In recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the story of Phyllis Jack Webstad, the Milton Public Library’s Beaty branch will be offering take-and-make craft kits for youth ages 13 – 17.
Participants will receive supplies and instructions to create a beaded orange shirt pin to wear on September 30th as a symbol of remembrance and solidarity. Kits will be available for pickup starting Tuesday, September 23rd, while supplies last.
Orange Shirt Day honours survivors of the Residential School system and remembers the thousands of children who never returned home. Between 1874 and 1996, approximately 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children were forced to attend Residential Schools. More than 3,000 children are confirmed to have died, with estimates suggesting the number is over 6,000.
The movement began with Phyllis Webstad’s story. At just six years old, she wore a bright new orange shirt her grandmother had given to her for her first day at a residential school. It was taken away and never returned, becoming a lasting symbol of trauma and loss.
This craft activity offers teens an opportunity to learn, reflect, and honour the stories of survivors while creating something meaningful to wear on Orange Shirt Day.
Find the Beaty branch at 945 Fourth Line in Milton.
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