Meet the artist behind Atlohsa's 2023 orange shirt

For London-based artist Stephen Maracle, reconnecting to Indigenous teachings and culture is the inspiration behind this year's orange shirt design launched by Atlohsa Family Healing Services in London. 

"We just really wanted to bring to light that it's time to end the cycle, and start doing all these things again that we were once not allowed to do," said Maracle, whose grandfather was a residential school survivor. 

Maracle envisioned the design with his partner Biine Elijah, both Haudenosaunee, to symbolize reclaiming the cultural teachings stolen from children from residential schools and the Sixties Scoop. 

The shirt design depicts a child's hand holding a strawberry, inspired by a six-year-old girl they met on Manitoulin Island who they took strawberry picking for the first time.

"It was just a magical day," he said. 

"The message basically came from that little girl and that we need to get back to our roots of picking medicines at a young age — picking strawberries and just being connected with the land and the culture — because it was taken away from a lot of those kids."

Atlohsa is launching orange shirt pop-up sales across the city on Friday leading up to Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30.

Also called Orange Shirt Day, the day was inspired by Phyllis Webstad, who had her orange shirt taken from on her first day of school her at six years old in British Colombia in 1973. It was made a statutory holiday in 2021.

To Maracle, a member of Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Tyendinaga, orange shirts represent the freedom to wear whatever they want, laugh, love, go into the forest, wear long hair and attend ceremonies. 

"All that stuff was taken from [us], and it all comes back to an orange shirt," he said. "It's very symbolic."

A lot of native families were robbed of their cultural way of life like foraging, harvesting and hunting, he said. 

Maracle started creating art about 10 years ago, and was inspired by his uncle who he believes gifted him the passion to paint. Today, he paints and sells woodland style art. He uses strawberries in the design, known as the heart berry in many Indigenous cultures, which carry cultural significance.

"It's one of the first medicines of the season. The strawberries is used in a lot of ceremonies like the moon ceremony, the strawberry ceremony," he said, along with final hand drum ceremonies before they are played.

#WearOrangeSpeakTruth

The design is near and dear to the heart of April White, a member of Oneida Nation of the Thames.

"He did a fabulous job," White said, who works as the manager at Atlohsa Gifts. The social enterprise sells art and goods from First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists and businesses in support of programming at Atlohsa. 

As part of their Truth & Reconciliation Day campaign this year, Atlohsa is launching the hashtag #WearOrangeSpeakTruth, she said.

The slogan recognizes wearing orange is more than just an act of support, but a commitment to learn and vocalize truth about Indigenous history and aspirations. 

"For Indigenous people, sometimes it's difficult for us to have space to speak our truth about how the impacts of residential schools have affected many of our relatives throughout Turtle Island," she said.

"When I see somebody who is wearing orange it provides a sense of togetherness, and hopefully...they've actually gone out of their way to learn more about the truth behind residential school systems and the different effects of colonization on Indigenous peoples on Turtle Island."

This year's orange shirt is now available at Atlohsa Gifts at 240 Richmond St. in London and will be on sale at pop-ups throughout the city from Aug. 25 to Sept. 21. There are also group discounts for larger companies and organizations, White said.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.