“Orange Shirt Day 2025 in Cornwall: Remembering, Honouring, Learning”

This past Tuesday, September 30th,, on Orange Shirt Day 2025, I was OUT and ABOUT at Lamoureux Park in Cornwall, where our community gathered with our friends from Akwesasne, to honour the “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation”. It was a moving and meaningful event filled with reflection, culture, and togetherness.

The event began with powerful words from the Akwesasne Freedom School Children, followed by a heartfelt speech from Joyce King, reminding us of the deep meaning behind the phrase Every Child Matters. The grounds were alive with activity — traditional dancing, craft making, basket weaving, and even throat singing. I had the chance to sip a delicious strawberry drink, taste fresh cornbread, and learn so much more about our neighbours from Akwesasne.

As we gathered, it was impossible not to think about the origins of Orange Shirt Day. The day stems from the story of Phyllis Webstad, who as a six-year-old in 1973 had her brand-new orange shirt — a gift from her grandmother — taken away on her first day at residential school. That shirt symbolized joy and identity, and its loss has since become a powerful reminder of the culture, dignity, and spirit stolen from Indigenous children.

Wearing orange is not just symbolic. It is a commitment to remember the children who never came home, to stand with survivors, and to say with conviction: “Every Child Matters”.

If you choose to wear an orange shirt, please consider buying it from an Indigenous artist or Indigenous-run organization, ensuring that proceeds go back into the community.

We learned that children were taken hundreds of miles away from their parents and many escaped and tried to walk back home. This map showed us where they were sent and how far across the country they attempted to walk to get back home. as there was a huge difference in the way that Indigenous people were raised compared to the way the Government wanted them to be raised. The phrase used by Captain Pratt “Kill the Indian in him and save the man” I think explains the Governments plan perfectly, something that should never have happened and must never happen again.

To learn more, I encourage you to check out Phyllis’ books, available at the Cornwall Public Library, located at 45 Second Street East, Cornwall, ON and to visit the Orange Shirt Society website at orangeshirtday.org

This year’s Orange Shirt Day in Cornwall was more than an event — it was a reminder, a lesson, and a promise that we will continue to remember, learn, and walk forward together.