Orange Shirt Day and
National Day for Truth
and Reconciliation

We recognize the tragic history of residential schools. We honour the survivors and lost children, their families and communities. Every Child Matters.

Aritzia is committed to the ongoing process of reconciliation and acknowledges our primary Canadian operations take place on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Coast Salish Nations — xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh).

One of Point's carved wood piece draped by this year's Orange Shirt Day t-shirt.

Susan Point in her wood carving studio.

To commemorate Orange Shirt Day, we partnered with Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) artist Susan Point to create a limited-edition Orange T-Shirt.

100% of the proceeds will be donated to Orange Shirt Society.*

This product is produced with trademark Every Child Matters owned by Orange Shirt Society and is being used under license.

Shop Now‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎

A descendent of the Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) First Nation, Susan Point is an acclaimed artist whose inventive style has revitalized the Coast Salish arts.

Drawing inspiration from her heritage — and especially the stories of her ancestors — Susan’s work often explores themes of cultural resilience, environmental allyship and the interconnectivity of all living things.

Susan was named an Officer of the Order of Canada and awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal for her contributions to Canadian art.

A: My style of art is contemporary Coast Salish. Although my work is contemporary, I still incorporate traditional elements, including crescents, wedges and V-cuts, which are found in the old traditional images I have researched.

A: I had to do my research. I initially started with a jewelry course. I never even knew I had my own style of art — Coast Salish art — until my husband mentioned it to me. I went to my uncle, who was a professor at UBC specializing in Coast Salish art and culture, and he gave me everything he had on Coast Salish design, which wasn't very much. Back then, it was mostly slides and black-and-white photographs.

I also visited various museums and libraries. I had to educate myself first in order to understand what I was actually doing and, in turn, educate the public. At that time, with the exception of maybe two people, nobody was creating Coast Salish art, and very few people knew what Coast Salish art was.

A: I chose the butterfly design because of the beauty of the butterfly. It has a lot of meaning. I think about the metamorphosis from the caterpillar to the cocoon — the growth and transformation. Over time, I have incorporated butterflies into a lot of my imagery. I love butterflies; they're a beautiful thing.

The butterfly reminds me of childhood and the journey from youth to adulthood, especially for those who attended residential schools. I was in a residential school for five years, and my brothers and sister attended as well. It's an image that helps me move beyond that.

Within the butterflies, I incorporated birds, which represent, to me, flight and freedom. We're moving forward. It's a transformation. Right now, we are in the midst of reconciliation. We haven't achieved reconciliation yet, but we are in the process of reconciling.

A: It's all about my mother. My mum was a weaver, an excellent weaver. Watching her while I was growing up, I think, may have instilled that artistic ability within me. Just watching her. I have to thank my mother for everything I've done so far — and for her support.

A lot of those motifs are taken from her designs. Anything you see in terms of weaving in my work is representative of my mother.

As we reflect on the meaning of Orange Shirt Day and Every Child Matters, we’re also celebrating Indigenous futurity, entrepreneurialism and creativity.

We work with Indigenous leaders and facilitators to continue supporting our People’s learning journeys and informed allyship.

We support Indigenous peoples and communities across Canada and are proud to be in partnership with Pow Wow Pitch, Urban Native Youth Association, Indspire and Orange Shirt Society.

We have a dedicated spot in our annual Internship Program for Indigenous students. The program provides coaching and mentorship from world-class leaders who share meaningful business experience and support growth potential.