**Indigenous Artists Collaborate with Retailers for Orange Shirt Day** Jenny Kay Dupuis recently encountered a touching moment while shopping at a Winners store. A senior customer sought assistance in finding specific sizes of an orange shirt. The woman planned to gift the shirts, emblazoned with the phrase "Every Child Matters," to her grandchildren in the United States. She expressed her desire to share the significance of the shirt and the movement that honors residential school survivors and those who did not return home. Unbeknownst to her, she was speaking to the Anishinaabe artist who designed the shirt. "When I think of what that lady was doing in passing on that story to her grandchildren and also talking about the different lessons they may learn through it, it's a really good feeling," Dupuis said. Dupuis was commissioned by Winners and Marshalls Canada to create the T-shirt for Orange Shirt Day, with proceeds benefiting the non-profit Orange Shirt Society. Other retailers, including Canadian brands Aritzia and Joe Fresh, are also collaborating with Indigenous artists for their shirt campaigns. Orange Shirt Day, observed on September 30, was established in 2013 to honor the story of Phyllis Webstad, who was forced to attend residential school at age six, where her new orange shirt from her grandmother was taken away. In 2023, Ottawa designated it as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, making it a statutory holiday for federal government employees, with some provinces and territories following suit. This marks the second year Dupuis has partnered with Winners and Marshalls Canada. A member of the Nipissing First Nation in Ontario, she has previously collaborated with the retailers to create back-to-school items and other apparel featuring her artwork. This year, her design is titled "Hearts in Harmony." It depicts the moon, known as "Grandmother Moon" in some First Nations cultures, watching over a group of children. Symbols such as a crane, turtle, and fish represent truth, resilience, and intergenerational connection. Additionally, forget-me-not flowers on a bear's head honor the children taken from their families and forced into residential schools. "There was an intent through those policies that existed that forced so many to go to residential school and didn't allow them to practice their culture or language," Dupuis said, noting her grandmother's experience in one of the schools. "We're at a time and space right now where we're listening to those voices of the residential school survivors, their families, and communities." Brooklyn Rudolph, another Indigenous artist, responded to a call for designs for Orange Shirt Day from Indigenous Proud, a program by the Naut'sa mawt Tribal Council in British Columbia. She was surprised to learn her artwork would be featured in stores nationwide. "I was under the impression it was going to be like small, local, still impactful ... finding out that it was with Walmarts across the country was a really big surprise," Rudolph said. "My family was so excited and so proud to hear that I got this opportunity." Proceeds from the sales of her shirt through Walmart Canada’s campaign will support the Orange Shirt Society and the Indian Residential School Survivors Society. Rudolph, a member of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation from Winnipeg, drew inspiration from her grandparents, who attended the Guy Hill Residential School in The Pas, Manitoba. Her design features two children holding hands, symbolizing unity and resilience. A star, known as Keewatin in Cree, represents the "going home star," while an eagle flying overhead symbolizes love. "If there's one thing that my grandpa always told my family was to share love. So I really wanted to include that teaching," Rudolph said. Rudolph's artistic journey began as a means of reclaiming the Indigenous identity that was stripped from her grandparents. Through her art, she has embarked on a healing journey and reconnected with her community. She also seeks to support Indigenous groups while fostering connections with non-Indigenous communities. "It's bringing truth and reconciliation to people far and wide and allowing them to stand with us on our healing journeys," she said.