But why orange?
The idea stems from the story of a six-year-old girl, Phyllis, from the Dog Creek Reserve. In 1973, excited for her first day of school, she proudly wore a brand new shirt -- an orange one. The family didn't have much, so this new shirt was something really special.
On the day she arrived at the Mission residential school, she and the other students were stripped and their clothes taken away. She was made to feel worthless, a feeling which lasted well into adulthood. She never saw that shirt again. Read her story here.
