Why We Wear Orange

Phyllis Webstad had attended St. Joseph Mission, a Residential School in Williams Lake, British Columbia from 1973-1974. Phyllis’ grandmother had gifted her an orange shirt for her first day at the school. Upon arrival, Phyllis was stripped of her belongings and she had never seen the shirt again.

Today, we wear orange to promote awareness surrounding the Residential School System in Canada and the transgenerational trauma experienced by the Indigenous community. Approximately 150,000 Indigenous children had attended these schools. The Residential Schools were created with the intention of separating the children from their cultures and traditions. Late last month, 215 unmarked graves had been discovered at a Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia. This devastating number continues to grow to over 1,000 as further investigations into the schools continue.

In support of the Indigenous community and the Residential School Survivors, Goodbye Graffiti locations across Canada will be donating a percentage of their sales for the month of June.