{
  "id": 10858568,
  "title": "Mary Louie recalls leaving residential school and why her band marks Orange Shirt Day a day early",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/mary-louie-recalls-leaving-residential-school-and-why-her-band-marks-10858568",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T04:11:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12081239/mary-louie-recalls-leaving-residential-school-and-why-her-band-marks-orange-shirt-day-a-day-early/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mary Louie, a former resident of a residential school, reflects on her harrowing experience and the significance of Orange Shirt Day for her community. When Mary was a young girl, her primary desire was to return home. She recounted her journey, which involved escaping the school under the cover of night, walking through the mountains and crossing a highway at night to reunite with her family. Despite her initial fear, Mary was determined to reach home and did not let her apprehension deter her.\n\nThe Lower Similkameen Indian Band (LSIB) held a Community Walk close to Keremeos for Truth and Reconciliation on September 29, one day before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This collective remembrance was arranged so that people could spend the actual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30, in personal reflection. Darian Ueusta-Che-Peone, who works with the band, explained that the day before was designated for a communal gathering, allowing individuals to contemplate the tragic history on the subsequent day.\n\nFor LSIB Elder Herman Edward, the residential schools took away far more than just childhoods from Indigenous families. He emphasized that the loss included their culture, language, and way of life. However, the National Day of Remembrance has also become a source of controversy, with instances of masked individuals protesting at events in Kamloops. Janet Cherbaskin, an LSIB council member, stressed that such demonstrations cannot erase the painful experiences of residential school survivors. She firmly stated, \"You can't erase history. It doesn't matter what you say and how you dress. You can be in masks and try to prove a point, but to our people, we know what the truth is.\"\n\nMary Louie's return home after the residential school was a turning point in her life. She chose to stay home and care for her younger siblings, learning valuable lessons from her grandmother. The sight of children participating in Orange Shirt Day ceremonies now carries deep significance for Mary, as she prays that parents will nurture their children with love and teach them the important values she herself learned.",
  "summary": "When Mary Louie was at Residential school she remembers wanting only one thing when she was a young girl at residential school: to get home.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Global News",
        "title": "Mary Louie recalls leaving residential school and why her band marks Orange Shirt Day a day early",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/mary-louie-recalls-leaving-residential-school-and-why-her-band-marks",
        "published": "2026-09-30T04:11:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}