#EVERYCHILDMATTERS ORANGE RIBBON DISPLAY ◊ HANDOUT FOR PROGRAMS

For reference see :  Transparency of Creative Originality as a Writer 
Article originally published Sept. 30, 2024, with resources created from 2021 onward
Now re-released & edited for Truth & Reconciliation Day, Sept 30, 2025

◊🧡 By now, you may likely have heard about the #EveryChildMatters Orange Shirt Day and the practice of hanging orange shirts in visible locations all year round. But have you also heard about the orange ribbons that go along with this iconic social statement? Now UNITY LIFE has added a FREE ecological strategy tool to the host of educational resources available : a handout that can be used to host an orange ribbon program for a co-created community #EveryChildMatters display.

◊🎗 This newly revised and updated handout can be downloaded here, along with practical instructions on how to create a ribbon display. Unlike the other learning tools provided through UNITY LIFE Mystery School, this handout is not yet for All Ages & Abilities, though it may someday be adapted for that use. For now, anyone with an interest in having an orange T-shirt display and/or a red dress display in a visible location may enjoy trying this idea.

◊🍂 In Canada, our Federal government has finally offered the gesture of public acknowledgement of our deeply shameful history of racism, genocide, and severe systemic abuse against the Indigenous First Peoples of this land. Apologies have been made, and further negotiations for greater accountability continue. When Canada was colonized, concentration camps — strikingly similar to those of Nazi Germany — were set up to imprison Indigenous children and youth by brutal force. These camps masqueraded as “schools,” though they were anything but. Rather than providing education, they sought to erase Indigenous languages and cultures through brutality and cruelty. Many children were murdered illegally and buried in secret under the school buildings and surrounding grounds.

◊✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻 Now that this shameful secret of Canada’s past has been revealed, it is important to note that such a deeply rooted history of racism by the dominant culture would inevitably continue in some form. Today, racism remains a prevalent issue in our country, which we must confront together as the government begins to admit the seriousness of this long-term problem. For example, there is now a disturbing pattern of secret kidnappings and murders of Indigenous people — especially youth and females — which continues disproportionately compared to other racial minorities. In acknowledgement of this ongoing extension of the old concentration camps, we have also added the social action of displaying a red dress in a window or other visible place, to accompany the orange shirt.

◊🧡👕 The orange T-shirt and red dress displayed in public view represent solidarity and social action against these historical and ongoing injustices. The orange shirt comes from the story of Phyllis Jack Webstad, a survivor of the residential schools. On the first day of “school,” Phyllis was stripped of all her clothes, including her favourite bright orange shirt, which she cherished for its vibrancy. This traumatic memory stuck with her most of all, and so the shirt became symbolic of how every child matters, and how all children — of every race — are entitled to the same basic human dignities and freedoms as the privileged enjoy : freedom from imprisonment and abuse, freedom to keep their possessions, freedom to speak their own languages, and freedom to celebrate their cultures.


◊🧡👕❤️👗 September 30th is Orange Shirt Day – The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a national movement and annual event in Canada. On this day, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people come together in the spirit of hope and healing to honour residential school survivors, their families, and their communities. May 5th marks Red Dress Day, also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People. The red dress represents those who were kidnapped and murdered, evoking a solemn and powerful image of loss.

◊🎗️ The orange ribbons you’ll see at many public monuments where the EveryChildMatters movement has been memorialized represent the counting of the graves of murdered children from residential schools. When the discovery of secret graves first became public, a huge outcry demanded more investigations, and the grave count quickly rose from a few hundred to over 150,000. Ribbons became a way of marking and remembering each grave, and memorials were held all across the country.


◊🧡💞💓 Since it would be impossible to display 150,000 ribbons on one small window display, I created a way to represent them collectively: by having each member of a building, community, or circle of friends personally bless a ribbon to show their love, respect, and solidarity with the movement. This approach raises awareness by inviting each participant into personal reflection while also allowing ribbon displays to accompany orange shirts without being limited by numbers. Visitors who see such a display will recognize that there is more to explore than just the T-shirt, prompting deeper learning and engagement.

◊🏘️ I also discovered another use for this program. As a newcomer to my apartment building, I initiated the ribbon program there using this handout—and used it as a way to get to know my neighbours. For me, it became a kind of screening tool. I didn’t want to become close with anyone who opposed the program or showed no interest in it, as I saw that as a possible red flag. This worked well: it helped me see who in the building shared my values and concern for social justice. Some who declined at first later joined after thoughtful conversations, showing openness rather than hostility. Others did not, and I chose to err on the side of caution. While I don’t claim that all who refused were racist, I believe it’s wise to be careful with such sensitive and important matters.


◊🧬🌹 As the story unfolded, the handout I created touched on themes connected with both the orange shirt and the red dress, even before I had heard of Red Dress Day. While the national day was established in 2010, it became more widely recognized in my region only after I created this handout in 2022. When I first promoted the program through what was then called GAIACRAFT (now UNITY LIFE Mystery School), I faced conflict and criticism. Some accused me of exaggeration or of going “too far” by linking modern kidnappings and murders with the EveryChildMatters movement. Ironically, these critics were often privileged people who claimed to support such causes. I later felt vindicated when I learned that Red Dress Day was in fact nationally recognized and deeply connected to Orange Shirt Day. Realizing that I had intuitively aligned with this truth—even before knowing about the day—was a profound personal success in the face of adversity.


◊🔥 I share this story because I believe it is often worthwhile to endure controversy or disagreement in order to address social issues. If the Canadian government had not formally acknowledged these tragedies, I might not have felt safe to express myself so publicly. Thankfully, backed by the leadership of our Prime Minister and the many powerful displays of the movement across the country—such as the Vancouver Art Gallery being transformed into an EveryChildMatters monument—I now feel safe not only to practice this activity myself but also to recommend it to others through UNITY LIFE Mystery School.

◊💎 May this program serve as a gentle yet powerful reminder that healing, reconciliation, and justice begin with community action. Together, through symbols like the orange shirt, the red dress, and the ribbons of remembrance, we can stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and affirm that every child truly matters.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED RESOURCES