September 30 has been designated as a “Day for Truth and Reconciliation”. You might know it as “Orange Shirt Day”. This morning, in the church service, we heard the story about Phyllis Jack’s orange shirt that sparked the “Every Child Matters” movement. It’s a story about how one little girl’s experience on her first day of school made her feel that she didn’t matter, that her feelings weren’t important, and that no one cared about her. Here’s the story again, in case you missed it:
“I want to share a story with you about a little girl who was going to school for the very first time. Her name is Phyllis Jack and she lived on a reserve in northern British Columbia with her Granny. When she was 6 years old, she went to the Mission School. Just like you, she was really excited about going to school. Her family didn’t have very much money but somehow her Granny managed to buy her a new outfit to wear to school. She remembers that day clearly. Here’s what she says:
“I remember going to Robinson’s store and picking out a shiny orange shirt. It
had eyelets and lace, and I felt so pretty in that shirt and excited to be going to school!”
She sounds like every little girl and boy I know who is excited about starting school – especially with a brand-new special outfit.
But, Phyllis’ first day of school was very different from yours. It was a Residential School, a place where she stayed night and day. The teachers spoke a different language and she couldn’t understand what they were saying. On that first day, all of the students had their clothes taken away and they were given different clothes to wear. Phyllis never saw her special orange shirt again. She couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t give it back to her. It was her shirt, a special shirt, a gift from her Granny that she had picked out herself.
So, that little girl who was so happy and proud to be going to school, didn’t feel happy or cared for anymore. She didn’t want to stay at this school. She wanted to go home – and she wanted her orange shirt back. Phyllis wasn’t just feeling sad on that first day of school. She felt sad and unloved for much of her life. The colour orange always reminds her of that feeling.”
This story reminded me of another one that we have used at church: “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” You can listen to it here:
Can you give some examples of when your bucket was filled?
Have you ever felt that someone was dipping into your bucket?
How are some ways you can fill someone’s bucket?
Think about Phyllis’ story.
When was her bucket filled?
Who dipped into her bucket?
Phyllis’ story is her personal one, but the way she was treated and the way she felt was experienced by all the First Nations children who were sent to Residential Schools. They grew up with empty buckets.
Can you think of some ways that we can help to fill the buckets of First Nations people in Canada?
Response Activity Ideas
Fill the Bucket
Let’s Collaborate! – Visit this document and add a text box or two to the bucket on page 1 with your ideas for filling the buckets of Indigenous Peoples of Canada. Read the ideas others have posted as well!
OR
On your own – Print out the bucket template on page 2 of the above presentation and fill it with your own ideas.
First Nations Schools
How does your school experience compare to that of Phyllis and some of the other residential school survivors whose stories you’ve heard? Write or draw about some of the differences and similarities in your school experience and what you know about theirs.
Many current First Nations schools are not well-funded enough to provide the resources and safe spaces the students need to learn. Find out more by reading about Shannen’s Dream and learn about ways to respond.
Colouring Sheets – by Michelle Stoney, Gitxsan artist
Feather – “First of all the feather represents so much in our culture. Maybe too much to even explain so I’ll just say what it means to me in the hand and this one. To me it means strength and healing, we really value the feather and it means so much to us. I know we use it for smudging, and to me that represents cleansing .
Inside the feather is the spirit of the 215 children. The face on the bottom is not an animal. That is how I draw people , and I wanted to make long flowing hair, that they were forced to cut.”
Click to print PDF
Leaf – “This is a truth and reconciliation day colouring page I made…I don’t really have a story behind it, but this is what I was thinking … September 30th is the first truth and reconciliation day, it takes place in the fall. The tree these trees fall from represent their nation to me. And these are the children that left and didn’t come back. I added the same things I added to the feather I did last year. And added some hearts, because we will never forget them.”
Click to print PDF
See more of her work and find other generously-offered colouring images for personal use at: www.facebook.com/mstoneyart/photos/