Orange Shirt Day: Honoring Survivors, Uplifting Community

Every year on September 30th, communities across Canada and beyond recognize Orange Shirt Day—a day of remembrance, education, and collective healing. It honors the Indigenous children who were taken from their families and forced into residential schools, where they endured cultural erasure, abuse, and the loss of connection to their ancestral ways. The day grew from the story of Phyllis Webstad, a survivor whose brand-new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day of residential school in 1973. That simple act became a powerful symbol of how cultural identity, childhood innocence, and human dignity were stripped away.

Orange Shirt Day is not just history—it is a living call. It reminds us that “Every Child Matters.” It urges all people, regardless of heritage or spiritual path, to reflect on the wounds of colonization, to support survivors and their families, and to commit to safeguarding human life and culture for generations to come.

A Pagan Community Response: Respecting All Life

As pagans, witches, druids, shamans, and earth-based practitioners, we know the sacredness of life, land, and ancestry. Many of us carry our own tangled webs of ancestral past—some shaped by oppression, others by the role of colonizer. Orange Shirt Day asks us not to turn away from this complexity but to face it with compassion, accountability, and action.

For the pagan community, this is an invitation to:

Stand in Solidarity: Honor Indigenous sovereignty and support local Native communities through donations, attendance at cultural events, or amplifying their voices. Stand with your Elders and Teachers. Listen and learn respectfully.

Create Sacred Space for Healing: Light a candle, drum, chant, or simply sit in silence on September 30th, sending energy toward truth, reconciliation, and healing.

Educate Ourselves and Our Children: Include Indigenous histories and voices in our rituals, classes, and homeschooling curriculums. Consider family mentorships.

Embody the Principle “All Life is Sacred”: Extend our circle of compassion beyond our covens and communities, committing to respect for every child, every ancestor, and every being.

The Power of Orange: Energy, Psychology, and Spiritual Meaning

Orange is one of the most dynamic colors in the spectrum. It sits between red and yellow on the color wheel, holding the passion of fire and the warmth of sunlight in equal measure. Because of this, orange embodies both vitality and joy—it is the color of movement, transformation, and hope.

In color psychology, orange is associated with enthusiasm, creativity, and resilience. It sparks curiosity and encourages connection with others. Psychologists note that orange can reduce feelings of self-consciousness and encourage openness, making it a supportive color in community work and group healing sessions.

In chakra and energy work, orange corresponds with the sacral chakra (Svadhisthana), the center of emotions, pleasure, and creativity. A balanced sacral chakra helps us process grief and trauma into expression rather than suppression. This makes orange a natural color for art therapy and rituals of remembrance—its vibration helps us hold both sorrow and joy in the same space.

In symbolism across cultures:

In Hindu tradition, saffron-orange robes are worn by swamis as a sign of renunciation, wisdom, and sacred service.

In Buddhism, orange represents the highest illumination, the path of compassion and detachment.

In many Indigenous traditions, orange is linked to autumn, the harvest, and the turning of cycles.

Orange also has a physical effect. Studies in color therapy suggest it stimulates appetite, circulation, and even a sense of warmth in the body. For survivors of trauma, the energizing and uplifting qualities of orange can be a gentle way to reawaken joy and vitality.

When we wear orange on this day—or paint with it, dance with it, and surround ourselves with it—we are participating in a collective channeling of energy toward healing and transformation. It reminds us that while grief is real, so is resilience. Orange is the bridge color, moving us from mourning into action, from silence into expression.

Art Therapy Coaching Activities with Orange

On Orange Shirt Day, we can channel our energy into art therapy practices that bring reflection and healing into form. Here are some ways to weave orange into creative work:

Paint the Flame: Use shades of orange, rust, and gold to paint a flame, representing resilience and the fire of life that continues despite attempts to extinguish it. Reflect: What keeps your inner flame alive?

Orange Collage of Community: Create a collage using orange fabric, paper, and natural items like leaves or marigold petals. Each piece represents a child, a story, or a part of your own inner child.

Sacral Chakra Movement: Use orange scarves or ribbons in a free-flow dance to move through grief and joy. Let the body express what words cannot.

Affirmation Stones: Paint smooth stones with orange backgrounds and write affirmations like “Every Child Matters,” “Life is Sacred,” or “I honor resilience.” Place them on your altar or gift them to others.

Journaling with Orange Ink: Write prompts such as “What stories in my lineage need healing?” or “How do I honor the children of the world?” Use orange pens or highlight key phrases in orange.

Through these practices, orange becomes not just a color but a channel for sacred action.

Closing Reflection

Orange Shirt Day reminds us that remembrance is not passive—it is active. As a pagan community, we can embrace the lessons of this day by honoring truth, supporting reconciliation, and turning our grief into healing energy. Orange is the spark that ignites compassion, the color that calls us to stand together, and the shade that whispers: Every child matters. Every life matters. Every path matters.

For those feeling called to step more fully onto an authentic healing path, our Year and a Day Program offers a sacred container for growth, learning, and transformation. Through guided lessons, rituals, and community, you will explore the deeper layers of your spiritual practice while cultivating tools to honor both personal and collective healing.

✨ Deposits are $650, and the next class begins at Samhain—the Witches’ New Year. ✨

 Join us in weaving remembrance into action, grief into art, and intention into lasting change. Together, we can honor the past while creating a more compassionate future.

Resources to Explore

Orange Shirt Society

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

CBC News: Residential Schools in Canada

Color Therapy: Orange

🔍 Recent Developments & Headlines

Plaques Unveiled at Former Assiniboia Residential School (Sept 30, 2025)

 Canada officially recognized the Assiniboia Residential School as a National Historic Event with the unveiling of three plaques in Winnipeg. The ceremony honored survivors and remembered the children who never returned home.

  👉 Read more on Canada.ca

Orange Shirt Day Events Across Turtle Island (2025)

 Communities are gathering for remembrance walks, powwows, and water ceremonies. From Michigan to Winnipeg to Tucson, Indigenous and allied communities are standing in solidarity.

 👉 Read more on Native News Online

Milestone Year for Truth & Reconciliation Education

 The First Nations Health Authority announced that the class of 2026 will be the first to complete K–12 education with full integration of residential school history, marking 2025 as a milestone year.

 👉 Read more on FNHA.ca

Canadian Ministers’ Joint Statement

 Ministers for heritage, Indigenous relations, and northern affairs issued a statement on Orange Shirt Day, recommitting to truth, reconciliation, and honoring survivors.

 👉 Read more on Canada.ca

Manitoba Boosts Funding for Orange Shirt Day Activities

 The province of Manitoba pledged up to $1 million in 2025 to support remembrance events, grants, and cultural initiatives tied to Orange Shirt Day.

 👉 Read more on Discover Westman

Saskatchewan Schools Teaching Hard History

 Teachers in Saskatchewan are bringing residential school history into classrooms, with age-appropriate lessons designed to encourage empathy, reflection, and awareness.

 👉 Read more on CJME.com

Union of BC Indian Chiefs Statement

 The UBCIC reaffirmed its support of Orange Shirt Day, calling for deeper government commitments to truth-telling and survivor healing.

 👉 Read more on UBCIC.bc.ca

First Nations Artists Revitalizing Powwow Through Music

 Indigenous artists are reclaiming land once housing residential schools, blending traditional powwow with contemporary fusion music to heal communities through art.

 👉 Read more on The Guardian

“Sugarcane” Documentary Brings Hidden Stories to Light

 The Oscar-nominated documentary Sugarcane reveals systemic abuse, hidden deaths, and the silenced stories of residential schools, sparking international dialogue.

 👉 Read more on AP News