Mr. Speaker, today it is truly important that I recognize that we are gathered here on the unceded territory of the Algonquin people. The spirit of their ancestors must guide our work here in Parliament.
On this day, September 30, Canadians across the country will be wearing orange to raise awareness of the tragic legacy of residential schools and honour the thousands of survivors.
The residential school system was a tragedy born of colonial policies that harmed children, their families and their communities.
Orange Shirt Day was inspired by the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, a residential school survivor. At the age of six, Phyllis went to the St. Joseph's Mission Indian Residential School wearing a new bright orange shirt bought by her grandmother. On the first day of school, her new shirt was forcibly taken from her, along with her dignity and her pride in her language and her culture.
As we move forward on the path to reconciliation, we must never forget the tragic impact of residential schools, and we must learn from survivors who have bravely shared their experiences.
On Orange Shirt Day, we acknowledge the denial of rights and the wrongdoings of the past. We recognize the present-day impacts across generations, including the trauma carried by survivors and their families and the negative impact it has had on the social, economic and educational outcomes for first nations, Inuit and Métis.
Today is a day when all Canadians learn more about the lived experience of residential schools survivors, the abuse they suffered, and how their lives and the lives of their families and communities were changed forever. We remember those children who died and never returned home. We can see in our mind's eye the graveyards with the tiny crosses next to the schools, and we pledge to help the families who still are searching for answers as to what happened to their loved ones.