Niagara College - Welland Every Child Matters Short Sleeve T-Shirt

On September 30, we honour the children, families, and communities affected by residential schools in Canada.
100% of the proceeds will be donated to the following Indigenous Educational charities:
-The Orange Shirt Society
-Regina Indian Industrial School Commemorative Association Inc. (riisca.ca)
-GDI - SUNTEP Regina

About the Artist: Madison Pascal
Madison identifies as a Saulteaux Metis artist working mainly in painting and drawing. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Regina. Madison's kokum, Jean Pascal, was a victim of residential schools. She and her siblings attended the Qu'Appelle Indian Residential School in Lebret, Saskatchewan. This was the last residential school to close in Canada in 1998. She was one of an estimated 150,000 children that attended these institutes of assimilation and attempted cultural genocide in Canada.

About the Art: Generational Love by Madison Pascal
Despite the hurt colonization caused, when I reflect on my family and culture, trauma isn't what comes to mind: it's love. I remember my kokum leaving cups of overly sweet Red Rose tea around her house when I would come over. She knew that I loved wandering through her old Victorian house looking for the tiny cups of cold tea. This was an act of love. This is how I remember her.

This year's Every Child Matters design is about overcoming the harm and moving forward while acknowledging the past. My kokum endured so much pain, but still found space to be soft and that is her legacy. Andrea Landry said it best, ''May we raise our children with our Indigenous love, rather than our colonial pain.''