In honour of Orange Shirt Day, September 30, a day dedicated to commemorating the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada's residential schools, we have curated a list of books that shed light on this dark chapter of history. These books serve as a vital resource for understanding and acknowledging the impact of residential schools on Indigenous communities, fostering empathy and promoting reconciliation.
Every Child Matters by Phyllis Webstad and Karlene Hardy
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.
When I was eight by Kristy Jordan-Fenton
Olemaun is eight and knows a lot of things. But she does not know how to read. To learn, she must travel to school far from her Arctic home, ignoring her father's warnings. Ages 9-12.
I am not a number by Jenny Kay Dupuis
When eight-year-old Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school she is confused, frightened, and terribly 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. 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. Ages 9-12.
When we were alone by David Robertson
When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother's garden, she begins to notice things that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully colored 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 all of these things were taken away. Ages 0-8.
There are my words: the residential school diary of Violet Pesheens by Ruby Slipperjack
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. Ages 9-12.
Sugar Falls: a residential school story by David Robertson
A school assignment to interview a residential school survivor leads Daniel to Betsy, his friend's grandmother, who tells him her story. Abandoned as a young child, Betsy was soon adopted into a loving family. A few short years later, at the age of 8, everything changed. Betsy was taken away to a residential school. There she was forced to endure abuse and indignity, but she remembers her fathers words -- words that gave her the resilience, strength, and determination to survive. Junior graphic novel.
Five little Indians by Michelle Good
Taken from their families when they are very small and sent to a remote, church-run residential school, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Maisie are finally released after years of detention. Alone and without any skills, support or families, the teens find their way to Vancouver, where they cling together, searching for a place of safety and belonging. Over the decades they struggle to overcome the trauma they endured during their years at the Mission, come to terms with their past, and find a way forward. Adult fiction.
The Education of Augie Merasty by Joseph Auguste Merasty
Now a retired fisherman and trapper, Joseph A. (Augie) Merasty was one of an estimated 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Metis children who were taken from their families and sent to government-funded, church-run schools, where they were subjected to a policy of "aggressive assimilation." As Merasty recounts, these schools did more than attempt to mold children in the ways of white society. They were taught to be ashamed of their native heritage and, as he experienced, often suffered physical and sexual abuse. Adult nonfiction.
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
Saul Indian Horse has hit bottom. His last binge almost killed him and now he's a reluctant resident in a treatment centre. But Saul wants peace and he realizes that he'll only find it through telling his story. Beginning with his childhood on the land, he embarks on a journey through his life as a northern Ojibway, with all its joys and sorrows. Adult fiction.
Up Ghost River : a Chief's journey through the turbulent waters of native history by Edmund Metatawabin.
After being separated from his family at age 7, Metatawabin was assigned a number and stripped of his Indigenous identity. At his residential school–one of the worst in Canada–he was physically and emotionally abused, and was sexually abused by one of the staff. Leaving high school, he turned to alcohol to forget the trauma. He later left behind his wife and family, and fled to Edmonton, where he joined a First Nations support group that helped him come to terms with his addiction and face his PTSD. By listening to elders’ wisdom, he learned how to live an authentic First Nations life within a modern context, thereby restoring what had been taken from him years earlier. Adult non-fiction.
A Knock on the door: the essential history of residential schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
It can start with a knock on the door one morning. It is the local Indian agent, or the parish priest, or, perhaps, a Mounted Police officer ... The officials have arrived and the children must go." A Knock on the Door, published in collaboration with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), gathers material from the TRC reports to present the essential history and legacy of residential schools and inform the journey to reconciliation that Canadians are now embarked upon. Adult non-fiction.