Orange Shirt Day – Native American Boarding Schools National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Wear orange today and take the opportunity to further your own or our community’s awareness about Arizona’s Native American Boarding Schools, their legacy and how facing the past can support truth and reconciliation for the future.

According to research from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS), there were 59 Native American boarding schools that operated in Arizona during the boarding school era. This makes Arizona second only to Oklahoma for the total number of such schools. 

Orange Shirt Society is on a quest to raise awareness on the impacts of Indian Residential Schools, and to honour the healing journey of survivors, their families, and those that never made it home.  Learn more:

• https://orangeshirtday.org/orange-shirt-day/
• https://www.pbs.org/articles/the-history-and-impact-of-residential-schools

Ideas for how to commemorate the day:

• Friends Peace Teams: Toward Right Relationship – Events & Resources
• Contact your senators and congressional representatives and urge them to pass the Truth and Healing Commission on the Indian Boarding School Policies Act (S.761) during the fall session of Congress. The act would establish a commission to investigate, document and report on the histories of Indian boarding schools, develop recommendations for federal efforts based on those findings and promote healing for survivors and descendants. It’s easy to contact your senators and representatives via Friends Committee on National Legislation. Click here.

Local educational opportunities:

Phoenix Area Events:

• Heard Museum program on September 30th 10:00 AM to 12:15 PM
  • All through the year there is also a permanent boarding schools exhibit.
• PISVC (Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center) Open House on Saturday, October 11th, 2025 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM

Tucson Area Events:

• Tucson Indian Center Presents… Voices of Resilience: Orange Shirt Day Gathering – Sept 30, 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM, 160 N. Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701

If you are aware of additional opportunities that are open to either faith communities specifically or to the general public, please let us know at info@azipl.org so that we can share them within AZIPL.