Manitobans wear orange for residential school survivors

Students at St. James Collegiate wore orangeWednesdayto honour residential school survivors.

"I don't know my full culture, I don't know my native language.It was something that was stopped with my great-grandmother," said Grade 12 studentVanessa McKay.

McKaysaidshe discovered her own family's history afterlearning aboutresidential schools at school.

"I would come home and talk to my parents about itand details would slowly come out over time," said McKay."It's not really something that's brought up at family dinners."

McKay is a part of the student group who brought Orange Shirt Day to her school. Over the lunch break, theyhada sharing circle about the impact of the schools and handed out orange bracelets.

"I think it's extremely important to remind everybody that this happened," said LexiYeo, who is also part of the group."It hurts to believe we are capable of such disregard to others'well being.'"

Yeo, who is Icelandic, said she wants to learn more about residential schools and believes connecting with McKay is a good placeto start.

'It's all about being kind'

Andrew Mead, the principal at George Waters Middle School,saidwearing orange was meant to be more than just a history lesson.

"Kindness, it's all about being kind and treating people like they are people and being good to each other," said Mead.

"She is a very strong woman, she is a real inspiration to me because of all that she went through," Ehrmantraut said.

Nadine McDougall, who attended a residential school inTeulon for three years, saidshe was overwhelmed by the outpouring of orange support at the University of Manitoba Wednesday.

"It almost feels like a little piece of justice happens for ussurvivorswhen we have groups like this acknowledging our experience," she said at a rally at the U of M.

The rally was organized by students in the Faculty of Nursing at the U of M topledge to provide culturally safe care to patientsand understand the multigenerational effects and trauma caused by residential schools.

"It's a really good feeling, it's a turning pointand I think it highlights the fact that we are making a change and everyone is acknowledging it," saidHeather Waloshuk, the indigenousrepresentativein the faculty.

Orange Shirt Day started in 2013. The ideastems from a story told by a former residential school student, Phyllis Webstad. On her first day of residential school, when she wassixyears old, her brand new orange shirt that had beenbought by her grandmother was taken away from her.

All Canadians are encouraged to post a selfieof their orange shirton social media to continue a national conversation on the impacts and reconciliation.