Canada Post has unveiled a new series of stamps designed by Indigenous artists to commemorate a significant milestone for Orange Shirt Day. This year, students in British Columbia who are graduating from high school have been observing Orange Shirt Day since kindergarten, learning about the history of residential schools.
Inuk storyteller Jason Sikoak expressed his excitement and honor at being involved in such a significant project. The stamps, chosen by the Survivors Circle of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, feature orange shirts and highlight the experiences of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. One of the stamps symbolizes the connection between past, present, and future generations, paying tribute to Mother Earth.
Each stamp, shaped like a T-shirt, showcases illustrations by artists Jason Sikoak, Emily Kewageshig, and Christi Belcourt, with the stamp issue designed by Blair Thomson. Sikoak drew inspiration from the journey of students who learned about Orange Shirt Day in kindergarten and are now graduating, creating a design that symbolizes continuity and remembrance.
Coming from a family of residential school survivors, Sikoak shared that the stamps serve as a way for him to tell his story and celebrate the progress made over the years. He hopes the stamps will spark conversations and encourage people to seek answers about the history of residential schools.
The Orange Shirt Day movement originated from the story of Phyllis Webstad, a Secwépemc woman who attended a residential school at the age of six. Her orange shirt, given by her grandmother, was taken away on her first day, symbolizing the loss of identity and culture experienced by Indigenous children in these institutions.
In an interview shared by Canada Post, Phyllis Webstad reflected on the impact of Orange Shirt Day, noting that the students who first marked the day in kindergarten are now graduating with a deeper understanding of the history of residential schools. For survivors like Webstad, seeing someone wearing an orange shirt signifies acknowledgment and empathy for the injustices of the past.
