she was 14 years old. [44]

Adulthood

Phyllis Webstad is married, and has one son, a step-son and five grandchildren. She had her son in grade 8.[19]

Books

  • The Orange Shirt Story (2018)[11][45][46] ISBN 978-0-99-386949-5 - OCLC 1054086996
  • Phyllis's Orange Shirt (2019) ISBN 978-1-98-912224-2 - OCLC 1105150196
  • With Our Orange Hearts (2022) ISBN 978-1-989122-97-6 - OCLC 1318988634
  • Every Child Matters (2023) ISBN 978-1-77854-016-5 - OCLC 1369521292
  • Today Is Orange Shirt Day (2024) ISBN 978-1-77854-036-3

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d The Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation, formerly known as the Canoe Creek Band and Dog Creek Indian Band, was established through the merger of these two communities.

References

  1. ^ Larsen, Karin (June 9, 2021). "Better Business Bureau warns of scammers falsely claiming to support Indigenous causes". CBC. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "'Profit from other people's pain': Residential school survivors warn of stolen designs on orange shirts". CTV News Vancouver Island. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  3. ^ a b "Phyllis (Jack) Webstad's story in her own words..." OrangeShirtDay.org. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "The Story of Orange Shirt Day". OrangeShirtDay.org. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Orange Shirt Day: How a 6-year-old's 1st day at residential school inspired a movement". CBC News. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "Orange Shirt Day". Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre. University of British Columbia. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  7. ^ Sinclair, Murray; Littlechild, Wilton; Wilson, Marie (2015). "The Survivors Speak" (PDF). Truth and Reconciliation Commission. pp. 39–45. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  8. ^ "Residential school survivor whose orange shirt inspired a movement co-authors textbook". North Shore News. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  9. ^ "Phyllis Webstad reflects on inspiring Orange Shirt Day and starting a movement". CBC. September 25, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  10. ^ "Small Victoria publisher makes Orange Shirt Day picture books when no one else would". Quill and Quire. September 27, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Robertson, David (June 10, 2021). "48 books by Indigenous writers to read to understand residential schools". CBC. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  12. ^ Sinclair, Murray; Littlechild, Wilton; Wilson, Marie (2015). "The Survivors Speak" (PDF). Truth and Reconciliation Commission. pp. 39–45. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Bryden, Joan (3 June 2021). "Royal assent given to bill creating national day for truth and reconciliation". CTVNews. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Reconciliation week: Orange Shirt Day arrives early at B.C. Legislature". CBC News. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  15. ^ "AVRSB marks Orange Shirt Day to support First Nations students". The Chronicle Herald. October 17, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  16. ^ Justin Bell, "EIFF Review: Returning Home". Edmonton Journal, October 1, 2021.
  17. ^ "Honour residential school survivors on Orange Shirt Day". Canada Energy Regulator Site. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  18. ^ Harper, Tyler (12 April 2023). "'I'm still not comfortable with it': Orange Shirt Day founder reflects on decade of reconciliation work". The Williams Lake Tribune. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d e Charleyboy, Lisa (30 September 2020). "Survivor: The story of Phyllis Webstad and Orange Shirt Day". Canadian Geographic. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  20. ^ a b Anderson, Charnel (30 November 2021). "Why Phyllis Webstad Is A Doris Anderson Award Recipient". Chatelaine. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  21. ^ Lamb-Yorski, Monica (30 September 2021). "Webstad, Sorley leaders for Truth and Reconciliation". The Williams Lake Tribune. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  22. ^ Harper, Tyler (12 April 2023). "'I'm still not comfortable with it': Orange Shirt Day founder reflects on decade of reconciliation work". Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  23. ^ Supernant, Kisha (17 October 2023). "'Every child matters': One year after the unmarked graves of 215 Indigenous children were found in Kamloops". The Conversation. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  24. ^ Pounder, Megan (7 June 2024). "Niagara College celebrates Indigenous students at awards banquet with Orange Shirt Society founder". ThoroldToday.ca. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  25. ^ ""The Orange Shirt Story" with Phyllis Webstad". UBC Learning Circle. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  26. ^ Lloyd, Ruth (25 September 2023). "Indigenous artist teams up with Orange Shirt Day founder for new children's book". The Williams Lake Tribune. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  27. ^ a b Casten, Darlene (24 February 2024). "Beyond Local: Orange Shirt Day founder tirelessly helps others learn about the atrocities of residential schools". St. Albert Gazette. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  28. ^ Rose, Jason La; Brickman, Katie; Coulter, Shannon; Manitoba, Ezra Ginsburg via Hockey; Brunswick, Kelsey Pye via Hockey New (30 September 2023). "The importance of orange". Hockey Canada. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  29. ^ "2017 Distinguished Alumni announced – TRU Newsroom". inside.tru.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  30. ^ a b c d "Ms. Phyllis Webstad". ontariotechu.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  31. ^ "Phyllis Webstad, Bridget George win First Nation Communities Read Awards for best Indigenous literature". CBC. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  32. ^ Halushak, Maureen (30 November 2021). "Meet Chatelaine's 2021 Doris Anderson Award Recipients". Chatelaine. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  33. ^ Government of Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada (2022-01-29). "Canada Gazette, Part 1, Volume 156, Number 5: GOVERNMENT HOUSE". canadagazette.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  34. ^ General, Office of the Secretary to the Governor (2017-09-21). "The Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division)". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  35. ^ a b admin. "Phyllis' Story". Orange Shirt Society. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  36. ^ "Celebration and reconciliation go hand-in-hand on Orange Shirt Day – TRU Newsroom". inside.tru.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  37. ^ McSheffrey, Elizabeth (6 October 2023). "Orange Shirt Day founder 'so honoured to be honoured' with degree from SFU". Global News. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  38. ^ "Phyllis' Story". Orange Shirt Society. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  39. ^ Contributed content (30 September 2023). "Founder of Orange Shirt Day details her healing journey". NNSL Media. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  40. ^ "Phyllis Webstad wore an orange shirt to residential school. Telling the story helped her heal". CBC. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  41. ^ a b Rudisuela, Jolene (24 October 2018). "Three generations of trauma: Phyllis Webstad shares experience of residential schooling". Comox Valley Record. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  42. ^ Alleyne, Ainara (26 June 2024). "Orange Shirt Day founder Phyllis Webstad answers kids' questions". CBC Kids News. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  43. ^ Harper, Tyler (12 April 2023). "'I'm still not comfortable with it': Orange Shirt Day founder reflects on decade of reconciliation work". Vancouver Island Free Daily. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  44. ^ Lamb-Yorski, Monica (10 June 2021). "OUR HOMETOWN: Truth and reconciliation champion". The Williams Lake Tribune. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  45. ^ Ellis, Danika (2021-06-04). "Picture Books To Teach Children About Residential Schools". BOOK RIOT. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  46. ^ "Online educational activities kick off Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival". ottawacitizen. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
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