Orange Shirt Day

100 years of loss. Teacher's guide : [the residential school system in Canada]


Alternate title: One hundred years of loss. This teacher's guide can be used as a stand-alone resource or with the 100 years of loss : the residential school system in Canada exhibition, developed in 2010-2011 by the Legacy of Hope Foundation.This book consists of six lesson plans, each examines an aspect of the history of the residential school system.
Date Published:2014

Aboriginal people, resilience and the residential school legacy

Stout, Madeleine Dion.


Printed from the Internet.
Date Published:2003

Aggie and Mudgy : the journey of two Kaska Dena children.

Proverbs, Wendy.


Based on the true story of the author's biological mother and aunt, this middle-grade novel traces the long and frightening journey of two Kaska Dena sisters as they are taken from their home to attend residential school. When Maddy discovers an old photograph of two little girls in her grandmother's belongings, she wants to know who they are. Nan reluctantly agrees to tell her the story, though she is unsure if Maddy is ready to hear it. The girls in the photo, Aggie and Mudgy, are two Kaska Dena sisters who lived many years ago in a remote village on the BC-Yukon border. Like countless Indigenous children, they were taken from their families at a young age to attend residential school, where they endured years of isolation and abuse. As Nan tells the story, Maddy asks many questions about Aggie and Mudgy's 1,600-kilometre journey by riverboat, mail truck, paddlewheeler, steamship, and train, from their home to Lejac Residential School in central BC. Nan patiently explains historical facts and geographical places of the story, helping Maddy understand Aggie and Mudgy's transitional world. Unlike many books on this subject, this story focuses on the journey to residential school rather than the experience of attending the school itself. It offers a glimpse into the act of being physically uprooted and transported far away from loved ones. Aggie and Mudgy captures the breakdown of family by the forces of colonialism, but also celebrates the survival and perseverance of the descendants of residential school survivors to reestablish the bonds of family.--Publisher.
Date Published:2021

Based on the true story of the author's biological mother and aunt, this middle-grade novel traces the long and frightening journey of two Kaska Dena sisters as they are taken from their home to attend residential school. When Maddy discovers an old photograph of two little girls in her grandmother's belongings, she wants to know who they are. Nan reluctantly agrees to tell her the story, though she is unsure if Maddy is ready to hear it. The girls in the photo, Aggie and Mudgy, are two Kaska Dena sisters who lived many years ago in a remote village on the BC-Yukon border. Like countless Indigenous children, they were taken from their families at a young age to attend residential school, where they endured years of isolation and abuse. As Nan tells the story, Maddy asks many questions about Aggie and Mudgy's 1,600-kilometre journey by riverboat, mail truck, paddlewheeler, steamship, and train, from their home to Lejac Residential School in central BC. Nan patiently explains historical facts and geographical places of the story, helping Maddy understand Aggie and Mudgy's transitional world. Unlike many books on this subject, this story focuses on the journey to residential school rather than the experience of attending the school itself. It offers a glimpse into the act of being physically uprooted and transported far away from loved ones. Aggie and Mudgy captures the breakdown of family by the forces of colonialism, but also celebrates the survival and perseverance of the descendants of residential school survivors to reestablish the bonds of family.--Publisher.

Date Published:2021

Back to the red road : a story of survival, redemption and love.

Kaefer, Florence.


This title is more than one man's story: it is the story of our nation and how healing can begin, one friendship, one apology at a time.
Date Published:2014

Les bas du pensionnat : une histoire vraie.

Jordan-Fenton, Christy.


Traduction de: Fatty legs. Sciences humaines 6 - F. Sciences humaines 7 - F. Sciences humaines 8 - F. Étude sur les traités 3 - IF. Étude sur les traités 4 - IF. Étude sur les traités 5 - IF. Étude sur les traités 6 - IF. Étude sur les traités 8 - IF. Étude sur les traités 10 - IF. Ce petit roman est une histoire vraie racontant des années passées à un pensionnat autochtone par une jeune fille inuite. Plusieurs sévices et formes maltraitances auxquels étaient soumis les enfants dans les pensionnats autochtones sont ici exposés. À travers le récit, les auteures dévoilent plusieurs traits de la vie quotidienne des peuples autochtone. Dans le dernier chapitre, on récapitule la vie dans les pensionnats ainsi que des pistes de guérison des désordres psychologiques engendrés par cette douloureuse expérience. Le roman a 104 pages et est enrichi par des photos du personnage principal et de ses proches.--Ministry of Education website.
Date Published:2011

Traduction de: Fatty legs. Sciences humaines 6 - F. Sciences humaines 7 - F. Sciences humaines 8 - F. Étude sur les traités 3 - IF. Étude sur les traités 4 - IF. Étude sur les traités 5 - IF. Étude sur les traités 6 - IF. Étude sur les traités 8 - IF. Étude sur les traités 10 - IF. Ce petit roman est une histoire vraie racontant des années passées à un pensionnat autochtone par une jeune fille inuite. Plusieurs sévices et formes maltraitances auxquels étaient soumis les enfants dans les pensionnats autochtones sont ici exposés. À travers le récit, les auteures dévoilent plusieurs traits de la vie quotidienne des peuples autochtone. Dans le dernier chapitre, on récapitule la vie dans les pensionnats ainsi que des pistes de guérison des désordres psychologiques engendrés par cette douloureuse expérience. Le roman a 104 pages et est enrichi par des photos du personnage principal et de ses proches.--Ministry of Education website.

Date Published:2011

Behind closed doors : stories from the Kamloops Indian Residential School.


Co-published by Theytus Books, Penticton, B.C. English language arts 10 (2011). This book features written testimonials from 32 individuals who attended the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The school was one of many infamous residential schools that operated from 1893 to 1979. .
Date Published:2006

Benevolent experiment, The : Indigenous boarding schools, genocide, and redress in the Canada and the United States.

Woolford, Andrew John.


"At the end of the nineteenth century, Indigenous boarding schools were touted as the means for solving the "Indian problem" in both Canada and the United States. With the goal of permanently transforming Indigenous young people into Europeanized colonial subjects, the schools were ultimately a means for eliminating Indigenous communities as obstacles to land acquisition, resource extraction, and nation building. Andrew Woolford analyzes the formulation of the "Indian problem" as a policy concern in the United States and Canada and examines how the "solution" of Indigenous boarding schools was implemented in Manitoba and New Mexico through complex chains that included multiple government offices, a variety of staff, Indigenous peoples, and even nonhuman factors such as poverty, disease, and space. The genocidal project inherent in these boarding schools, however, did not unfold in either nation without diversion, resistance, and unintended consequences. Because of differing historical, political, and structural influences, the two countries have arrived at two very different responses to the harms caused by assimilative education. Inspired by the signing of the 2006 Residential School Settlement Agreement in Canada, which provided a truth and reconciliation commission and compensation for survivors of residential schools, This Benevolent Experiment offers a multilayered, comparative analysis of Indigenous boarding schools in the United States and Canada."--\|cProvided by publisher.
Date Published:2015

"At the end of the nineteenth century, Indigenous boarding schools were touted as the means for solving the "Indian problem" in both Canada and the United States. With the goal of permanently transforming Indigenous young people into Europeanized colonial subjects, the schools were ultimately a means for eliminating Indigenous communities as obstacles to land acquisition, resource extraction, and nation building. Andrew Woolford analyzes the formulation of the "Indian problem" as a policy concern in the United States and Canada and examines how the "solution" of Indigenous boarding schools was implemented in Manitoba and New Mexico through complex chains that included multiple government offices, a variety of staff, Indigenous peoples, and even nonhuman factors such as poverty, disease, and space. The genocidal project inherent in these boarding schools, however, did not unfold in either nation without diversion, resistance, and unintended consequences. Because of differing historical, political, and structural influences, the two countries have arrived at two very different responses to the harms caused by assimilative education. Inspired by the signing of the 2006 Residential School Settlement Agreement in Canada, which provided a truth and reconciliation commission and compensation for survivors of residential schools, This Benevolent Experiment offers a multilayered, comparative analysis of Indigenous boarding schools in the United States and Canada."--|cProvided by publisher.

