Tyrece Saskatchewan-Soosay is a nehiyaw nâpêw (Cree man) from Nipisihkopahk in Maskwacis, Alberta.
While in the TEP (Transitions to Employment) Program at NorQuest’s Wetaskiwin Campus, Tyrece designed the print for the Kanâcihiwak (kah-NAH-tsi-hi-wuk / they are pure) t-shirt. While not his first printable design, this was his first created specifically for a t-shirt.
His artwork seeks to remember and honour “the children and the fallen children that never got home to their loved ones” as a result of the residential school system. Tyrece encourages people to wear this shirt not just on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, but throughout the year. The message of his design is clear: children are sacred and should live free of harm.
At first, Tyrece included a red hand over the image of children playing—a powerful nod to the symbol often associated with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), representing lives interrupted and futures taken. He later changed the hand to orange to specifically reflect the legacy of residential schools, while still holding space for the shared trauma and outcomes symbolized by the red hand.
Monday to Friday
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