We wear orange on September 30 to honour Indigenous children who were taken to residential schools, to remember those who never came home, and to support survivors and their families in the ongoing process of truth and reconciliation in Canada.

What September 30 Represents

  • September 30 is marked in Canada as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation , which coincides with Orange Shirt Day.
  • The day is meant to honour First Nations, Inuit, and MĂŠtis Survivors, their families, and communities, and to publicly acknowledge the traumatic legacy of the residential school system.

Why the Color Orange

  • The orange shirt comes from the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, a First Nations girl whose brand‑new orange shirt—bought by her grandmother for her first day at a residential school—was taken away on arrival and never returned.
  • For Webstad, the orange shirt came to symbolize how her feelings and identity “didn’t matter,” reflecting how residential schools stripped children of culture, language, freedom, and self‑worth.

Meaning of Wearing Orange

  • Wearing orange on September 30 is a visible way to say “Every Child Matters” and to recognize the harm caused by residential schools across generations.
  • It is also an act of solidarity and a commitment to listen, learn, and support reconciliation, rather than treating this history as something distant or “in the past.”

How People Mark the Day

  • Many people wear orange shirts, attend community events, listen to Survivors’ stories, and learn about Indigenous history and ongoing colonial impacts.
  • Schools, workplaces, and institutions increasingly use the day to host teachings, moments of reflection, and campaigns that center Indigenous voices and education.

At its heart, the answer to “why do we wear orange on September 30?” is: to remember the children, to stand with Survivors, and to help build a future where every child is safe, valued, and connected to their culture.

TL;DR: We wear orange on September 30 (Orange Shirt Day / National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) to remember Indigenous children harmed by residential schools, honour Survivors, and show that Every Child Matters.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.