Cue an explosion
- Who were true allies
- Who had never heard of Every Child Matters or Orange Shirt Day previously but was just learning about it now
- Who were both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous attacking my validity as an Indigenous person
- Who were performative allies....who expect you to break yourself creating a shirt for them to wear 1 day a year....these were usually the loudest in their "support" and worst customers to deal with.
- Who do not want to directly donate their money because they want to get something out of it
Taking it back to the beginning
Someone posted in a local Facebook group asking for Orange shirts for September 30 (before it was officially named Truth and Reconciliation Day).. and someone had replied with an Orange shirt with Yoda on it...saying I can make you this...no reference to anything at all to do with the actual meaning behind Truth and Reconciliation Day...just an Orange shirt ....with Yoda.
It was completely tone-deaf...I was mad.
I replied and just simply stated...Orange Shirt Day is to recognize the atrocities that occurred at Residential Schools and to recognize the survivors, it is not simply an orange shirt with anything on it. I kept it nice and factual. She deleted her comment.
Instead of taking out my anger on the person, who maybe truly had no idea, I poured my emotions into creating 3 designs, rather quickly, as it was quite close to the actual day and I had not planned on making anything to sell.
I was one of the first people to start to tie-dye Orange shirts...in my area at the very least, before I started I had never seen them before. The amount of work that goes into my method of tie-dye is substantial.
2021 Rolls Around
I wanted my design to have more meaning. So almost as soon as I was through September 30 2019 I started doing my research. I wanted a design that contained all different words or versions of the word "Child" in Indigenous languages that I could find.
Finding the words for "child" or children in nearly dead languages is not easy let me tell you. I played with my design for months. I asked for help within communities that spoke the languages to clarify I was using the correct words and spelling and altered my design several times before I was satisfied.
By mid-May, I had finalized the words, the languages, and the layout and ordered a sample of orange shirts so that I could test printing and send them off to my photographers so that I would be prepared. I had just finished printing 1 shirt, pictured below I photographed it in my hallway as a sample and then
May 27 2021
215 bodies...children as young as 3...were found under and around Kamloops Indian Residential School. Memorials erupted everywhere. Including across from my day job
My phone exploded....messages, inquiries, phone calls...you name it. At one point my phone was going off so much that I could not even access it.
"I need a shirt by Monday"
"Why do you not have a store"
"Can I come by right now"
and then the allies...those that understood...
"I am sorry"
"Are you okay?"
I am a mother to a young child who had I been born at the wrong time, would have been taken from me. I am a survivor of Generational Trauma...substantial amounts...my family and I are survivors. I am Lytton First Nations.
But I am a business owner...and that was all that mattered to a lot of these people. Forget what I must be feeling, forget what Canada's government and the Catholic Church did to my family. Perform, create and do it on their timeline, but for free because I expect all proceeds to be donated, I do not want to see you succeed or profit off of what we did to your people. These people were the colonizers expecting me to give them my art for their performative display at the cost of my mental and physical health, history repeating itself.
And when I was at my worst from these comments, these messages asked for me to explain my trauma and educate them on what was done at these schools, and ask if they could sell their shirts as long as they donated a portion. The lateral hate from other Indigenous folks:
"You are not Indigenous, your last name is not Native at all"
"Look at this white girl trying to pass herself off as one of us"
"What percentage are you?"
"You did not grow up on the Reserve, you don't know what you are talking about"
Came those that truly cared, and helped lift me back up. Thankfully the majority of those of you who are likely reading this and are still with me since then.
"Take your time"
"I am so sorry"
"How are you doing?"
and so on, but that one person can break you, and let me tell you, they broke me.
Taking a Step Back
One person sent me over the absolute edge, a fellow business owner, she would not stop, messaging me daily with fake words of apology for what had happened to Indigenous people and take your time with my order, which quickly transformed into "where the hell is my stuff, how can you run a business like this, you should close if this is how you operate, what am I going to do with these shirts if I don't get them in time to go to this event" and keep in mind this was still MONTHS away from September 30 and not anywhere near my 6 weeks turn around yet. I removed Instagram and Facebook from my phone and I had to ask someone to take over my social media so I could step away, and I broke down...while still working on Orange Shirts every. single. day. Some people who took a lot of time out of their day to attack me, I said to them: I am sorry I cannot continue to have these conversations with you, I am going to step away from social media...do you know what those people did? They then emailed me hateful horrible things...because they wanted to make sure I saw them...not the person handling my social media....so I had her also take over my email communication.
And while surrounded by Orange everywhere and trying to process the emotions associated with this, I had people showing up randomly at my apartment asking where their orders were, telling me someone would pick up their stuff and send them to me but their orders were not ready. Calling and texting my cell phone constantly
I stopped functioning, I was crying and on edge, all the time, every time a message or call I did not recognize came in I would tense up, I could not handle it. I worked countless hours, all night sometimes to try to stay ahead and on top of everything. I had a full-time job which was usually more than full-time, a husband and a toddler, and a small business that had exploded at the tragedy of my people. My doctor finally prescribed me anxiety medication when I had an appointment with him and could barely speak without crying. But I am taught to be strong, to not show those weaknesses, and not to cry in front of anyone, so the only ones who saw my pain were the ones closest to me.
But I am Resilient
Slowly I allowed myself to let go of those comments and emails, and hateful people and allow all of the good ones to be absorbed from so many people. The good outweighed the bad and I had to focus on those while I worked through the hundreds of orders. These orders did not only contain Orange Shirts, people were coming to my site for that but loving the other items they saw. Sometimes I had an order that would have 10 items, only one being an Orange Shirt, which was amazing but also a lot of work.