Date Published:2015

Beyond the orange shirt story

Webstad, Phyllis.


"A collection of stories from family and friends of Phyllis Webstad before, during, and after their residential school experiences."--Cover. This title is a unique collection of truths, as told by six generations of Phyllis Webstad's family that will give readers an up-close look at what life was like before, during, and after their Residential School experiences. In this book, Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors share their stories authentically and in their own words. Readers of this book will become more aware of a number of challenges faced by many Indigenous peoples in Canada. With this awareness comes learning and unlearning, understanding, acceptance, and change. Phyllis's hope is that all Canadians honour the lives and experiences of Survivors and their families as we go Beyond the Orange Shirt Story.--Publsiher.
Date Published:2021

"A collection of stories from family and friends of Phyllis Webstad before, during, and after their residential school experiences."--Cover. This title is a unique collection of truths, as told by six generations of Phyllis Webstad's family that will give readers an up-close look at what life was like before, during, and after their Residential School experiences. In this book, Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors share their stories authentically and in their own words. Readers of this book will become more aware of a number of challenges faced by many Indigenous peoples in Canada. With this awareness comes learning and unlearning, understanding, acceptance, and change. Phyllis's hope is that all Canadians honour the lives and experiences of Survivors and their families as we go Beyond the Orange Shirt Story.--Publsiher.

Date Published:2021

Beyond the rink : behind the images of residential school hockey /

Giancarlo, Alexandra,


In 1951, after winning the Thunder Bay district championship, the Sioux Lookout Black Hawks hockey team from Pelican Lake Indian Residential School embarked on a whirlwind promotional tour through Ottawa and Toronto. They were accompanied by a professional photographer from the National Film Board’s Still Photography Division, who documented the experience. The tour was intended to demonstrate the success of the residential school system to the broader Canadian public and introduce the Black Hawks to 'civilizing' activities that showed the ideals and benefits of assimilating into Canadian society. The tour left a complex legacy. For some of the boys, it was the beginning of a lifelong love of hockey. But, at the same time, playing hockey became less about the sport and more about escaping the brutal living conditions and abuse at the residential school. In Beyond the Rink, Alexandra Giancarlo, Janice Forsyth, and Braden Te Hiwi collaborate with three surviving team members—Kelly Bull, Chris Cromarty, and David Wesley—to share their stories behind the 1951 tour photos. This book recontextualizes and repatriates photos from the tour and from their everyday lives at school, bringing together Indigenous studies and visual sociology to reveal the complicated role of sports in residential school histories.--Publisher.
Date Published:2025

In 1951, after winning the Thunder Bay district championship, the Sioux Lookout Black Hawks hockey team from Pelican Lake Indian Residential School embarked on a whirlwind promotional tour through Ottawa and Toronto. They were accompanied by a professional photographer from the National Film Board’s Still Photography Division, who documented the experience. The tour was intended to demonstrate the success of the residential school system to the broader Canadian public and introduce the Black Hawks to 'civilizing' activities that showed the ideals and benefits of assimilating into Canadian society. The tour left a complex legacy. For some of the boys, it was the beginning of a lifelong love of hockey. But, at the same time, playing hockey became less about the sport and more about escaping the brutal living conditions and abuse at the residential school. In Beyond the Rink, Alexandra Giancarlo, Janice Forsyth, and Braden Te Hiwi collaborate with three surviving team members—Kelly Bull, Chris Cromarty, and David Wesley—to share their stories behind the 1951 tour photos. This book recontextualizes and repatriates photos from the tour and from their everyday lives at school, bringing together Indigenous studies and visual sociology to reveal the complicated role of sports in residential school histories.--Publisher.

Date Published:2025

Black apple : a novel.

Crate, Joan.


"Phyllis Bruce Editions." Torn from her home and delivered to St. Mark’s Residential School for Girls by government decree, young Rose Marie finds herself in an alien universe where nothing of her previous life is tolerated, not even her Blackfoot name. For she has entered into the world of the Sisters of Brotherly Love, an order of nuns dedicated to saving the Native children from damnation. Life under the sharp eye of Mother Grace, the Mother General, becomes an endless series of torments, from daily recitations and obligations to chronic sickness and inedible food. And then there are the beatings.--Publisher.
Date Published:2016

"Phyllis Bruce Editions." Torn from her home and delivered to St. Mark’s Residential School for Girls by government decree, young Rose Marie finds herself in an alien universe where nothing of her previous life is tolerated, not even her Blackfoot name. For she has entered into the world of the Sisters of Brotherly Love, an order of nuns dedicated to saving the Native children from damnation. Life under the sharp eye of Mother Grace, the Mother General, becomes an endless series of torments, from daily recitations and obligations to chronic sickness and inedible food. And then there are the beatings.--Publisher.

Date Published:2016

Boy from Buzwah, The : a life in Indian education.

King, Cecil.


Includes index. Cecil King's remarkable memoir, from humble beginnings on a reservation to his unparalleled legacy to ensure Indian Control of Indian Education in Canada. Cecil King grew up in the small settlement of Buzwah, Ontario, situated on Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve on Manitoulin Island. King shares memories of life on the reserve in the 1930s and '40s and describes his experiences attending Buzwah Indian Day School and St. Charles Garnier Residential School. But after furthering his education, King returned home to Buzwah as a teacher. He quickly became disillusioned with the Ontario curriculum and how inadequately it resonated with on-reserve youth and the realities of Indigenous life. It was then that King began his unparalleled legacy to ensure Indian Control of Indian Education in Canada. Over his sixty-year career in education, he would found the Indian Teacher Education Program at the University of Saskatchewan, become the first director of the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program at Queen's University, and develop Ojibwe language courses across North America.--Publisher.
Date Published:2022

Includes index. Cecil King's remarkable memoir, from humble beginnings on a reservation to his unparalleled legacy to ensure Indian Control of Indian Education in Canada. Cecil King grew up in the small settlement of Buzwah, Ontario, situated on Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve on Manitoulin Island. King shares memories of life on the reserve in the 1930s and '40s and describes his experiences attending Buzwah Indian Day School and St. Charles Garnier Residential School. But after furthering his education, King returned home to Buzwah as a teacher. He quickly became disillusioned with the Ontario curriculum and how inadequately it resonated with on-reserve youth and the realities of Indigenous life. It was then that King began his unparalleled legacy to ensure Indian Control of Indian Education in Canada. Over his sixty-year career in education, he would found the Indian Teacher Education Program at the University of Saskatchewan, become the first director of the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program at Queen's University, and develop Ojibwe language courses across North America.--Publisher.

Date Published:2022

Boy who walked backwards

Sures, Ben.


A children's storybook about a young Ojibway boy, Leo, and his family-centred, traditional upbringing on Serpent River First Nation. Leo's life turns to darkness when forced to attend residential school. Back home for Christmas, Leo uses inspiration from an Ojibway childhood game to remain with his loving family.--Publisher.
Date Published:2018

Broken circle : the dark legacy of Indian residential schools : a memoir.

Fontaine, Theodore.


English language arts 30 (2013). Note: The text contains profanity and accounts of abuse. Educators are advised to consult their local learning resources evaluation policy before using this resource.--Ministry of Education website. After his seventh birthday, Theodore (Ted) is removed from his family and sent to an Indian residential school. He resides at the Fort Alexander Indian Residential School and the Assiniboia Indian Residential School for the next 12 years. Ted speaks from the heart about his experiences and the impact the Indian residential school system had on his life. Starting his healing journey, Ted overcomes abandonment issues, alcoholism and self-hate. Through Ted's narrative, the reader will appreciate why generations of First Nations children and adults still suffer from this period of Canada's history.--Ministry of Education website.
Date Published:2010

English language arts 30 (2013). Note: The text contains profanity and accounts of abuse. Educators are advised to consult their local learning resources evaluation policy before using this resource.--Ministry of Education website. After his seventh birthday, Theodore (Ted) is removed from his family and sent to an Indian residential school. He resides at the Fort Alexander Indian Residential School and the Assiniboia Indian Residential School for the next 12 years. Ted speaks from the heart about his experiences and the impact the Indian residential school system had on his life. Starting his healing journey, Ted overcomes abandonment issues, alcoholism and self-hate. Through Ted's narrative, the reader will appreciate why generations of First Nations children and adults still suffer from this period of Canada's history.--Ministry of Education website.

