Story Luminary Phyllis (Jack) Webstad and the Storywork of the Orange Shirt

Abstract

An orange shirt is synonymous with truth and reconciliation in Canada. How did this symbol spread from a personal story about surviving a residential school, to a children’s book by author Phyllis J. Webstad, to a national symbol of Indigenous solidarity and allyship? This paper examines the work of Webstad as a Canadian story luminary, using historical and textual analysis to explore the power of “The Orange Shirt Story” to decolonize, resist, refuse, and transform. The orange shirt reveals the deep connectedness between storytelling, social justice, resilience, and activism.