The residential school survivor whose story is behind the inspiration of Orange Shirt Day has launched a new book.
Phyllis Webstad’s new book Phyllis’s Orange Shirt launched this month.
“My previous book that came out last year on September 1st was called the Orange Shirt Story and the book that is coming out this year is for ages four to six and the nuns were taken out, the crying was taken out, and the book rhymes,” she said.
“It’s an introduction to the Orange Shirt Story and the residential school system.”
Webstad added her publisher Medicine Wheel Education from Victoria has secured distributors for the book including Walmart, Indigo, and Amazon as well as the Open Book in Williams Lake.
“We’re working on two books right now,” she said.
“One through the Orange Shirt Society called Orange Shirt Day which documents how Orange Shirt Day started and all of the people involved and documenting a bit of the movement across Canada-that will come out next September 1st, and I’m not sure when this one will come out but I’m calling it Beyond the Orange Story which will document more of my family’s story.”
Webstad said she is third generation to attend residential school.
“When I went to talk to children last year I didn’t have the stories that the first and second generation that they told. My experience I went for one year, so my experience was a walk in the park compared to my grandmother and her ten children and the trauma that they experienced. Mine was traumatic but I didn’t suffer sexual or physical abuse like many of my family did, so I plan to document a lot of that in Beyond the Orange Shirt Story.”
Webstad will be in Williams Lake to celebrate Orange Shirt Day on Sept. 30 in Boitano Park.