Date Published:2010

By strength, we are still here : Indigenous peoples and Indian residential schooling in Inuvik, Northwest Territories /

Fraser, Crystal,


In this ground-breaking book, Crystal Gail Fraser draws on Gwitch'in concepts of individual and collective fortitude to illuminate student experiences in northern residential schools. Led by survivor testimony, Fraser shows how both students and their parents played a role in changing the system to protect and empower their communities.--Publisher.
Date Published:2024

Calling down the sky

Deerchild, Rosanna.


"Calling Down the Sky" is a poetry collection that describes deep personal experiences and post generational effects of the Canadian Aboriginal Residential School confinements in the 1950's when thousands of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were placed in these schools against their parents' wishes. Many were forbidden to speak their language and practice their own culture. The author portrays how the ongoing impact of the residential schools problem has been felt throughout generations and has contributed to social problems that continue to exist today.--Publisher.
Date Published:2015

"Calling Down the Sky" is a poetry collection that describes deep personal experiences and post generational effects of the Canadian Aboriginal Residential School confinements in the 1950's when thousands of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were placed in these schools against their parents' wishes. Many were forbidden to speak their language and practice their own culture. The author portrays how the ongoing impact of the residential schools problem has been felt throughout generations and has contributed to social problems that continue to exist today.--Publisher.

Date Published:2015

Canada's residential schools. Volume 1, the history, part 1, origins to 1939 : the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.


Alternate title: The history, part 1 origins to 1939. This volume places Canada’s residential school system in the historical context of European campaigns to colonize and convert Indigenous people throughout the world. In post-Confederation Canada, the government adopted what amounted to a policy of cultural genocide: suppressing spiritual practices, disrupting traditional economies, and imposing new forms of government.
Date Published:2015

Alternate title: The history, part 1 origins to 1939. This volume places Canada’s residential school system in the historical context of European campaigns to colonize and convert Indigenous people throughout the world. In post-Confederation Canada, the government adopted what amounted to a policy of cultural genocide: suppressing spiritual practices, disrupting traditional economies, and imposing new forms of government.

Date Published:2015

Canada's residential schools. Volume 6, reconciliation : the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.


Alternate title: Reconciliation. This book documents the complexities, challenges, and possibilities of reconciliation by presenting the findings of public testimonies from those who participated in the TRC's national events and community hearings.
Date Published:2015

Le chandail orange de Phyllis

Webstad, Phyllis.


Français en immersion 3 - I. Français langue première 1 - F. Français langue première 2 - F. Français langue première 3 - F. Programme d'études interdisciplinaire M (2015) - I. Programme d'études interdisciplinaire 1 (2015) - I. Programme d'études interdisciplinaire 2 (2015) - I. Étude sur les traités M - IF. Étude sur les traités 1 - IF. Étude sur les traités 2 - IF. Étude sur les traités 3 - IF. Traduction de: Phyllis's orange shirt. Lorsque Phyllis a eu six ans, elle est allée au pensionnat pour la première fois. Lors de son premier jour à l'école, elle portait une chemise orange éclatant que sa grand-mère lui avait acheté, mais quand elle est arrivée à l'école, elle lui a été enlevée et on ne lui a jamais redonné. Ce récit est l'histoire vraie de Phyllis et de sa chemise orange. C'est aussi l'histoire de la Journée du chandail orange, une importante journée pour réfléchir à l'ancien traitement des premières nations au Canada.--Ministry of Education website.
Date Published:2020

Français en immersion 3 - I. Français langue première 1 - F. Français langue première 2 - F. Français langue première 3 - F. Programme d'études interdisciplinaire M (2015) - I. Programme d'études interdisciplinaire 1 (2015) - I. Programme d'études interdisciplinaire 2 (2015) - I. Étude sur les traités M - IF. Étude sur les traités 1 - IF. Étude sur les traités 2 - IF. Étude sur les traités 3 - IF. Traduction de: Phyllis's orange shirt. Lorsque Phyllis a eu six ans, elle est allée au pensionnat pour la première fois. Lors de son premier jour à l'école, elle portait une chemise orange éclatant que sa grand-mère lui avait acheté, mais quand elle est arrivée à l'école, elle lui a été enlevée et on ne lui a jamais redonné. Ce récit est l'histoire vraie de Phyllis et de sa chemise orange. C'est aussi l'histoire de la Journée du chandail orange, une importante journée pour réfléchir à l'ancien traitement des premières nations au Canada.--Ministry of Education website.

Date Published:2020

Cinq petits Indiens : roman /

Good, Michelle,


Traduction de: Five little indians. Un roman retraçant les destins entremêlés de jeunes survivants des pensionnats autochtones au Canada : Maisie, qui semble forte, Lucy, discrète mais qui s'épanouit dans la maternité, Clara, qui s'engage dans L'American Indian movement, Kenny, qui aimerait arrêter de fuir, et Howie, condamné pour avoir battu son ancien tortionnaire.
Date Published:2023

Dad, I miss you

Sammurtok, Nadia,


Includes QR code for educational support manual, "to help children understand the themes of this book and the history of the residential school system." Told in the voice of a boy and his father by turns, this book takes a thoughtful and heartfelt look at the emotional toll of a child being taken from their family and community to attend residential school. While the child’s internal monologue expresses his fear, confusion, and loss, the father’s monologue conveys his own sadness, fears, and hopes for the future of his child. The narrative gives voice to the things left unsaid between a parent and child experiencing this heart-rending separation. Upon his return to his community, when father and son are reunited, they must start the long process of reconnection. Based on the author’s family history of residential school separation, this book provides a unique perspective on the difficult cycle of loss, reconnection, and regaining hope for the future.--Publisher.
Date Published:2024

Includes QR code for educational support manual, "to help children understand the themes of this book and the history of the residential school system." Told in the voice of a boy and his father by turns, this book takes a thoughtful and heartfelt look at the emotional toll of a child being taken from their family and community to attend residential school. While the child’s internal monologue expresses his fear, confusion, and loss, the father’s monologue conveys his own sadness, fears, and hopes for the future of his child. The narrative gives voice to the things left unsaid between a parent and child experiencing this heart-rending separation. Upon his return to his community, when father and son are reunited, they must start the long process of reconnection. Based on the author’s family history of residential school separation, this book provides a unique perspective on the difficult cycle of loss, reconnection, and regaining hope for the future.--Publisher.

