US EditionChief says he’s offended by mandatory federal branding on Orange Shirt Day funding
Chief Kirby Constant finds mandatory Government of Canada branding on federally funded Orange Shirt Day events offensive, linking it to the residential schools' cultural erasure legacy.
- On Oct. 24, 2025, Kirby Constant, Chief of James Smith Cree Nation, said he was offended by Canadian Heritage's requirement for Government of Canada branding on Orange Shirt Day materials, funded with roughly $6,700.
- Federal funding rules require all recipients to acknowledge source and meet three objectives: raise residential school awareness, honour survivors, and promote healing, a Canadian Heritage spokesperson said.
- Speaking about the legacy of residential schools, Constant said forcing public thanks for federal memorial funds defies reconciliation and he grew up without his language or culture.
- Along with the branding rule, James Smith must submit a report to Canadian Heritage and used some of the $6,700 grant for honorariums for firekeepers.
- Roughly 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools, where an estimated 6,000 children died; the federal government and Catholic Church largely funded the system.
21 Articles
21 Articles
James Smith chief says he's offended by mandatory federal branding on Orange Shirt Day funding
The chief of James Smith Cree Nation says he's offended by Ottawa's requirement that promotional materials for Orange Shirt Day events funded by the federal government carry government branding.
Chief says he's offended by mandatory federal branding on Orange Shirt Day funding
OTTAWA — The chief of James Smith Cree Nation says he’s offended by Ottawa’s requirement that promotional materials for Orange Shirt Day events funded by the federal government carry government branding. Kirby Constant told The Canadian Press the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is meant to honour survivors of residential schools and day schools […]
Chief says he’s offended by mandatory federal branding on Orange Shirt Day funding
OTTAWA — The chief of James Smith Cree Nation says he's offended by Ottawa's requirement that promotional materials for Orange Shirt Day events funded by the federal government carry government branding. Kirby Constant told The Canadian Press the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is meant to honour survivors of residential schools and day schools — and those who never made it home — and to mark the legacy of those institutions in First N…
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