Technolandy

Day 7 (of 2024/25) orange shirt day can be everyday…

With official Orange Shirt Day being the last Wednesday of the month, I’ve been reflecting on my OG orange shirt wearing – at a school that remains special in my heart, when Phyllis’ story was first being shared, our school opted to adopt orange as our school colour, and Wednesdays wearing our school shirts. So I am wearing that shirt today.

It’s a mindset that is important… acknowledging the work being identified by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that helped identify key things that the governments have done to our Indigenous communities. IN an age where so much information and knowledge is available, it can no longer be ignored… we need to do better.

I am also reading a staff members masters paper on decolonizing education. But trust me, it’s tough. When challenged in the past about ‘making a serious commitment as a school’, my usual first ideas are not embraced because they’re really difficult… the two biggies being to not do a winter concert, because no matter how we rebrand them, they always end up being a christmas concert… the second is to not take religious days off (looking at you good friday and easter monday) and instead days that are more significant to local nations (sorry, there are no pan-indigenous days of celebration… nor art for artification… nations are unique).

Some brain pushing shares from my reading of her paper:
Indigenous peoples are not responsible for the decolonization of allies. Also not responsible for directing, educating, welcoming, nor creating the circumstances for non-Indigenous people to decolonize.
It is our responsibility, as educators to build understanding and the work.

Love the mindset share: “If you can, be medicine. If you are teaching, be medicine’ (Jessica Wood, FNESC)

So I am wearing an orange shirt each Wednesday of September, not just the last day of the month (which is official orange shirt day) and today I am wearing an og Wednesday orange shirt :



At carney hill – now known as Nusdeh Yoh – Phyllis (Jack) Webstads story was first being widely shared and the learning community wanted to show its support. So they decided that the school colour would be orange and we would do orange shirts every Wednesday. I am so glad that the movement has spread to promote orange (a colour of dissent and change) and while I hate how Phyllis was treated, I am so glad she shared her story.

Survivor: The story of Phyllis Webstad and Orange Shirt Day

Wear orange. It’s good for you – but not just on the last Wednesday of September…