So You're Talking About Residential Schools

With this year being Canada’s 150, many teachers are teaching about Canada and our history. A part of our history is the Canadian Residential Schools which began in 1880, and the last one closing in 1996. Indigenous families were ripped a part, promised a better life, and brutally deceived. They estimate over 150,000 indigenous children attended Residential schools around Canada.

Teaching this type of history is necessary to create awareness and give justice to those who were affected and lost their lives in residential schools. When teaching in Canada, it is also very possible to have the descendants of victims in your classroom. Thankfully, many resources and books have been made available to children and teachers in recent years. Here I have added some of my favorite books and resources when it comes to tackling the heavy subject.

1. Gord Downie & Jeff Lemire’s book Secret Path is a graphic novel by illustrator Jeff Lemire that tells the story of Chanie “Charlie” Wenjack, a twelve-year-old boy who died in flight from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School fifty years ago.

2. Gord Downie also created a 10 song narrative under the same title of the book. The songs detail the story of Chanie, and you can read the book as you listen to the music.

3.For older students, consider the novel Wenjack. Joseph Boyden’s novel details an Ojibwe boys’ desperate attempt to get back home, where along the way he's followed by Manitous, spirits of the forest who comment on his plight, cajoling, taunting, and ultimately offering him a type of comfort on his difficult journey back to the place he was so brutally removed from.

4.The Moccasins by Earl Einarson is a book to introduce JK and SK students to both the concept of Indigenous culture as well as the theme of blended families. It depicts a little boy living in a loving home with his foster mother who gifts him a pair of moccasins in order to help keep the boy connected to his birth heritage.

5. Shi-shi-etko is a heart wrenching story of a little girl preparing to leave her family for a residential school. Though intended for a younger audience, I would consider reading this to an older class or accompanied by a story drama to explore the feelings and create a sense of empathy from the class.

6. Arctic Stories is a trio of stories inspired by the true childhood events of the author Michael Kusugak. Each story follows 10-year-old Agatha as she encounters flying blimps, ravens and Catholic school.

7. My name is Seepeetza. Seepeetza is sent to the Kamloops Indian Residential School at age six. At school, she encounters many hardships, but thoughts of home keep her going. Written in the form of a diary, this book provides an honest account of life in residential schools in the 1950s