As the Pink Shirt Day movement grows across the country each year to put a stop against bullying, many students and staff at Coast Mountain College (CMTN) will be wearing a special pink t-shirt designed by a former graduate to show their support. 
 
CMTN’s Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art alumna and artist Kristen McKay was the winner of a recent Pink Shirt Day design contest held by the First Nations Access Coordinators at the College, that is now being distributed across all campuses in the region. 

McKay’s design features a digitalized “hand heart” using traditional Northwest Coast formline, which was inspired by a hand gesture often used by CMTN students at the end of virtual sessions throughout the pandemic. 

“The heart hands design felt like a wonderful homage to our students, staff and faculty who continue to persevere through the pandemic with love, kindness and grace," says First Nations Access Coordinator Jill Stephens.  
 
Stephens says amongst all their submissions for the contest, McKay's design immediately stood out to her team as the “hand heart” had become a powerful symbol throughout their virtual events. This gesture sparked from a student who would use their hands to make a heart to show support while muted. 
 
This caught on quickly and soon all student participants were showing support with "hand hearts”. This symbol became a reminder to everyone that they were not alone throughout the pandemic. 
 
For McKay, who is Ts'msyen, the “hand heart” overruled a difficult time for everyone with its clear intentions of love and connection — which also applies to the Pink Shirt Day movement to end bullying.  
 
“The last couple of years experiencing life through COVID-19 has put us in a position of virtual communication where symbols such as this have become an idol of comfort,” McKay explains.  
 
With so many parts of our lives that have transitioned to virtual landscapes, so has bullying. By showcasing the “hand heart”, it encourages everyone to remember a time when we were all in need of support. 
 
“To have this design associated with an awareness campaign as big as Pink Shirt Day, is an incredible honour,” says McKay.

The FNAC team chose the word “respect” to be a part of the design, which circles the “hand heart” in various Indigenous languages, as the word articulates what the Pink Shirt Day movement is striving to achieve. 

First Nations language holders from each of their respective nations translated the word “respect” in Tsimshian Sm’algyax, Gitxsanimx Sm’algyax, Nisga’a Sm’algyax, Wit’suwit’en, Haislakala, Hlg̱aagilda X̱aayda Kil dialects.  

This special shirt designed by McKay will be distributed to CMTN students for free throughout the rest of the month at each campus.