My aesthetic piece of art shows a drawing of an orange shirt that shows every child matters and recognizes the history behind the residential schools. It somewhat tells a story of how an orange shirt was taken away from Phyllis Jack Webstad who was a survivor of the residential school. Orange shirt day does not describe this particular occurrence, but moreover how children were treated by their instructors. As for the foundation behind the shirt, I chose to include the colors of the medicine wheel: black, white, red, and yellow. These colors speak to the four directions, four seasons, and their way of life. The pharmaceutical wheel itself speaks to an antiquated and sacrosanct image utilized by numerous times tribes. It means Earth’s boundary and all the information of the universe. To me, this piece of art means a lot to me. Everytime I come and wear an orange shirt, I take the time and reflect on how the Europeans treated the Indigenous people and how children were mistreated in residential schools. To be able to raise awareness and support the Indigenous culture and society is a huge pleasure for me.