Date Published:2024

Decolonization and me : conversations about healing a nation and ourselves /

McLeod, Kristy,


This book invites readers to step into a space of reflection on your personal relationship with truth, reconciliation, and Orange Shirt Day. Written in response to the increase of residential school denialism, Phyllis Webstad and Kristy McLeod have collaborated to create a book that encourages readers to face their own biases. This book challenges readers through a series of sensitive conversations that explore decolonization, Indigenization, healing, and every person's individual responsibility to truth and reconciliation. Centered around the Orange Shirt Day movement, and a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, these conversations encourage readers to unpack and reckon with denialism, biases, privilege, and the journey forward, on both a personal and national level. Within each chapter, Phyllis Webstad draws on her decade of experience (sharing her Orange Shirt Story on a global level and advocating for the rights of Indigenous Peoples) to offer insights on these topics and stories from her personal journey, which co-author and Métis scholar, Kristy McLeod, helps readers to further navigate. Each section includes real denialist comments taken from social media and Kristy's analysis and response to them. Through empathy-driven truth-telling, this book offers an opportunity to witness, reflect, heal, and be intentional about the seeds we hope to plant for the future, together.--Publisher.
Date Published:2025

This book invites readers to step into a space of reflection on your personal relationship with truth, reconciliation, and Orange Shirt Day. Written in response to the increase of residential school denialism, Phyllis Webstad and Kristy McLeod have collaborated to create a book that encourages readers to face their own biases. This book challenges readers through a series of sensitive conversations that explore decolonization, Indigenization, healing, and every person's individual responsibility to truth and reconciliation. Centered around the Orange Shirt Day movement, and a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, these conversations encourage readers to unpack and reckon with denialism, biases, privilege, and the journey forward, on both a personal and national level. Within each chapter, Phyllis Webstad draws on her decade of experience (sharing her Orange Shirt Story on a global level and advocating for the rights of Indigenous Peoples) to offer insights on these topics and stories from her personal journey, which co-author and Métis scholar, Kristy McLeod, helps readers to further navigate. Each section includes real denialist comments taken from social media and Kristy's analysis and response to them. Through empathy-driven truth-telling, this book offers an opportunity to witness, reflect, heal, and be intentional about the seeds we hope to plant for the future, together.--Publisher.

Date Published:2025

Derrière l'histoire du chandail orange

Webstad, Phyllis.


"Un recueil de témoignages livrés par les proches de Phyllis Webstad racontant leur vie avant, pendant et après leurs expériences dans les pensionnats autochtones"--Cover. Traduction de: Beyond the orange shirt story. Derrière l’histoire du chandail orange est un recueil unique en son genre rassemblant les témoignages de Phyllis Webstad et de ses proches. Les lecteurs auront l’occasion d’y prendre intimement connaissance de la vie avant, pendant et après le pensionnat. Dans ce livre, les Survivants et les Survivants intergénérationnels partagent avec nous leurs récits de façon authentique, dans leurs propres mots. Phyllis Webstad est une Survivante des pensionnats et la fondatrice du mouvement de la Journée du chandail orange. Phyllis a sélectionné ces récits avec soin pour permettre aux Canadiens de s’éduquer et de mieux comprendre les effets dévastateurs du système des pensionnats. Ceux et celles qui liront ce livre seront sensibilisés aux nombreux défis auxquels font face bien des peuples autochtones du Canada. Cette prise de conscience s’accompagnera d’un apprentissage et d’un désapprentissage, d’une compréhension et d’une acceptation, qui mèneront à leur tour au changement. Phyllis espère que tous les Canadiens honoreront les vies et les expériences des Survivants et de leurs familles en découvrant ce qui se trouve Derrière l’histoire du chandail orange.--Publisher.
Date Published:2022

"Un recueil de témoignages livrés par les proches de Phyllis Webstad racontant leur vie avant, pendant et après leurs expériences dans les pensionnats autochtones"--Cover. Traduction de: Beyond the orange shirt story. Derrière l’histoire du chandail orange est un recueil unique en son genre rassemblant les témoignages de Phyllis Webstad et de ses proches. Les lecteurs auront l’occasion d’y prendre intimement connaissance de la vie avant, pendant et après le pensionnat. Dans ce livre, les Survivants et les Survivants intergénérationnels partagent avec nous leurs récits de façon authentique, dans leurs propres mots. Phyllis Webstad est une Survivante des pensionnats et la fondatrice du mouvement de la Journée du chandail orange. Phyllis a sélectionné ces récits avec soin pour permettre aux Canadiens de s’éduquer et de mieux comprendre les effets dévastateurs du système des pensionnats. Ceux et celles qui liront ce livre seront sensibilisés aux nombreux défis auxquels font face bien des peuples autochtones du Canada. Cette prise de conscience s’accompagnera d’un apprentissage et d’un désapprentissage, d’une compréhension et d’une acceptation, qui mèneront à leur tour au changement. Phyllis espère que tous les Canadiens honoreront les vies et les expériences des Survivants et de leurs familles en découvrant ce qui se trouve Derrière l’histoire du chandail orange.--Publisher.

Date Published:2022

Did you see us? : reunion, remembrance, and reclamation at an urban Indian residential school


The Assiniboia school is unique within Canada’s Indian Residential School system. It was the first residential high school in Manitoba and one of the only residential schools in Canada to be located in a large urban setting. Operating between 1958 and 1973 in a period when the residential school system was in decline, it produced several future leaders, artists, educators, knowledge keepers, and other notable figures. It was in many ways an experiment within the broader destructive framework of Canadian residential schools. Stitching together memories of arrival at, day-to-day life within, and departure from the school with a socio-historical reconstruction of the school and its position in both Winnipeg and the larger residential school system, Did You See Us? offers a glimpse of Assiniboia that is not available in the archival records. It connects readers with a specific residential school and illustrates that residential schools were often complex spaces where forced assimilation and Indigenous resilience co-existed. These recollections of Assiniboia at times diverge, but together exhibit Survivor resilience and the strength of the relationships that bond them to this day. The volume captures the troubled history of residential schools. At the same time, it invites the reader to join in a reunion of sorts, entered into through memories and images of students, staff, and neighbours. It is a gathering of diverse knowledges juxtaposed to communicate the complexity of the residential school experience.--Publisher.
Date Published:2021

The Assiniboia school is unique within Canada’s Indian Residential School system. It was the first residential high school in Manitoba and one of the only residential schools in Canada to be located in a large urban setting. Operating between 1958 and 1973 in a period when the residential school system was in decline, it produced several future leaders, artists, educators, knowledge keepers, and other notable figures. It was in many ways an experiment within the broader destructive framework of Canadian residential schools. Stitching together memories of arrival at, day-to-day life within, and departure from the school with a socio-historical reconstruction of the school and its position in both Winnipeg and the larger residential school system, Did You See Us? offers a glimpse of Assiniboia that is not available in the archival records. It connects readers with a specific residential school and illustrates that residential schools were often complex spaces where forced assimilation and Indigenous resilience co-existed. These recollections of Assiniboia at times diverge, but together exhibit Survivor resilience and the strength of the relationships that bond them to this day. The volume captures the troubled history of residential schools. At the same time, it invites the reader to join in a reunion of sorts, entered into through memories and images of students, staff, and neighbours. It is a gathering of diverse knowledges juxtaposed to communicate the complexity of the residential school experience.--Publisher.

Date Published:2021

The education of Augie Merasty : a residential school memoir

Merasty, Joseph Auguste.


English language arts 10 (2011). English language arts 20 (2012). English language arts 30 (2013). Treaty Education 10. Notes: This text contains profanity and offensive language as well as descriptions of physical and sexual abuse. Educators are advised to consult their local learning resources evaluation policy before using this resource.--Ministry of Education website. This courageous and intimate memoir is the story of a child who faced the dark heart of humanity, let loose by the cruel policies of a bigoted nation. As Augie recounts, these schools did more than attempt to mould children in the ways of white society. They were taught to be ashamed of their heritage and, as he experienced, often suffered physical and sexual abuse. This resource discusses topics such as homelessness, residential schools, racism, faith, and traditional ways.--Ministry of Education website.
Date Published:2015

English language arts 10 (2011). English language arts 20 (2012). English language arts 30 (2013). Treaty Education 10. Notes: This text contains profanity and offensive language as well as descriptions of physical and sexual abuse. Educators are advised to consult their local learning resources evaluation policy before using this resource.--Ministry of Education website. This courageous and intimate memoir is the story of a child who faced the dark heart of humanity, let loose by the cruel policies of a bigoted nation. As Augie recounts, these schools did more than attempt to mould children in the ways of white society. They were taught to be ashamed of their heritage and, as he experienced, often suffered physical and sexual abuse. This resource discusses topics such as homelessness, residential schools, racism, faith, and traditional ways.--Ministry of Education website.

