CALL TO ACTION
TAKEN AWAY
ROBBY ROMERO / EAGLE THUNDER RECORDS
“Put in a place no one wants to be; Miles away from family; To save the man and kill the Native child in me”
On September 30, Indigenous peoples and allies across Turtle Island commemorate survivors, families, and generations affected by the systemic atrocities and intergenerational trauma of the U.S. and Canadian Indian boarding and residential school systems. This day of remembrance acknowledges a genocidal assimilation process that continues to involve the remains of children yet to be repatriated to their ancestral homes and families.
The phrase “Kill the Indian in him, and save the man,” which summarizes the philosophy of assimilation, was formulated by Richard Henry Pratt, a U.S. Army officer who founded the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in 1879. Centuries of resistance within a cohesive Indigenous movement culminated in President Joe Biden’s October 2024 apology to Native Americans, in which he recognized the intergenerational loss of culture, language, and trust stemming from federal boarding school policies.
Orange Shirt Day was inspired by Phyllis Webstad’s account of having her favorite orange shirt confiscated upon her arrival at a Catholic residential school as a child. The observance serves as a powerful symbol of Indigenous resilience.
Learn more about Orange Shirt Day and the National Day of Remembrance.