I made it through, I got every order out eventually, I wanted people to have these shirts, I want a sea of orange, not just for September 30 but all of the time. This is what I love, bringing awareness. What I hate is the hate itself.
Upon releasing this year's design, I already have anxiety and the comments and questions and emails from those who do not know me or my brand have already started and it is only May. Maybe one day the validity of my Indigenous-ness will not be questioned but until then I will continue to create with a meaning behind it to bring light to what never should have been in the dark.
I am in awe and shock and so grateful for your work. I was just showing my husband one of your shirts (women were born to serve men) and we laughed and thought how clever you were. Then, I came to your website and woah. I had read a little about residential schools in Canada in the past, but I, admittedly, had no idea how incredibly horrific this is. The other irony is we were just talking about a Catholic Bishop in our area that is denouncing the recent actions of President Trump (too little too late). We left the church years ago for many reasons, and this is yet another disgusting example of why we will never go back.
Thank you for teaching me. Thank you for putting yourself in front of such a cruel firing squad (your commenters). Thank you for continuing on when you didn’t think you could. I look forward to supporting you and S&K Collective.
There’s a reason I don’t like Orange shirt day.
My grandfather was in the schools, and yet,. I get more bigotry for being Metis from the First Nations. The comments on “half-breed” and “dirty blood”… Not from Conservatives, but from First Nations and so-called “allies”. (Some of the most bigoted people around that I’ve met.)
I’m also French Canadian, and I’m well aware that the French Canadian people have also dealt with all the atrocities committed against the First Nations. People deny it because most of them were white. (And Metis.) And yet, it was the Francophones who fought the hardest for the indigenous communities. Historically, they wished to co-exist with the tribes… But after the Abraham plains, things changed. The English were in charge.
Remember Louis Riel? He thought hard for the first Nations, but he lost because he was betrayed by most tribes. Even those who were loyal to him were betrayed and sold out.
It’s not surprising that the First Nations are throwing the worst slurs.
Sure, a lot of English still hate the French, but the tribes pushing to replace the French language hurts. I feel betrayed by the First Nations again, after our ancestors historical oppression in the schools. (Yes, the Francophones went through them, in order to deal with “the French problem”.) I feel betrayed by half my blood, and I don’t care. Hence why, even when I work in schools, I wear a different coloured shirt to remind everyone of the meaning behind the day. If I get called out in a negative way, then we know that the individual in question is a bigot, and forgot about what that girl went through.
French schools teach that both the FNs and the Francophones are brothers… But it seems like it’s not true.
I at least kept one part of my heritage that was nearly lost, but to have the other try to eradicate it… To eradicate the half that kept what few traditions we still have… I have a change of heart.
I am sorry that you have to witness the treasonous faces of those who betrayed the truly great tribes…
There’s a reason I don’t like Orange shirt day.
My grandfather was in the schools, and yet,. I get more bigotry for being Metis from the First Nations. The comments on “half-breed” and “dirty blood”… Not from Conservatives, but from First Nations and so-called “allies”. (Some of the most bigoted people around that I’ve met.)
I’m also French Canadian, and I’m well aware that the French Canadian people have also dealt with all the atrocities committed against the First Nations. People deny it because most of them were white. (And Metis.) And yet, it was the Francophones who fought the hardest for the indigenous communities. Historically, they wished to co-exist with the tribes… But after the Abraham plains, things changed. The English were in charge.
Remember Louis Riel? He thought hard for the first Nations, but he lost because he was betrayed by most tribes. Even those who were loyal to him were betrayed and sold out.
It’s not surprising that the First Nations are throwing the worst slurs.
Sure, a lot of English still hate the French, but the tribes pushing to replace the French language hurts. I feel betrayed by the First Nations again, after our ancestors historical oppression in the schools. (Yes, the Francophones went through them, in order to deal with “the French problem”.) I feel betrayed by half my blood, and I don’t care. Hence why, even when I work in schools, I wear a different coloured shirt to remind everyone of the meaning behind the day. If I get called out in a negative way, then we know that the individual in question is a bigot, and forgot about what that girl went through.
French schools teach that both the FNs and the Francophones are brothers… But it seems like it’s not true.
I at least kept one part of my heritage that was nearly lost, but to have the other try to eradicate it… To eradicate the half that kept what few traditions we still have… I have a change of heart.
I am sorry that you have to witness the treasonous faces of those who betrayed the truly great tribes…
I was searching for T-shirts that reflect sentiment of non Indegenous. Thank you for your words. I wore an orange T-shirt last year and chose deliberately to wear it inside out for all of what you’ve said. I want and have been looking for a shirt made with integrity. Even though I’m too late to get one of your on time, I will have it for next year. I found a rock in Lake Erie today in the shape of an infant foot. I’m not sure why I’m attaching this rock to Truth and Reconcilliation. I wanted to paint a moccasin on it, but then I like that it’s natural. Best wishes in your pursuits for healing and happiness.
Thank you for your courage to post and educate through your experiences. Allyship can not be self-identified and it must come from a place of genuine authenticity, and your story shows the impact of when someone is not authentic in their intentions. I respect you as an Indigenous woman, and a mother of a BIPOC family, and a powerhouse business owner. You have every right to take time for self-care and noone should take that from you! Go girl!