Date Published:2015

Ends/begins

Robertson, David,


English language arts 10 (2011). This book tells the story of Edwin's father and his residential school experience.
Date Published:2010

Every child matters

Webstad, Phyllis.


Learn the meaning behind the phrase, 'Every Child Matters.' Orange Shirt Day founder, Phyllis Webstad, offers insights into this heartfelt movement. Every Child Matters honours the history and resiliency of Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island and moves us all forward on a path toward Truth and Reconciliation. If you're a Residential School Survivor or an Intergenerational Survivor -- you matter. For the children who didn't make it home -- you matter. The child inside every one of us matters. Every Child Matters.--Publisher.
Date Published:2023

Learn the meaning behind the phrase, 'Every Child Matters.' Orange Shirt Day founder, Phyllis Webstad, offers insights into this heartfelt movement. Every Child Matters honours the history and resiliency of Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island and moves us all forward on a path toward Truth and Reconciliation. If you're a Residential School Survivor or an Intergenerational Survivor -- you matter. For the children who didn't make it home -- you matter. The child inside every one of us matters. Every Child Matters.--Publisher.

Date Published:2023

Final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Volume one : summary : honouring the truth, reconciling for the future.


This is the summary of the final report of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its six-year investigation of the residential school system for Native youth and the legacy of these schools. This summary volume includes the history of residential schools, the legacy of that school system, and the full text of the Commission's 94 recommendations for action to address that legacy.
Date Published:2015

Finding my talk : how fourteen Native women reclaimed their lives after residential school.

Grant, Agnes.


History 30. Native Studies 30. Finding My Talk contains the stories of 14 Aboriginal women who attended residential schools or whose lives were affected by them. Each women describes the obstacles she overcame to reconnect with her culture and to become a strong, independent Canadian.--Ministry of Education website.
Date Published:2004

The fire still burns : life in and after residential schools /

George, Sam (Samuel James),


Includes a reader's guide. 'My name is Sam George. In spite of everything that happened to me, by the grace of the Creator, I have lived to be an Elder.' The crimes carried out at St. Paul's Indian Residential School in North Vancouver scarred untold numbers of Indigenous children and families across generations. Sam George was one of these children. This candid account follows Sam from his idyllic childhood growing up on the Eslhá7an (Mission) reserve to St. Paul's, where he weathered physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. He spent much of his life navigating the effects of this trauma - prison, addiction, and challenging relationships - until he found the strength to face his past. Now an Elder and educator with the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, this is Sam's harrowing story, in his own words. An ember of Sam's spirit always burned within him, and even in the darkest of places he retained his humour and dignity. The Fire Still Burns is an unflinching look at the horrors of a childhood in the Indian Residential School system and the long-term effects on survivors. It illustrates the healing power of one's culture and the resilience that allows an individual to rebuild a life and a future.--Publisher.
Date Published:2023

Includes a reader's guide. 'My name is Sam George. In spite of everything that happened to me, by the grace of the Creator, I have lived to be an Elder.' The crimes carried out at St. Paul's Indian Residential School in North Vancouver scarred untold numbers of Indigenous children and families across generations. Sam George was one of these children. This candid account follows Sam from his idyllic childhood growing up on the Eslhá7an (Mission) reserve to St. Paul's, where he weathered physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. He spent much of his life navigating the effects of this trauma - prison, addiction, and challenging relationships - until he found the strength to face his past. Now an Elder and educator with the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, this is Sam's harrowing story, in his own words. An ember of Sam's spirit always burned within him, and even in the darkest of places he retained his humour and dignity. The Fire Still Burns is an unflinching look at the horrors of a childhood in the Indian Residential School system and the long-term effects on survivors. It illustrates the healing power of one's culture and the resilience that allows an individual to rebuild a life and a future.--Publisher.

Date Published:2023

Fragments of truth : residential schools and the challenge of reconciliation in Canada.

Angel, Naomi.


Fragments of Truth is Naomi Angel's analysis of the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was established in 2008 to document the abuses of the Indian residential school system and to provide opportunities of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Focusing on visual media, this book examines how the Commission, itself a fraught project, served as a vehicle through which memory, trauma, and visuality were able to surface in often startling ways. Angel explores how archival images of the residential schools produced by the Canadian government have been reclaimed by Indigenous communities, thereby pointing to the unstable and shifting nature of what documentation of abuse signifies. The Commission thus offers a unique optic through which to survey the long history of colonial oppression of First Nations populations.--Publisher.
Date Published:2022

Fragments of Truth is Naomi Angel's analysis of the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was established in 2008 to document the abuses of the Indian residential school system and to provide opportunities of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Focusing on visual media, this book examines how the Commission, itself a fraught project, served as a vehicle through which memory, trauma, and visuality were able to surface in often startling ways. Angel explores how archival images of the residential schools produced by the Canadian government have been reclaimed by Indigenous communities, thereby pointing to the unstable and shifting nature of what documentation of abuse signifies. The Commission thus offers a unique optic through which to survey the long history of colonial oppression of First Nations populations.--Publisher.

Date Published:2022

From apology to reconciliation. A guide for Grade 9 and 11 Social Studies teachers in Manitoba : residential school survivors.


DVD. DVD running time: 2:45:25.
Date Published:2013

From this window

Burton, Wilfred.


"From This Window is the story of a Michif girl who went to residential school. She lived across the road from the school but couldn't go home to visit her family. What would it be like to live so close, yet so far away? From this seed of an idea came this fictional story based on factual information from Métis/Michif residential school survivors."--Foreward.
Date Published:2022

Genocidal love : a life after residential school.

Fox, Bevann.


Previously published under title: Abstract love. A residential school survivor's complicated path toward healing and love. Genocidal Love delves into the long-term effects of childhood trauma on those who attended residential school and demonstrates the power of story to help in recovery and healing. Presenting herself as 'Myrtle, ' Bevann Fox recounts her early childhood filled with love and warmth on the First Nation reservation with her grandparents. At the age of seven she was sent to residential school, and her horrific experiences of abuse there left her without a voice, timid and nervous, never sure, never trusting, and always searching. This is the story of Myrtle battling to recover her voice. This is the story of her courage and resilience throughout the arduous process required to make a claim for compensation for the abuse she experienced at residential school--a process that turned out to be yet another trauma at the hands of the colonial power. This is the story of one woman finally standing up to the painful truth of her past and moving beyond it for the sake of her children and grandchildren. In recounting her tumultuous life, Fox weaves truth and fiction together as a means of bringing clarity to the complex emotions and situations she faced as she walked her path toward healing.--Publisher.
Date Published:2020

Previously published under title: Abstract love. A residential school survivor's complicated path toward healing and love. Genocidal Love delves into the long-term effects of childhood trauma on those who attended residential school and demonstrates the power of story to help in recovery and healing. Presenting herself as 'Myrtle, ' Bevann Fox recounts her early childhood filled with love and warmth on the First Nation reservation with her grandparents. At the age of seven she was sent to residential school, and her horrific experiences of abuse there left her without a voice, timid and nervous, never sure, never trusting, and always searching. This is the story of Myrtle battling to recover her voice. This is the story of her courage and resilience throughout the arduous process required to make a claim for compensation for the abuse she experienced at residential school--a process that turned out to be yet another trauma at the hands of the colonial power. This is the story of one woman finally standing up to the painful truth of her past and moving beyond it for the sake of her children and grandchildren. In recounting her tumultuous life, Fox weaves truth and fiction together as a means of bringing clarity to the complex emotions and situations she faced as she walked her path toward healing.--Publisher.

Date Published:2020

God and the Indian : a play.

Taylor, Drew Hayden.


