Discover the joy of reading with Book Clubs and Book Fairs

Scholastic Book Clubs • September 30, 2025 TopicsBook Clubs Book Fairs Indigenous Stories Indigenous Voices National Day for Truth and Reconciliation parents September teachers

Every Child Matters

Every year on September 30th, people across Canada come together to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is also often known as Orange Shirt Day. It’s a day of reflection, remembrance, and commitment—a time to honour the survivors of residential schools and acknowledge the deep and lasting impact these institutions have had on Indigenous communities.

From the 1830s to the 1990s, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were forcibly removed from their families and placed in church-run residential schools. These schools were designed to assimilate Indigenous children into mainstream society, by stripping them of their languages, traditions, and identities. The legacy of this system continues to affect generations, and Orange Shirt Day serves as a powerful reminder of the healing still needed.

The phrase Every Child Matters is at the heart of Orange Shirt Day. It was inspired by Phyllis Webstad (née Jack), who is Northern Secwépemc (Shuswap) from Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band). As a child, Phyllis had her new orange shirt taken away on her first day at residential school—a moment that symbolized the loss of dignity and identity experienced by so many.

In her book The Orange Shirt Story, Phyllis writes:

“When we wear our orange shirts on Orange Shirt Day, we reaffirm that every child matters—the children from every nation around the world, the residential school survivors, and the First Nations children who didn’t come home.”

Her story sparked a movement that now reaches across the country, encouraging all of us to listen, learn, and take action.

Orange Shirt Day is not just about wearing a colour—it’s about making space for truth, fostering understanding, and committing to reconciliation. It’s a call to recognize the resilience of Indigenous Peoples and to ensure that the injustices of the past are never repeated.

For more resources and discussion guides, visit Sharing the Message of Truth and Reconciliation.