Below is a list of resources to help deepen our understanding of the residential school experience, what reconciliation means, and what changes reconciliation requires of us. This list is not comprehensive and will be continually updated.
The links below mention Indigenous residential schools and the ongoing violence committed against Indigenous peoples. If you need support, the Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of his or her Residential school experience: 1-866-925-4419.
Testimonials Statements & Articles
A Poem by Elder Raymond Tony Charlie This poem was shared at a Listening Circle held on June 30, 2021, hosted by the University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies and POLIS Project on Ecological Governance
Monster by poet Dennis Saddleman This poem was read by Dennis Saddleman during public testimony to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Murray Sinclair’s statement on discovery at Kamloops residential school. June 1, 2021
Gatherings & Events
Listening Circle with Coast Salish Elders Florence James and Raymond Tony Charlie. June 30, 2021.
Hosted by the University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies and POLIS Project on Ecological Governance
Education & Action
150 Acts of Reconciliation This list was published by Active History as part of Canada 150.
Every Child Matters: Honouring the Missing Children This library guide from the University of Victoria lists educational and scholarly resources related to the remembrance of the many children missing from Canada’s residential schools
Indigenous Canada online course. This Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Native Studies explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada.
On Canada Project: Settlers Take Action
Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education online course. This MOOC from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Education helps participants envision how Indigenous histories, perspectives, worldviews, and approaches to learning can be made part of the work we do in classrooms, organizations, communities, and our everyday experiences in ways that are thoughtful and respectful.
Towards reconciliation: 10 Calls to Action to natural scientists working in Canada. Facets. October 1, 2020.
Organizations
Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, University of British Columbia
Indian Residential School Survivors Society
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Reports
An Overview of the Indian Residential School System (Union of Ontario Indians, 2013)
Calls to Action Accountability: A 2020 Status Update on Reconciliation (2020)
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (2015)
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The featured feather design was created by Carey Newman Hayalthkin’geme (Kwakwaka’wakw/Coast Salish) for Orange Shirt Day in 2017. The design—a grouping of smaller feathers to create a larger one—is meant to represent that children come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re all important. In 2019, Newman incorporated the rainbow colours as a way for the design to be more inclusive of LGBTQ2S+ peoples. Newman is also the creator of the Witness Blanket, a 12-metre-long sculpture comprised of 600 objects and artifacts he collected from Indian residential schools across Canada.