A play. English language arts 10 (2011). English language arts 20 (2012). English language arts 30 (2013). While panhandling outside a coffee shop, Johnny, a Cree woman, is shocked to recognize a face from her childhood - one that was spent in a residential school. Desperate to hear him acknowledge the terrible abuse inflicted on her and other children at the school, Johnny follows Anglican Assistant Bishop George King to his office to confront him.--Ministry of Education website.
Date Published:2014

A play. English language arts 10 (2011). English language arts 20 (2012). English language arts 30 (2013). While panhandling outside a coffee shop, Johnny, a Cree woman, is shocked to recognize a face from her childhood - one that was spent in a residential school. Desperate to hear him acknowledge the terrible abuse inflicted on her and other children at the school, Johnny follows Anglican Assistant Bishop George King to his office to confront him.--Ministry of Education website.

Date Published:2014

I am not a number

Dupuis, Jenny Kay.


When eight-year-old Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school she is confused, frightened and homesick. She tries to remember who she is and where she came from despite the efforts of the nuns to force her to do otherwise. A picture book based on the life of Jenny Kay Dupuis' own grandmother, I Am Not a Number brings a terrible part of Canada's history to light in a way that children can learn from and relate to.--Publisher.
Date Published:2016

When eight-year-old Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school she is confused, frightened and homesick. She tries to remember who she is and where she came from despite the efforts of the nuns to force her to do otherwise. A picture book based on the life of Jenny Kay Dupuis' own grandmother, I Am Not a Number brings a terrible part of Canada's history to light in a way that children can learn from and relate to.--Publisher.

Date Published:2016

I lost my talk

Joe, Rita.


Poem. One of Rita Joe's most influential poems, "I Lost My Talk" tells the revered Mi'kmaw Elder's childhood story of losing her language while a resident of the residential school in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. An often quoted piece in this era of truth and reconciliation, Joe's powerful words explore and celebrate the survival of Mi'kmaw culture and language despite its attempted eradication. A companion book to the simultaneously published I'm Finding My Talk by Rebecca Thomas, I Lost My Talk is a necessary reminder of a dark chapter in Canada's history, a powerful reading experience, and an effective teaching tool for young readers of all cultures and backgrounds. Includes a biography of Rita Joe and striking colour illustrations by Mi'kmaw artist Pauline Young.--Publisher.
Date Published:2019

Poem. One of Rita Joe's most influential poems, "I Lost My Talk" tells the revered Mi'kmaw Elder's childhood story of losing her language while a resident of the residential school in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. An often quoted piece in this era of truth and reconciliation, Joe's powerful words explore and celebrate the survival of Mi'kmaw culture and language despite its attempted eradication. A companion book to the simultaneously published I'm Finding My Talk by Rebecca Thomas, I Lost My Talk is a necessary reminder of a dark chapter in Canada's history, a powerful reading experience, and an effective teaching tool for young readers of all cultures and backgrounds. Includes a biography of Rita Joe and striking colour illustrations by Mi'kmaw artist Pauline Young.--Publisher.

Date Published:2019

I'm finding my talk

Thomas, Rebecca.


Poem. A response to Rita Joe's iconic poem "I Lost My Talk," and published simultaneously with the new children's book edition illustrated by Pauline Young, comes a companion picture book by award-winning spoken-word artist and Mi'kmaw activist Rebecca Thomas. A second-generation residential school survivor, Thomas writes this response poem openly and honestly, reflecting on the process of working through the destructive effects of colonialism. From sewing regalia to dancing at powow to learning traditional language, I'm Finding My Talk is about rediscovering her community, and finding culture. Features stunning, vibrant illustrations by Mi'kmaw artist Pauline Young.--Publisher.
Date Published:2019

Poem. A response to Rita Joe's iconic poem "I Lost My Talk," and published simultaneously with the new children's book edition illustrated by Pauline Young, comes a companion picture book by award-winning spoken-word artist and Mi'kmaw activist Rebecca Thomas. A second-generation residential school survivor, Thomas writes this response poem openly and honestly, reflecting on the process of working through the destructive effects of colonialism. From sewing regalia to dancing at powow to learning traditional language, I'm Finding My Talk is about rediscovering her community, and finding culture. Features stunning, vibrant illustrations by Mi'kmaw artist Pauline Young.--Publisher.

Date Published:2019

Indian act : residential school plays


Contents: Titles: Minnie after the mush hole: a dialogue / Daniel David Moses -- Grow up already / Donna-Michelle St. Bernard -- "Indian" with an excerpt from Salt Baby / Falen Johnson -- Nôhkom / Michael Greyeyes -- Bunk #7 / Larry Guno -- They know not what they do / Tara Beagan -- God and the Indian / Drew Hayden Taylor -- A very polite genocide, or The girl who fell to earth / Melanie J. Murray -- kihēw / Curtis Peeteetuce -- Dear Mr. Buchwald / Yvette Nolan. Plays. Indian Act is a tribute and thank you to those who survived the Indian Residential School system so that future generations could be free to pursue their lives unhindered by educationally enforced lowered expectations and institutionalized abuse. Seven plays by contemporary First Nations and Metis playwrights cover the broad scope of residential school experiences, all kinds of characters, and no stereotypes, giving voice to those who could not be heard.--Publisher.
Date Published:2018

Contents: Titles: Minnie after the mush hole: a dialogue / Daniel David Moses -- Grow up already / Donna-Michelle St. Bernard -- "Indian" with an excerpt from Salt Baby / Falen Johnson -- Nôhkom / Michael Greyeyes -- Bunk #7 / Larry Guno -- They know not what they do / Tara Beagan -- God and the Indian / Drew Hayden Taylor -- A very polite genocide, or The girl who fell to earth / Melanie J. Murray -- kihēw / Curtis Peeteetuce -- Dear Mr. Buchwald / Yvette Nolan. Plays. Indian Act is a tribute and thank you to those who survived the Indian Residential School system so that future generations could be free to pursue their lives unhindered by educationally enforced lowered expectations and institutionalized abuse. Seven plays by contemporary First Nations and Metis playwrights cover the broad scope of residential school experiences, all kinds of characters, and no stereotypes, giving voice to those who could not be heard.--Publisher.

Date Published:2018

Little butterfly girl : an Indian residential school story.

Restoule-Mallozzi, Jenny.


This book portrays the fictional story of a little girl who attended Indian residential school by presenting what her life was like before, during, and after attending Indian residential school.
Date Published:2013

Les mots qu'il me reste : Violette Pesheens, pensionnaire à l'école résidentielle.

Slipperjack, Ruby.


"Nord de l'Ontario, 1966"--Cover. Traduction de: These are my words. Violet Pesheens struggles to adjust to her new life at residential school. She fears forgetting the things she treasures most, such as her traditional customs and Anishnabe language.--Publisher.
Date Published:2016

Moving beyond : understanding the impacts of residential school.

Stonefish, Brent,


This book focuses on the intergenerational impacts that exist today from the residential school system.
Date Published:2007

Muinji'j asks why : the story of the Mi'kmaq and the Shubenacadie Residential School.

MacEachern, Muinji'j.


The story of the Mi’kmaw people is one that very few truly know, Ladybug. Even fewer understand what happened at the residential schools. It is a hard story to tell, but you must know the truth. Sit and I will tell you the story.' When seven-year-old Muinji’j comes home from school one day, her Nana and Papa can tell right away that she’s upset. Her teacher has been speaking about the residential schools. Unlike most of her fellow students, Muinji’j has always known about the residential schools. But what she doesn’t understand is why the schools existed and why children would have died there. Nana and Papa take Muinji’j aside and tell her the whole story, from the beginning. They help her understand all of the decisions that were made for the Mi’kmaq, not with the Mi’kmaq, and how those decisions hurt her people. They tell her the story of her people before their traditional ways were made illegal, before they were separated and sent to reservations, before their words, their beliefs, and eventually, their children, were taken from them.--Publisher.
Date Published:2022

The story of the Mi’kmaw people is one that very few truly know, Ladybug. Even fewer understand what happened at the residential schools. It is a hard story to tell, but you must know the truth. Sit and I will tell you the story.' When seven-year-old Muinji’j comes home from school one day, her Nana and Papa can tell right away that she’s upset. Her teacher has been speaking about the residential schools. Unlike most of her fellow students, Muinji’j has always known about the residential schools. But what she doesn’t understand is why the schools existed and why children would have died there. Nana and Papa take Muinji’j aside and tell her the whole story, from the beginning. They help her understand all of the decisions that were made for the Mi’kmaq, not with the Mi’kmaq, and how those decisions hurt her people. They tell her the story of her people before their traditional ways were made illegal, before they were separated and sent to reservations, before their words, their beliefs, and eventually, their children, were taken from them.--Publisher.

