With Orange Shirt Day coming up on September 30^th, you may be looking for thoughtful ways to discuss the impact of residential schools in Canada with your students. Here are a few highlighted resources available online you may want to consider.

Orange Shirt Day
https://www.orangeshirtday.org/  The story of Phyllis and the orange shirt that sparked the movement of wearing an orange shirt on Sept. 30. The Orange Shirt Society was formed in Williams Lake by the founders of Orange Shirt Day to encourage and support communities to recognize Orange Shirt Day and to support reconciliation events and activities.

Indian Residential Schools and Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guides
http://www.fnesc.ca/irsr/  The Indian Residential Schools and Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guides for grades 5, 10 and 11/12 were developed by the First Nations Education Steering Committee and the First Nations Schools Association. They are our response to the call by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada for education bodies to develop age-appropriate educational materials about Indian residential schools.

Project of Heart
Project of Heart” is an inquiry based, hands-on, collaborative, inter-generational, artistic journey of seeking truth about the history of Aboriginal people in Canada.  http://projectofheart.ca/

Picture books appropriate for all ages (click on books to view videos of books):

Shi-Shi-Etco (re-enactment)
Shin-Chi’s Canoe(re-enactment)

Music videos, Educational videos and other thought-provoking considerations:

Savage: http://lisajackson.ca/Savage A residential school musical. On a summer day in the 1950s, a native girl watches the countryside go by from the backseat of a car. A woman at her kitchen table sings a lullaby in her Cree language. When the girl arrives at her destination, she undergoes a transformation that will turn the woman’s gentle voice into a howl of anger and pain.

The Stranger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za2VzjkwtFc “The Stranger” is the first full chapter and song of The Secret Path. Adapted from Gord Downie’s album and Jeff Lemire’s graphic novel, The Secret Path chronicles the heartbreaking story of Chanie Wenjack’s residential school experience and subsequent death as he escapes and attempts to walk 600 km home to his family.

Residential Schools in Canada: A Timeline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFgNI1lfe0A The history of residential schools in Canada can be traced as far back as the 17th century. Watch the “Residential Schools in Canada Timeline” video to learn about the significant dates in its history — from the landing of Jesuits in what is now known as Quebec, to the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report in 2015.

Namwayut: we are all one. Truth and reconciliation in Canada (Chief Robert Joseph): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zuRQmwaREY Animation. Chief Robert Joseph shares his experience as a residential school survivor and the importance of truth and reconciliation in Canada.

Stolen Children | Residential School survivors speak out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdR9HcmiXLA From CBC News: The National

The truth about St. Anne's - The Fifth Estate: Short form Documentary: Warning – Explicit content (for teacher background info and upper secondary only). Crimes against children at residential school:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep7AW2K4Xww