Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a time to honour the children who never returned home from residential schools, Survivors, their families and their communities. It is also a day for reflection, learning and action. This booklist offers stories and resources that deepen our understanding of Canada’s colonial history, celebrate Indigenous voices and knowledge, and encourage us all to engage with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
Petits souliers by David Robertson
Junior: En pleine nuit, quand James n'arrive pas à dormir, il tourne et se retourne dans son lit. Un jour, Kōkom l'emmène faire une promenade qui s'appelle une marche. Elle lui montre un monument érigé en l'honneur des enfants qui sont allés au pensionnat et qui ne sont jamais revenus. Cet album réconfortant prouve que l'amour et le soutien d'une famille aident les enfants à comprendre le traumatisme des pensionnats autochtones.
Phyllis's Orange Shirt by Phyllis Webstad
Junior: The true story behind Orange Shirt Day, told by Phyllis herself, who shares her experience of being sent to a residential school.
Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan
Junior: Past and present converge when Summer travels to Alberta, where she hopes to collect sweetgrass and wild berries, swim and ride her horse. Soon after arriving, she begins having dreams of a girl running away from a residential school like the one her grandfather attended as a child. Summer then learns about unmarked children's graves at the school, prompting her to seek answers about her community's painful past.
Stolen Words by Melanie Florence
Junior: A powerful story about a grandfather who lost his language in a residential school and a granddaughter who helps him find it again.
When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson
Junior: A gentle, age-appropriate introduction to the history and impact of residential schools, through a conversation between a grandmother and her grandchild.
Mangilaluk: A Graphic Memoir about Friendship, Perseverance, and Resiliency by Bernard Andreason
Teen: After running away from residential school, Bernard Andreason and his two best friends begin a harrowing journey from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk, one which only Bernard would survive. In this heartbreaking and beautifully told graphic memoir, Bernard recounts his time in a residential school and the tragic journey that took the lives of his two best friends.
Surviving the City trilogy by Tasha Spillett and Natasha Donovan
Teen: Best friends Miikwan and Dez navigate the challenges of high school in the city, exploring identity and sexuality, coping with loss and hoping for a bright future despite the darkness of colonialism, murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, and the impact of residential schools on their lives.
Beyond the Rink: Behind the Images of Residential School Hockey by Alexandra Giancarlo et al.
Adult: 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. 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.
Reconciling: A Lifelong Struggle to Belong by Larry Grant and Scott Steedman.
Adult: Larry tells the story of his life, including his thoughts on reconciliation and the path forward for First Nations and Canada. It combines Indigenous traditions with key events of the last two centuries, including Chinese immigration and the Head Tax, the ravages of residential schools and now Indigenous revival and the accompanying change in worldview.
Ally is a Verb: A Guide to Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples by Rose LeMay
Adult: LeMay describes key principles to promote reconciliation, deepen your practice of allyship and contribute to meaningful change.
Frozen river = Nîkwatin sîpiy by Michaela Washburn et al
Adult: Exploring reconciliation and connection through a story that spans seven generations, Frozen River (nîkwatin sîpiy) tells the story of two eleven-year-olds, Eilidh and Wâpam. Both are born under the same blood moon, but Eilidh was born in Scotland and Wâpam in Kihci-Manito kâ ayapit, now known as Manitoba. After sailing across the ocean in hopes of a more prosperous life, Eilidh meets Wâpam deep in the forest, and the two become instant friends.
![Bones of Crows [DVD]](https://secure.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=/mc.gif&client=kingfp&UPC=191329255315&OCLC=07381384)
Bones of Crows [DVD]
Teen/Adult: Cree code talker Aline Spears survives her traumatic past in Canada's residential school system to continue her family's generational fight against systemic starvation, racism and sexual abuse.
