-HMoob Cultural Center of Alaska
September 30 is National Day of Remembrance of Indigenous Boarding Schools, or Orange Shirt Day. Orange Shirt Day brings attention to the damage the residential school system did to Indigenous children, lifeways, and cultures. The Alaska Afterschool Network recognizes this day to acknowledge the lives lost and altered from residential schools in Alaska and beyond and the consequent repercussions on youth, families, and communities. These schools, which existed in Canada and across the continental United States and Alaska, forcibly separated Indigenous children from their parents, banned the use of Indigenous languages, and alienated children from their cultures. The Alaska Native Heritage Center has located over 100 residential schools in Alaska alone, and that number continues to grow.
The impact of residential schools has cascaded into our work as afterschool professionals. As afterschool educators we must not ignore historical trauma, but rather listen, understand, and educate each other as we grapple with the lasting impact that exists today for Alaska’s young people and communities. The first step to healing and reconciliation is truth. Take a stand by educating yourself and those in your program on residential schools.
Join us in teaching, learning, and elevating National Day of Remembrance of Indigenous Boarding Schools (Orange Shirt Day). For more information and to download the Educational Toolkit for the National Day of Remembrance of Indigenous Boarding Schools, please visit https://www.alaskachildrenstrust.org/orange-shirt-day.