Date Published:2022

My name is Seepeetza

Sterling, Shirley.


Her name was Seepeetza when she was at home with her family. But now that she's living at the Indian residential school her name is Martha Stone, and everything else about her life has changed as well. Told in the honest voice of a sixth grader, this is the story of a young Native girl forced to live in a world governed by strict nuns, arbitrary rules, and a policy against talking in her own dialect, even with her family. Seepeetza finds bright spots, but most of all she looks forward to summers and holidays at home.--Publisher.
Date Published:1992

Her name was Seepeetza when she was at home with her family. But now that she's living at the Indian residential school her name is Martha Stone, and everything else about her life has changed as well. Told in the honest voice of a sixth grader, this is the story of a young Native girl forced to live in a world governed by strict nuns, arbitrary rules, and a policy against talking in her own dialect, even with her family. Seepeetza finds bright spots, but most of all she looks forward to summers and holidays at home.--Publisher.

Date Published:1992

No time to say goodbye : children's stories of the Kuper Island Residential School.

Olsen, Sylvia.


English language arts grade 9 (2009). This novel is the fictional story of five young people from the Tsartlip First Nations who were sent to the Kuper Island Residential School. The government and the churches took children from their homes for long periods of time, during which they were not permitted to see their families. The authors try to deal with some of the abuses that occurred such as mandatory haircuts, sexual abuse, poor food, loneliness and humiliation over bedwetting. Readers witness the struggle of the students to survive in such a harsh culture.--Ministry of Education website. .
Date Published:2001

English language arts grade 9 (2009). This novel is the fictional story of five young people from the Tsartlip First Nations who were sent to the Kuper Island Residential School. The government and the churches took children from their homes for long periods of time, during which they were not permitted to see their families. The authors try to deal with some of the abuses that occurred such as mandatory haircuts, sexual abuse, poor food, loneliness and humiliation over bedwetting. Readers witness the struggle of the students to survive in such a harsh culture.--Ministry of Education website. .

Date Published:2001

Orange shirt day : every child matters.

Webstad, Phyllis.


Cover title. A special abridged version of the award-winning book, Orange Shirt Day: September 30th. Orange Shirt Day, observed annually on September 30th, is also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is an official day to honour Residential School Survivors and their families, and to remember the children who did not come home. What was initially envisioned as a way to keep the conversations going about all aspects of Residential Schools in Williams Lake and the Cariboo Region of British Columbia, Canada, has now expanded into a movement across Turtle Island and beyond. Orange Shirt Day: September 30th aims to create champions who will walk a path of reconciliation and promote the message that 'Every Child Matters'. This award-winning book explores a number of important topics including the historical, generational, and continual impacts of Residential Schools on Indigenous Peoples, the journey of the Orange Shirt Day movement, and how you can effectively participate in the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. With end-of-chapter reflection questions and a series of student art submissions, readers are guided to explore how they, and others, view and participate in Residential School reconciliation.--Publisher.
Date Published:2023

Cover title. A special abridged version of the award-winning book, Orange Shirt Day: September 30th. Orange Shirt Day, observed annually on September 30th, is also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is an official day to honour Residential School Survivors and their families, and to remember the children who did not come home. What was initially envisioned as a way to keep the conversations going about all aspects of Residential Schools in Williams Lake and the Cariboo Region of British Columbia, Canada, has now expanded into a movement across Turtle Island and beyond. Orange Shirt Day: September 30th aims to create champions who will walk a path of reconciliation and promote the message that 'Every Child Matters'. This award-winning book explores a number of important topics including the historical, generational, and continual impacts of Residential Schools on Indigenous Peoples, the journey of the Orange Shirt Day movement, and how you can effectively participate in the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. With end-of-chapter reflection questions and a series of student art submissions, readers are guided to explore how they, and others, view and participate in Residential School reconciliation.--Publisher.

Date Published:2023

Orange shirt story, The

Webstad, Phyllis.


When Phyllis Webstad (nee Jack) turned six, she went to the residential school for the first time. On her first day at school, she wore a shiny orange shirt that her Granny had bought for her, but when she got to the school, it was taken away from her and never returned. This is the true story of Phyllis and her orange shirt. It is also the story of Orange Shirt Day (an important day of remembrance for First Nations and non First Nations Canadians).--Publisher's website.
Date Published:2018

When Phyllis Webstad (nee Jack) turned six, she went to the residential school for the first time. On her first day at school, she wore a shiny orange shirt that her Granny had bought for her, but when she got to the school, it was taken away from her and never returned. This is the true story of Phyllis and her orange shirt. It is also the story of Orange Shirt Day (an important day of remembrance for First Nations and non First Nations Canadians).--Publisher's website.

Date Published:2018

Phyllis's orange shirt

Webstad, Phyllis.


When Phyllis Webstad (nee Jack) turned six, she went to the residential school for the first time. On her first day at school, she wore a shiny orange shirt that her Granny had bought for her, but when she got to the school, it was taken away from her and never returned. This is the true story of Phyllis and her orange shirt. It is also the story of Orange Shirt Day (an important day of remembrance for First Nations and non First Nations Canadians).--Publisher's website.
Date Published:2019

Date Published:2019

Red wolf

Dance, Jennifer.


English language arts 10 (2011). Note: This novel contains scenes of child abuse. Educators are advised to consult their local learning resources evaluation policy before using this resource.--Ministry of Education website. In the late 1800s, an Anishnaabe boy named Red Wolf is forced to attend a residential school far away from home, where he is given a new name and made to change his appearance. An orphaned timber wolf named Crooked Ear that Red Wolf has befriended is left behind, just as settlers have placed a bounty on wolves. When fate reunites the pair, they embark on a perilous journey home, where Red Wolf struggles with his identity and begins to adjust to life after his residential school experience.--Ministry of Education website.
Date Published:2014

English language arts 10 (2011). Note: This novel contains scenes of child abuse. Educators are advised to consult their local learning resources evaluation policy before using this resource.--Ministry of Education website. In the late 1800s, an Anishnaabe boy named Red Wolf is forced to attend a residential school far away from home, where he is given a new name and made to change his appearance. An orphaned timber wolf named Crooked Ear that Red Wolf has befriended is left behind, just as settlers have placed a bounty on wolves. When fate reunites the pair, they embark on a perilous journey home, where Red Wolf struggles with his identity and begins to adjust to life after his residential school experience.--Ministry of Education website.

Date Published:2014

Reflections from them days : a residential school memoir from Nunatsiavut.

Winters, Nellie.


When Nellie Winters was 11 years old, she was sent to attend the Nain Boarding School, a residential school 400 kilometres from her home. In this memoir, she recalls life before residential school, her experiences at the school, and what it was like to come home. Accompanied by the author's original illustrations, this moving, often funny memoir sheds light on the experiences of Inuit residential school survivors in Labrador.--Publisher.
Date Published:2020

When Nellie Winters was 11 years old, she was sent to attend the Nain Boarding School, a residential school 400 kilometres from her home. In this memoir, she recalls life before residential school, her experiences at the school, and what it was like to come home. Accompanied by the author's original illustrations, this moving, often funny memoir sheds light on the experiences of Inuit residential school survivors in Labrador.--Publisher.

Date Published:2020

Residential schools

Hudak, Heather C.


