Artwork by Ditidaht, Nuu-chah-nulth artist Deanna Samuel

Message from the Artist:

In our Nuu-chah-nulth teachings, children are sacred. They are the seeds of our future and the carriers of the teachings, songs, language, and strength of our people. Our Elders taught us to love and protect our children deeply, because they are the continuation of who we are as a Nation. The Residential School system tried to separate children from their families, their identities, and their belonging. It created silence, grief, and generations of disconnection that many of our people still carry today. But even through that pain, our people endured. Our culture endured. Our children endured.

The Children Are Coming Home is more than a phrase. It is a truth carried in spirit, memory, and healing. Home has always known their names, even when the world tried to forget them. They are not records in a book. They are the living spirits of our Nation, returning to rest where their ancestors once stood.

Their return reminds us of our responsibility to continue healing, to protect the generations rising behind us, and to ensure our children grow up knowing who they are, where they come from, and that they matter.

Every Child Matters because every child carries the future of our people.

– Deanna Samuel Ditidaht, Nuu-chah-nulth

 

September 30th marks ORANGE SHIRT DAY: Every Child Matters​, Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a day of remembrance and respect to honour the students and survivors of Canada’s Residential School system.

On this day, Canadians are encouraged to wear an orange shirt to show their support for survivors and pay respects to those who did not make it home, and their families.

Artwork by Ditidaht, Nuu-chah-nulth artist Deanna Samuel

Message from the Artist:

In our Nuu-chah-nulth teachings, children are sacred. They are the seeds of our future and the carriers of the teachings, songs, language, and strength of our people. Our Elders taught us to love and protect our children deeply, because they are the continuation of who we are as a Nation. The Residential School system tried to separate children from their families, their identities, and their belonging. It created silence, grief, and generations of disconnection that many of our people still carry today. But even through that pain, our people endured. Our culture endured. Our children endured.

The Children Are Coming Home is more than a phrase. It is a truth carried in spirit, memory, and healing. Home has always known their names, even when the world tried to forget them. They are not records in a book. They are the living spirits of our Nation, returning to rest where their ancestors once stood.

Their return reminds us of our responsibility to continue healing, to protect the generations rising behind us, and to ensure our children grow up knowing who they are, where they come from, and that they matter.

Every Child Matters because every child carries the future of our people.

– Deanna Samuel Ditidaht, Nuu-chah-nulth

 

September 30th marks ORANGE SHIRT DAY: Every Child Matters​, Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a day of remembrance and respect to honour the students and survivors of Canada’s Residential School system.

On this day, Canadians are encouraged to wear an orange shirt to show their support for survivors and pay respects to those who did not make it home, and their families.