Xe Xe Smun' Eem - Victoria Orange Shirt Day

Victoria Orange Shirt Day - Xe Xe Smun' Eem (Sacred Children) focuses on raising awareness about Canadian residential school institutions and the ongoing impacts faced by Indigenous communities as a result.

Eddy Charlie is a member of Quw' utsun (Cowichan Nation), a survivor of Kuper Island residential school institution and a graduate of Indigenous Studies at Camosun College.

Eddy works year-round, engaging in community with diverse audiences - including government ministries, schools, businesses, healthcare organizations, community groups, nonprofits, churches, and law enforcement, attending local markets and events, promoting awareness, education, and action.

Through his on-going efforts, Eddy played a key role in advocating for September 30th to be recognized as a statutory holiday in British Columbia. These efforts have helped make Orange Shirt Day a nationally recognized annual event.

In June 2021, the Government of Canada passed Bill C-5 to make September 30 a federal statutory day. It is actively observed as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Contributions to the GoFundMe campaign go towards costs associated with supporting Eddy Charlie and his year round work to raise awareness about Canada's residential school Institutions. This also includes honorarium for residential school survivors participating in ceremony, speaking and sharing at events, and various support of Indigenous community initiatives.

The Design:

This design is by local Indigenous artist Bear Horne of the Tswaout Nation and gifted to Eddy and Kristin to be used in their work of raising awareness about residential schools institutions.

'The bear to helps us follow the right path,

The eagle to help us have vision of a bright future,

The hummingbird to keep our mind, body and spirit healthy,

and the flower to feed the connection of all these elements'.

- Bear Horne

For more information or to order a shirt, please visit Victoria Orange Shirt Day