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Monday, September 30th will be the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Also known as Orange Shirt Day, it’s to recognize the legacy of the residential school system. The history of the orange shirt comes from Phyllis Jack Webstad and the story of her trauma caused by the system. She was six years old in 1973 when she was taken to a residential school for the first time. Her grandmother saved up and bought her an orange shirt to wear. Those who worked at the school stripped her of the bright-coloured gift and never gave it back. That shirt became a symbol of her trauma and heartbreak.
From 1874 to 1996, roughly 150,000 children from First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities were sent to Residential Schools. It is known that over 3,000 children did not return home. With unmarked graves being discovered and records being examined, it is estimated that over 6,000 never saw their families again.
The Milton Public Library is getting involved with the community ahead of the Canadian holiday. They are helping residents with making beaded orange shirt pins to wear next week. Supplies and instructions can be picked up at any branch starting Monday, September 23rd.
Supplies are limited and will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis for those between the ages of 13 and 17.
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