WDSS student from Walpole Island pens a poem in honour of ‘Orange Shirt Day’

A senior student, Asia Nahdee, from Walpole Island, shared the following poem with the Future Elders club at Wallaceburg District Secondary School on September 22, 2021.

Nahdee has won the OSSTF Writing Award for the Lambon-Kent District School Board two years in a row.

In addition, she had the opportunity to share a different poem last year with thousands of students and staff in a Google Meet for Orange Shirt Day 2020.

Nahdee is now in WDSS’ PSW program.

This year Nahdee wrote another poem, which draws attention to the 215 children that were found in unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.

The poem also explores topics such as healing, spirituality, culture, and reconciliation.

Read Nahdee’s poem, below:


Boozhoo kinaweya, shkinaangoons ndizhnikaaz mukwa ndodem, maanidokaaning ndoonjiba bkejwanong nda, miinwa bodewadomi mikmaqiyuk kwe ndow. This piece goes out to so many, to all my relatives across turtle island to my great kokum and all her sisters, to my ooshum and his brothers to our survivors and last but not least the to victims of the mass graves.

365 days later since our last orange shirt day so much has taken place

It’s been enough to open old wounds

That we’ve fought so hard to keep shut

It’s been enough to make blood boil

That we took so much time to cool

It’s been enough for our eyes to creates rivers of tears

That will take so very long to dry up

To the thousands of babies who laid in the unmarked mass graves

There’s not enough words nor time for me to write an apology that would make up for all that has been done to you and your families

There’s no excuse for these crimes

And there’s no plea more remorseful

That could ever prove that these schools were ever innocent

I for one need answers

How could one sleep at night knowing there was a pile of dead children beside them?

How could one live with themselves knowing there was parents longing for their children?

How could one eat and keep it down knowing so many of these children died because they were denied food and water?

How could you?

How dare you..

My heart plummeted to my stomach

My stomach jumped and got caught in my throat

My lungs found it hard to catch my breath in between muffled screams

tears streamed down my face fresh and warm

anxiety kept me up into the unholy hours of the night

Why? Because one of those bodies could have been mine

Oh my sisters

Oh my mothers

Oh my brothers

Dear babies,

I’m so sorry you never got the chance to say see you later to your families

I’m sorry you never got to feel the strong secure embrace of your fathers big muscular arms

I’m sorry you never got to feel the soft kisses from your mothers delicate lips one last time before your life was snatched right out from under you

I’m sorry you left this world cold, hungry, and scared

I’m sorry they never let you see the wonderful things life had to offer you

I’m so sorry that they did not love you

I’m sorry that they did not even care the slightest bit to mark your grave

I’m sorry they did not see the potential in your tiny little hands

that they did not see the light in your perfect almond eyes

I’m sorry they could not simply see the magnitude of your beauty that you possessed

I’m sorry that they didn’t think that your life mattered

Your life did matter

You deserved a better hand than what you were dealt

You deserved to speak your language

To wear your hair long

to love your brown skin like there was no other colour like it

You deserved to sing those songs you learned long before you were even born

That’s just it

You deserved to live

However, I want to tell you all that you did it

You brought the nation to their knees

You turned enemies into allies

You made people find a heart when they thought they were heartless

You made everyone feel what we have felt being oppressed

And I am so proud of you

You flooded the city streets with orange

You painted the sky orange for days

You called the drums and they sang

You called the dancers and they prayed

Please know and always understand

You made history

You unearthed the mountains of truth

With mass evidence

That would force many to run for the hills and well beyond..

You were so special and you always will be

Yesterday, tomorrow forever and always

Go home, and be free

Speak your language like English does not exist

Dance your way to the spirit world like they never took your moving vessel

Sing like they never had the chance to silence you

Wear your hair long for all the times they cut it

You are free

Little did they know that all the babies they buried to keep quiet

Would now have the loudest voices

And awaken the world

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