狐狸视频

Anishinaabe student shares inspiration behind U of T鈥檚 2023 Orange Shirt Day design

Earlier this year,聽MJ Singleton won the university's Orange Shirt Day聽design contest, which saw submissions from Indigenous students across the three campuses
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MJ Singleton, a student at U of T Mississauga, says their winning Orange Shirt Day design emphasizes the importance of healing the intergenerational trauma of residential schooling by supporting and loving those around you (supplied photo)

For Anishinaabe and two-spirit 狐狸视频 Mississauga student MJ Singleton, part of truth and reconciliation is healing through intergenerational trauma and breaking the cycle.

A lifelong artist, Singleton uses the medium of painting to express themselves and their heritage. 

Earlier this year, Singleton won U of T鈥檚 Orange Shirt Day design contest, which saw submissions from Indigenous students across the three campuses to commemorate Orange Shirt Day 2023. Also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Sept. 30 is a day to recognize the destructive legacy of the Canadian Indian residential school system. 

Orange Shirt Day design says Every Child Matters

鈥淢y grandma was a residential school survivor in Kenora (Ont.) 鈥 at St. Mary鈥檚,鈥 Singleton says. 

Singleton鈥檚 grandmother, along with seven other siblings, attended St. Mary鈥檚 Indian Residential School. Growing up in Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation (Eagle Lake) between Kenora and Thunder Bay, Singleton recalls hearing stories of trauma and grief about their grandmother鈥檚 experience and how it affected generations to follow 鈥 an idea they incorporated into their design.

鈥淸The design] is about how someone feels for another person,鈥 Singleton says. 鈥淗ow intergenerational trauma can be broken and healed for future generations.鈥 

鈥淚 wanted to showcase that even through you are hurt, you can still be strong for one another and be there for one another.鈥 

The design is titled noojimo鈥檌we, which is Anishinaabemowin for 鈥渟he heals.鈥 It emphasizes the importance of healing the intergenerational trauma of residential schooling by supporting and loving those around you. It portrays a mother holding hands and walking forward with her two children. Above them, a bright sun with contour lines connecting to floral patterns and designs represents all living things. 

Singleton says the design was additionally motivated by at St. Mary鈥檚. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 just heartbreaking to think of what my grandma would have gone through in her childhood,鈥 Singleton says. 

The image of the mother clasping the hands of her two children was also inspired by a family photo with their brother and mother. While Singleton says they weren鈥檛 thinking of it while painting, the image was ingrained in their mind. 

Singleton studies criminology, law and society at U of T Mississauga, with a minor in psychology. While initially attracted to U of T Mississauga鈥檚 forensic science program, Singleton grew to like the professors in the criminology, law and society program and the prospects of a law career. 

After feeling overwhelmed in first year, Singleton says they became involved at the  at U of T Mississauga, made new friends 鈥 and discovered the Orange Shirt Day design contest. 

鈥淚t really was an uplifting experience,鈥 Singleton says, 鈥渆specially when the [All-Nations] Powwow came to UTM 鈥 that was really exciting and all my friends were there.鈥 

Having won a similar contest in December for the Ontario Native Women鈥檚 Association, Singleton says it gave them the courage to enter U of T鈥檚 contest. 

Singleton hopes to pursue Indigenous law to effect change for their community. 

T-shirts with Singleton鈥檚 design , with $10 from each $21.99 shirt given to the Orange Shirt Day Society. 

Read more about Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at U of T

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