The gentle rain calmed as people lined up at San Carlos Apache College’s main lobby, eagerly waiting to get their bright orange and black shirts. In partnership with AmeriCorps, San Carlos Apache College distributed these symbolic shirts to students, their families, and community members in honor of the Every Child Matters movement.

September 30th is recognized across North America as Every Child Matters Remembrance Day, or Orange Shirt Day. This day acknowledges a tragic historical period when Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their homes and families to be placed in residential and boarding schools. Participating in this important day brings forward awareness of the stripping away of culture, freedom, and identity forced upon generations of Indigenous children. It honors the College’s core value of Resilience: “To rekindle the language, traditions, and culture of the Apache People,” embodying the survival of Indigenous people of this time while remembering those who never made it home.

By honoring this day, San Carlos Apache College affirms its deep commitment to healing, truth, and education, and to ensuring that the phrase “Every Child Matters” remains a guiding principle for the future. Through survivance, San Carlos Apache College is a testament to self-determination, providing students with quality education that is meaningful and relevant to Apache culture and community needs.