INNISFAIL – Standing on the front lawn of the Innisfail United Church, Rev. Brian Nicholson told his audience the story of Phyllis Webstad, a six-year-old child from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation.
Her grandmother gave her a new orange shirt for her first day of school in 1973 at the St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School, just outside Williams Lake, B.C. Phyllis was a happy little girl to be able to show off her new shirt given to her by grandma.
“When she got to the school though, she was immediately stripped of her clothes. She was forced to wear a school uniform,” said Nicholson.
“Her old clothes, including her brand-new orange shirt were thrown into a fire and burned. Phyllis cried. But not one of the church staff seemed to care.”
This profoundly cruel true story of Phyllis and her orange shirt now symbolizes the horrors of the residential school system, as well as the courage and perseverance of Phyllis and hundreds of thousands of First Nations citizens to overcome injustice in their long quest for equality, respect and peace.
“We wear orange today as a symbol of hope that wrongs of the past might be righted and we might build a new relationship of healing with our brothers and sisters,” said Nicholson. “Help us in our efforts to change so that we might learn to walk and grow with all people, whether they be white, aboriginal, Asian, black, just as you intended.”
Nicholson, a visiting pastor from the Springbank United Church, was at the Innisfail United Church for a special 25-minute outdoor ceremony that began at 11:45 a.m. on Sept. 30 to commemorate Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Along with Rev. Darren Liepold of the Innisfail United Church, the two pastors presented a moving homily at the service to honour the historic day, and to send special prayers and messages of reconciliation, hope and peace to all First Nations citizens.
There was a hymn and then ceremonial drums by Marlene Stevens, and then a moment of silence before more prayers, including those for Orange Shirt Day.
“We acknowledge that many of us were shocked as the 215 bodies were discovered in Kamloops this summer. Yet as more bodies have been discovered in other schools, we have forgotten our initial shock. Other news stories have taken their place,” said Liepold.
“We know that each child lost represents the hopes and dreams of a people destroyed. Each child lost represents the European ideal of annihilating a culture.
“Each child lost represents the need for us to reflect and seek ways to bring healing.”
Among the 21 Innisfail and area citizens who attended the ceremony were children. They came with parents and grandparents.
Janelle Carey, a mother and kindergarten teacher at École John Wilson Elementary School, brought her 10-year-old son Cooper and seven-year-old daughter Molly to the ceremony.
“As a teacher it is my job now to educate the new kids to help them understand the realities of a residential school and what that means,” said Carey, noting the recent benefits of her school board’s Indigenous Education Week.
“We were able to have today off to take time to reflect and we are still able to have Orange Shirt Day tomorrow (Oct. 1) at our school so we can teach kids that every child does matter.
“And it starts with us as the new generation to teach these new kids what really did happen and to not sugar coat it and make it real for what it is.”
