![[Indigenous Peoples Flag]](../images/c/ca-ipf.gif)
image by Pete Loeser, 5 July 2022Indigenous Peoples Flag for Orange Shirt Day
Last modified: 2023-09-02 by rob raeside
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image by Pete Loeser, 5 July 2022
Indigenous Peoples Flag for Orange Shirt
Day
Canadians were shocked at the discovery in 2021 of unmarked graves at the Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia. Throughout the following months other sites were discovered in the western provinces, leading to a nation-wide debate whether these graves should be dug up or left alone. Many have demanded that authorities should "conduct full-fledged investigations into the circumstances and responsibilities surrounding these deaths, including forensic examinations of the remains found, and to proceed to the identification and registration of the missing children."
Frustration on the lack of progress has resulted in the "Every Child Matters" movement and some flag-waving, as well as demonstrations about the lack of progress. The colour orange has emerged as a symbol, although no single flag has dominated, but many flags featuring a hand-print, or Indigenous designs incorporating feathers or other symbols have predominated.
The federal government has established the last day of September as the
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, but it is also called Orange Shirt
Day. Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots day that honours the
children who survived residential schools and remembers those who did not. The
story is First Nation girl named Phyllis Webstad, on her first day of school, arrived dressed in a new orange shirt, which school officials took from her. This act has become a symbol of the stripping away of the culture, freedom and self-esteem of the Indigenous children over generations. Now all Canadians to are encouraged to wear orange to raise awareness of the very tragic legacy of residential schools, and to honour the thousands of
survivors.
Pete Loeser, 5 July 2022
![[Residential School Survivors’ Flag]](../images/c/ca_ecm1.gif)
image by
Pete Loeser, 5 July 2022
The Survivors' Flag is an expression of remembrance, meant to honour residential school survivors and all the lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada. Each element depicted on the flag was carefully selected by survivors from across Canada, who were consulted in the flag's creation.
This flag is being produced in both the traditional Canadian ratio of 1:2 and the more modern accepted ratio of 2:3.
Pete Loeser, 5 July 2022
On CBC today:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/survivors-flag-parliament-hill-1.6565961
"The federal government raised the Survivors' Flag on Parliament Hill today as a way to honour Indigenous people forced to attend residential schools."
Dave Fowler, 30 August 2022
Some of the many designs seen in demonstrations associated with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Every Child Matters movement are shown below.
![[Every Child Matters Flag]](../images/c/ca_ecm2.gif)
image by
Pete Loeser, 5 July 2022
![[Every Child Matters Flag]](../images/c/ca_ecm3.gif)
image by
Pete Loeser, 5 July 2022
![[Every Child Matters Flag]](../images/c/ca_ecm4.gif)
image by
Pete Loeser, 5 July 2022
![[Every Child Matters Flag]](../images/c/ca_ecm.jpg)
image located by
Paul Bassinson, 14 August 2023
Source: from https://www.facebook.com/hopital.montfort
The flag contains the words
Every Child Matters / Chaque enfant compte in block letters.
Olivier
Touzeau, 15 August 2023
See also: NAVA VexiBits article "Every Child Matters" for more examples and further details.
