At Resist Clothing Company, we don’t just design for aesthetics — we design with purpose. We carry stories on fabric, resistance in every stitch. And every September 30, our work pauses to honor one of the most painful truths in Canadian history — and the resilience that rises from it.

This is Orange Shirt Day, and it’s about more than a color.

It’s about remembrance, resistance, and the fight for Indigenous Education rooted in truth.

Orange Shirt Day began with the story of Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwepemc woman who had her brand-new orange shirt taken away on her first day at residential school. That loss of identity — that stripping of culture — became a symbol of the trauma caused by the residential school system across Canada and beyond.

Since then, September 30 has become a day to:

• Honor the survivors of residential schools

• Remember the children who never came home

• Amplify calls for truth, reconciliation, and Indigenous Education

At Resist Clothing Company, Orange Shirt Day isn’t just symbolic — it’s personal.

Our founder (Mitch Gegwetch) exists today because of the resilience of his grandparents, who both survived the violence of the residential school system. They endured the attempted erasure of their identities, cultures, and languages — and although they never found the courage to speak openly about their experiences, their strength shaped the foundation of who we are.

This awareness campaign is for them.

Each year, we raise funds and awareness through our Orange Shirt Day collection to honor their survival — and to give others the support and resources to speak out when Mitch's grandparents couldn’t.

This is not charity. This is reclamation.

We use the phrase “Every Child Matters” with the utmost respect and responsibility, following the guidelines of the Orange Shirt Society, which exists to protect the spirit and integrity of the movement and its message. As an Indigenous-owned brand, we are proud to contribute in a way that’s accountable, community-led, and rooted in lived experience.

When you wear one of our orange pieces, you’re not just standing in solidarity. You’re helping us break cycles of silence and uplift new generations of truth-tellers.

For many settlers, Orange Shirt Day is a moment of awakening. But for Indigenous Peoples, it’s a reminder that the legacy of residential schools is still with us — in underfunded schools, in intergenerational trauma, in systems that weren’t built for us, and often still work against us.

That’s why Indigenous Education isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a battle.

One that’s fought with stories, with culture, with curriculum, and with community.

When schools integrate Indigenous knowledge systems — not as electives, but as foundations — they don’t just teach history. They start the long process of healing and decolonizing.

To truly honor Orange Shirt Day, we have to move beyond symbolism and into systems. That starts with building education systems that reflect Indigenous worldviews, validate lived experiences, and prepare the next generation to be truth-tellers and changemakers.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Including residential school history in all curriculums

• Making space for Elders and Knowledge Keepers in classrooms

• Supporting Indigenous-led teacher training and language revitalization

• Ensuring that Indigenous youth see themselves — and their ancestors — in what they learn

Because when we center Indigenous Education, we center healing.

At Resist Clothing, our orange pieces are made to remember. But they’re also made to provoke action. Wearing orange on September 30 isn’t about checking a box. It’s about making a statement:

📢 That every child mattered.

📢 That every child still matters.

📢 That we will not stop until every truth is heard, and every community is restored.

Our Orange Shirt Day collection isn’t just a product — it’s a promise. A way to stand in solidarity while supporting Indigenous creators and causes.

Want to do more than just wear orange? Here’s where to start:

🎨 Amplify Indigenous artists and authors – Purchase from Indigenous vendors like us.

🔍 Educate yourself – Learn about residential schools and their impact

📖 Support Indigenous Education – Donate to community-led initiatives

🧡 Talk to your kids – Make sure the next generation knows the truth

💬 Don’t stay silent – Use your platforms to share, learn, and unlearn

Change doesn’t come from silence. It comes from showing up — in your classrooms, in your communities, and in what you choose to support.

👉 Shop our Orange Shirt Day collection 

👉 Learn more about Indigenous Education on our blog

👉 Take action year-round

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