Discusses the history of residential schools, including why the government established them, how Indigenous children were treated, and the lasting impact on Indigenous cultures and traditions.--Publisher.
Date Published:2020

Returning home [DVD]


DVD. CGE035. Distributed by McIntyre Media. The film follows Orange Shirt Day founder Phyllis Jack-Webstad on a cross-Canada tour as her family struggles to heal from multigenerational trauma. She explores how the federal fishing moratorium is tearing at the very fabric of Secwépemc communities and traditions.--Publisher.
Date Published:2021

Scarf and the butterfly, The : a graphic memoir of hope and healing.

Ittusardjuat, Monica.

In this visceral graphic memoir, Monica Ittusardjuat brings readers with her from residential school classrooms to government apologies on her journey to rediscovering what it means to be Inuk. Born prematurely in an iglu on Baffin Island, Monica attended three residential schools over 11 years. She details her resulting struggles with addiction, mental health, and domestic violence, which haunted her into adulthood. Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, Monica’s memoir is a testimony to the lasting impacts of residential schools and one woman’s fight to reclaim what she lost.--Publisher.

Date Published:2023

Secret path [CD] : for Chanie Wenjack.

Downie, Gord.

Contains 10 selections. The stranger (5:32) -- Swing set (3:20) -- Seven matches (3:31) -- I will not be struck (4:02) -- Son (3:17) -- Secret path (4:12) -- Don't let this touch you (5:05) -- Haunt them, haunt them, haunt them (5:02) -- The only place to be (2:55) -- Here, here and here (4:11). Title from cover. Performed by Gord Downie. Produced by Kevin Drew and Dave Hamelin. Compact disc. Gord Downie, lead singer for the Tragically Hip, creates a concept album that tells the true story of Chanie Wenjack, an indigenous boy who died 50 years ago escaping from Canada's residential schools.

Date Published:2016

Secret pocket, The

Janicki, Peggy.


This illustrated nonfiction picture book tells the true story of how a group of girls at a residential school sewed secret pockets into their clothes to hide food.--Publisher.
Date Published:2023

Shi-shi-etko

Campbell, Nicola I.

English language arts grade 1 (2010). English language arts grade 2 (2010). English language arts grade 3 (2010). Health education grade 2 (2010). Health education grade 3 (2010). Treaty Education grade 1. Treaty Education grade 2. Treaty Education grade 3. Note: Teachers will need to provide a historical context about residential schools and the impact on First Nations people.--Ministry of Education website. . In four days, Shi-shi-etko leaves for residential school. Before she leaves, Shi-shi-etko's mother, father and Yayah share teachings they want her to remember. Shi-shi-etko learns to treasure the world that surrounds her. Yaya gives Shi-shi-etko a small bag made from deer hide and sinew. She tells Shi-shi-etko that the bag is to store memories. Shi-shi-etko carefully collects berries, roots and flowers for her bag of memories. When the truck arrives to pick up Shi-shi-etko, she goes to a giant fir tree, offers tobacco and tucks the memory bag inside its roots. The book was selected as co-winner for the 2006 Aboriginal Children's Book of the Year, Ânskohk Aboriginal Literary Festival.--Ministry of Education website.

Date Published:2005

St. Michael's Residential School : lament and legacy /

Dyson, Nancy, 1948-,


It is an account of two people working at a Residential School on northern Vancouver Island and writing about the terrible conditions they witnessed at the school.--Publisher.
Date Published:2021

Stolen, season 2. Surviving St. Michael's, episode 1 [electronic resource] : the police officer and the priest.

Walker, Connie.

Made available through: Gimlet Media. Mode of access: World Wide Web. Online resource; Title from title screen (viewed May 5, 2023). One night back in the late 1970s, an officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police pulled over a suspected drunk driver. When he walked up to the vehicle, he came face-to-face with a ghost from his past: a residential school priest. That officer was journalist Connie Walker’s late father. What happened that night on the side of the road compelled her to return home to Saskatchewan nearly 40 years later to try to investigate a secret in her own family. What she uncovers is a much bigger story.

Date Published:2022

Sugar falls [graphic novel] : a residential school story.

Robertson, David.

English language arts 20 (2012). This graphic novel is based on the true story of Betty Ross, an Elder from the Cross Lake First Nation.--Ministry of Education website. Daniel's school assignment is to report a personal account from a residential school survivor. April introduces Daniel to her Kokum, Betsy, who is a residential school survivor. Betsy is abandoned when she is a young girl and is adopted by a loving family. When she is 8 years old, a priest takes her away from her family and places her in a residential school. Betsy endures the loss of her culture and suffers physical and sexual abuse. Betsy manages to find her inner strength to be strong, hold onto her language and her spirit.--Ministry of Education website.

Date Published:2011

Teacher guide for Sugar falls : learning about the history and legacy of residential schools in grades 9-12.

M'Lot, Christine.

Written by Anishinaabe educator Christine M'Lot, the Teacher Guide for Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story offers a diverse menu of activities that support teachers in planning lessons throughout the reading process creating dynamic learning experiences for their students, while maintaining a respectful and dignified approach to Indigenous topics using trauma-informed practices to prepare students for sensitive topics infusing Indigenous pedagogical practices, such as working with others, seeking holism in understanding, and learning through storytelling.--Publisher.

Date Published:2021

Today is Orange Shirt Day

Webstad, Phyllis.


On board pages. A first conversation about the importance of Orange Shirt Day - Every Child Matters and what little ones can expect to see and do on Orange Shirt Day - The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. An authentic touch and feel board book designed for ages 0-3 written by the founder of the Orange Shirt Day movement.--Publisher's website.
Date Published:2024

Tyson's new orange shirt

Dobbin-Turner, Lynda.

The last day of September, Tyson got ready for school, only to find that his Mom wanted him to wear a different shirt. An orange shirt! Tyson wasn’t very happy about it, so his Mom had to explain just why it was important that on September 30th he wore orange.In Canada, for over a hundred years, Indigenous children were sent away to be educated in what is now known as the Indian Residential School System. Devised by the government, to ‘kill the Indian in the child’, these schools were often miles and miles from where they child’s family resided. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has uncovered and documented many of the atrocities that took place in those institutions. It has exposed the intergenerational trauma that is the system’s legacy. Tyson’s New Orange Shirt tells the story of how his Mom explained to him the importance of recognizing the impact on children and how in a different time, Tyson might have been one of those kids!--Publisher.

Date Published:2017

Waiting for justice [DVD] : discovering the legacy of Île-à-la-Crosse Residential School.


LM0033. DVD. Distributed by McIntyre Media. . In this poignant 18-minute documentary, viewers are taken on a journey into the dark history of the Isle a la Cross Residential School in northern Saskatchewan. This institution was part of the Canadian government's policy of forced assimilation of Indigenous children.--Provided by distributor. .
Date Published:2023

When I was eight

Jordan-Fenton, Christy.


Adaption of: Fatty legs. This adaptation of Fatty legs makes the story of Margaret Pokiak's experiences in a residential school accessible to younger readers. Now they, too, can meet this remarkable girl who reminds us what power we hold when we can read.
Date Published:2013

When we were alone

Robertson, David.

Social Studies grade 3 (2010). Social Studies grade 4 (2010). Social Studies grade 8 (2009). Treaty Education grade 3. Treaty Education grade 4. Treaty Education grade 8. . When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother’s garden, she begins to notice things about her grandmother that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long braided hair and wear beautifully coloured clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where everything was taken away.--Publisher.

Date Published:2016

With our orange hearts

Webstad, Phyllis.

Every child matters, including you and me. With our orange hearts, we walk in harmony." As a young child, your little world can be full of big feelings. In this book, I, Phyllis Webstad, founder of Orange Shirt Day, show how sharing my story with the world helped me process my feelings. My true story encourages young children to open their hearts when others share their feelings, and be more comfortable sharing their own feelings, too. Listening is a first step towards reconciliation.--Publisher.

Date Published:2022