An 18-year-old artist from Fishing Lake First Nation, located in the heart of Treaty 4 Territory in Saskatchewan, Smoke’s artwork features a striking image of a woman with a long black braid, shown in profile against the medicine wheel’s four colours: white, yellow, red, and black. Her face is marked with a red handprint, a powerful reminder of the violence experienced by Indigenous peoples, and red and yellow flowers surround the circle, adding vibrancy and resilience to the image.
“We chose this design for its powerful symbolism,” explains Josie Renz, ILSG Co-President. “The red and orange handprints highlight significant struggles that Indigenous people have endured, and continue to face with lasting impact. We were also drawn to the design’s representation of resilience, as it included the medicine wheel and a long braid.”
Established in 2021, the builds on Orange Shirt Day, which began in 2013 to raise awareness about residential schools and their impact on Indigenous peoples. The dedication of this day is a response to Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report which called for the recognition of the history and legacy of residential schools in Canada.
Each year, ILSG invites Indigenous artists to submit their designs for the competition. The winning artwork is selected collectively by the ILSG executive team through consensus. “When selecting the winning design for the contest, the entire ILSG team comes together to review and vote on the submissions,” adds Renz. “We make decisions through consensus, ensuring that every team member is fully on board with the final choice for the T-shirt design.”
This is the fourth year that ILSG has organized the competition, an initiative the members see as central to their mission. “It’s important to highlight young Indigenous artists,” says Co-President Ben Surmachynski. “We ensure that our orange T-shirt process is Indigenous from the design to the sale, emphasizing Indigenous creators, Indigenous peoples, Indigenous businesses, and Indigenous not-for-profits. September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and it is important to us that we dedicate our competition in its entirety to Indigeneity.”
This year, ILSG is once again partnering with Anish Branding, a CCIB Certified Indigenous Business. Anish Branding donates two percent of its sales to First Assist, a charity dedicated to providing education and sports programming for underserved youth in northern Indigenous communities. “We’ve worked with Anish Branding for the past two years to have our orange T-shirts made,” explains Co-President Lauren Aussant. “In addition to providing quality products and services, they are committed to giving back to the community.”
A total of 560 T-shirts have been printed this year, available in sizes ranging from youth small to 4XL. Proceeds from the sales will go to the Legacy of Hope Foundation. T-Shirts can be purchased in person, in front of Fauteux Hall (57 Louis-Pasteur) from September 24-30, excluding weekends or from the .
By purchasing one of these shirts, students, faculty, and staff are not only wearing a meaningful piece of art, but also directly supporting Indigenous artists, businesses, and charities.