Orange Shirt Day at the Innovation Hub: Connecting to Indigenous History Through Community, Reflection, and Action 

In this blog, Lupita reflects her experience learning about Indigenous history and the impact of sharing Indigenous stories at the Innovation Hub’s Orange Shirt Day event. 

Written by Lupita Gallegos Cardona, Design Thinking Team Lead 

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September 24th was marked by a chilly morning. Orange shirts poked from beneath sweaters. A couple of students followed my example and wore orange accessories, and between us the Innovation Hub glowed with the colours of autumn. Only, on this day, the colour orange means something else. 

Phyllis Webstad’s voice rings out from our speakers: “I remember going to Robinson’s store and picking out a shiny orange shirt.” The students around me know what’s coming next. I do too, having watched this video to prepare for our Orange Shirt Day event. But when Webstad shares how the teachers at the residential school took away her orange shirt, her words settle on us like a cloud. “I never wore it again.” 

I’d built a certain ideal around Canada in my mind when I first arrived here three years ago. Coming from Mexico as an international student, I had little knowledge of Canadian Indigenous history, residential schools, and the ongoing impacts of colonization in this country. I realized how much I still didn’t know, and started researching about Canadian Indigenous history, attending Indigenous events, and making connections with people who deeply care about being educated and contributing to change through everyday actions. In organizing this event, I wanted to give my peers an opportunity to do the same.  

Making Space to Learn 

After the video with Phyllis’s story finished playing, a silence lingered in the room. I looked at my peers and noticed them looking at each other, almost as though they were afraid to say something. What is there to say to a story with so much pain? But then a hand went up. Someone shared that this wasn’t the first time they’d seen this video, that they’ve heard this story before. Someone else shared the same. It took only one person to speak up for us to realize that this story had already torn through us. That we knew it. That it was important to keep hearing it and to make space to engage with Indigenous stories. 

One thing I’ve realized in my time at the Innovation Hub is that learning starts with acknowledging what we don’t know and being willing to ask questions. Together, our team explored different perspectives surrounding truth and reconciliation. We read testimonies of residential school survivors, news reports and articles, reflected about and appreciated Indigenous artwork. As I leafed through the stories during our quiet reading time, I remembered how important it is to keep these narratives alive, because reading them shapes my perspective on Canada. I know a lot more than I did when I first came here, and much of that is thanks to all the stories I’ve heard and conversations I’ve had. For me, learning happens in community. I recognize now that creating the space to engage with different perspectives is just the first step, because the more important part is to reflect together. 

Exploring, Reflecting, and Taking Action 

Once our reading time concluded, eyes turned to the supplies clustered in the middle of the table. For the remainder of the event, I encouraged my peers to reflect with their hands—to experientially absorb the stories and the things that they’d learned, so that they wouldn’t forget the depth of the emotions shared by survivors of residential schools and Indigenous peoples today.  

Seeing that creativity take root towards a shared goal was really inspiring. One student created their own land acknowledgement, tailoring it to their specific neighbourhood. Another decorated an orange shirt, gently cutting it from bright paper and holding it to the light. A third chose to write a letter to one of the survivors. A group of students discussed creating change and ways to get more involved in Indigenous initiatives. At the end of the session, we agreed to bring everything we’ve discussed into a shared document, where everyone could add all of those meaningful resources. “That way, we’ll be able to learn from each other,” one student said.  

Moving Towards Reconciliation 

During our final reflection as a group, some students pointed out that there have been steps in the right direction. Schools have changed children’s curricula to include Indigenous voices. Awareness and education have evolved into a matter of fact. And, thanks to the efforts of the survivors and lawmakers that form the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30th is a national holiday dedicated to remembering the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. On this day, orange is the flame of remembrance. It’s our responsibility to keep it alive. 

Reconciliation is an ongoing process that can only happen through thoughtful engagement as a community. Here’s some ideas that our team came up with to centre Indigenous stories and perspectives year-round: 

• Thoughtful land acknowledgements  
• Sharing resources and learning  
• Attending Indigenous-led events, workshops, and community initiatives  
• Supporting Indigenous artists, creators, organizations, and businesses  
• Reflecting on your role as an ally 
• Using Indigenous pronunciation  
• Having conversations with peers  

I’m very happy that I got to see these ideas reflected in this event and acknowledge that there is still a lot left for all of us to do in our path to reconciliation.   

Resources 

• Learn about the land that you reside on: https://native-land.ca/  
  • Native Land Digital is an online, interactive website where participants can engage with Indigenous communities through mapping tools, with the opportunity to learn more about Indigenous territories, treaties, languages, and constellations.  
• A Land and Waters Acknowledgment Guide: https://native-land.ca/resources/territory-acknowledgement  
  • The Land and Water Acknowledgement Guide introduces Kōrero, a conversationalist AI where users use three stages: relationship, action, commitment   
• The History of Residential Schools: https://nctr.ca/education/residential-school-history/  
  • This article features a history of residential schools in Canada, photographs, details on the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, and the current state of the Truth and Reconciliation movement, as well as a Residential School Timeline.  
• First Nations House: https://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/department/first-nations-house/  
  • First Nations House is the dedicated Indigenous student services space at the University of Toronto. The website provides information about opportunities to connect with Indigenous communities on campus. 
• 2026 Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Commemoration https://people.utoronto.ca/event/2026-orange-shirt-day-and-ndtr-event/  
  • This website provides information about the University of Toronto’s Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation programming happening on September 30^th. 
• U of T Indigenous Studies and Resources Guide: https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/Toronto  
  • This resource guide, created by the University of Toronto Libraries, provides access to books, articles, archives, films, databases, and other materials related to Indigenous histories, cultures, languages, and contemporary issues. 
• Office of Indigenous Initiatives: https://indigenous.utoronto.ca  
  • The website includes information about The Office of Indigenous Initiatives, that leads and supports Indigenous engagement, education, and reconciliation efforts across the University of Toronto.