WESST Blog

Orange Shirt Day (which is also known as the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation)

September 30th is a day to honor the Indigenous children who were forcibly taken away from their families through the Residential “School” system. It is a day to raise awareness about the struggles that indigenous communities have faced and the violence and intergenerational impacts Indigenous communities face to this day.

This is a day to recognize the indigenous children taken from their communities and families, honor those who survived, and honor the families and communities affected.

Orange Shirt Day was started by an incredible Indigenous woman, Phyllis Webstad, from Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation. At the age of 6, she was taken away from her family and community and forced into St. Joseph’s Mission Residential “School.” Her grandma bought her an orange shirt for her on her first day. After arriving at the residential school, her belongings and clothes were taken away from her, including her Orange Shirt. This day is titled Orange Shirt Day due to the remembrance of experiences she and other Indigenous children went through.

On this day, it is important to not only show your support by wearing an orange t-shirt or article of clothing but also continue to practice allyship and educate others around you.

Summary

We want to participate and acknowledge this day at an organizational level to continue to raise awareness around the barriers and strives the Indigenous communities we work with, learn from, and come together with as a community has gone through. As a non-profit organization with the mission of serving New Mexican communities, women, people of color, and Indigenous people, this is one of the steps we are taking to be a part of this remembrance as allies in solidarity.

To also encourage positive trends, WESST offers support, training and resources that enable Indigenous entrepreneurs to build and expand their businesses.

• Changing Women Rising: Business Tools to Help Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs
• Virtual Beading Circle: Conversations to Support Indigenous Creative Entrepreneurs (hard to have discussions around supporting native artisans)
• Her Voice, Her Story: An Indigenous Women’s Business Journey (highlighting Indigenous entrepreneurial women)
• November Indigenous Conference (supporting small businesses and commemorating Native American History Month.  We will provide additional details as soon as possible)