I picked up my mail today. I have been excitedly waiting for a parcel to arrive. I opened the mailbox, and there, much to my delight, was a bright orange package, and I knew immediately what it was. Inside was my 2026 Truth and Reconciliation t-shirt. It is indeed a work of art. It is stunningly beautiful, playful, joyful while remembering a very sombre subject matter.
One of my favourite artists is Indigenous artist Blake Angeconeb. I wrote a story about Blake’s uncle several years ago—Garnet Angeconeb—who is the top of my list of superheroes. Blake has partnered with Superstore (Joe Fresh) and designed this year’s orange shirt for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Sept. 30). 100 per cent of the proceeds from the sale of these orange shirts will be donated to the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund and… it got me thinking.
What does the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund do? It plays a significant and vital role in building cultural understanding and advancing reconciliation in Canada. Gord Downie left us with a call to “do something” to confront the legacy of residential schools.
The Fund is a national Indigenous-led charity whose work is rooted in the story of one small boy, Chanie Wenjack. At the core of their work, the Fund focuses on what they call “reconciliACTION”, action that will improve the lives of Indigenous peoples and enlighten Canadians as to the true history of residential schools.
How do they do this? They provide the Legacy Schools Program, which arms teachers with free educational resources about residential schools and Indigenous history, reaching hundreds of thousands of students across Canada, while encouraging students to create their own way to take part in reconciliACTION.
They help to ensure that space is available and dedicated to learning about these important subjects, hosting learning events that engage the community. In honouring and marking the anniversaries of Gord’s and Chanie’s passing, the Secret Path Week runs from Oct. 17 through 22, to set time aside to learn, reflect and, as always, to take action.
They have a Youth Ambassador Program that supports and develops both Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in leadership roles to promote reconciliation in their own communities, which has seen hundreds of young people move through this program since it began. Sharing Chanie Wenjack’s story is essential to understanding the history of residential schools. Chanie’s story helps us understand the impacts of colonization and the inherent trauma of residential schools.
Blake Angeconeb is a well-known and well-established Indigenous artist from Lac Seul First Nation (Treaty 3 territory). Blake uses bold colour often mixed with pop-culture influences. He primarily uses acrylic on canvas with “spirit lines and energy forms with interconnected beings”.
Blake is known for exploring community, identity and blending humour and resilience. He is a self-taught artist, and his work is based in the Woodlands School tradition, which is a major Indigenous art movement in northern Ontario and southwestern Manitoba, mostly created by Anishinaabe artists, one of the “most influential Indigenous visual traditions in North America.”
The art movement is rooted in an art tradition founded by Norval Morrisseau in the 1960s. Blake’s work honours the art practices of Norval Morrisseau while adding his own touch of playful art that speaks to Indigenous youth.
This isn’t the first time Blake has collaborated. In 2024, UNIQLO partnered with Blake and Grace Edwards and Euroma Awashish to create orange T-shirts for Truth and Reconciliation. Their work was also part of Save the Children Canada’s National Reconciliation Program, where 100 per cent of the proceeds went to Indigenous organizations, with Blake’s focus on heritage and healing.
Blake’s work this year was created to specifically honour Sept. 30, symbolizing those children who never came home and holding space for them. He uses authentic Indigenous visual storytelling that is not only about mourning but also brings attention to community strength, to the survival of Indigenous culture, and to the all-important family unit. Garnet would be very proud.
I will wear my orange shirt proudly for many days in September. Someone once asked me what the benefit of a simple orange t-shirt was. It is an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to changing how we remember Residential Schools and how we move forward to bring about reconciliation. It is an act of faith, of empowerment, of demonstrating a solid purpose to ensure we move in the right direction.
And quite simply, wearing my orange shirt makes me very happy. I would wear it every day of the year if I could. I hope you’ll wear one, too, even if only for one day, Sept. 30.
