National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
Resources

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is on September 30.   This day comes from Orange Shirt Day, which has been commemorated across Canada since 2013 in honour of Survivors of Indian Residential Schools.   National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is in response to one of the 94 Calls to Action of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.   This is a day to recognize and commemorate the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools, and honour their survivors, their families, and communities.

Library Resources  

The ORL has many resources listed on our Indigenous Resources page.

Try these subject headings, electronic resources, or check with reference staff for more materials:

• "Indigenous peoples — Canada — Residential schools."
• "Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada."
• "Truth commissions — Canada."

Booklists

• Truth & Reconciliation (adults) – If you are seeking more knowledge about reconciliation and Indigenous cultures, these books are for you.
• Stories for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (adults) – September 30 is a day to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools.  Here is a selection of stories to learn other's perspectives and to further your own path to reconciliation.
• ORL Reads: Residential Schools - Resources for Children (kids) – Picture books, chapter books, and non-fiction books to help teach and discuss Residential Schools with children.

Online Resources 

Learn about the history of residential schools and the path to reconciliation with these online resources.   

Documentaries 

• Thick Dark Fog - Walter Littlemoon is a 69-year-old Lakota man born and raised in Wounded Knee, South Dakota.  At the age of five, he was removed from his family to attend a Federal government boarding school where his culture, language and spirituality were suppressed.  THE THICK DARK FOG profiles Walter's journey to heal himself and his community while reclaiming his heritage.   
• Honor Thy Mother – the untold story of 36 Aboriginal women from Canada and Native women from tribes in Washington and Alaska who migrated in the 1940s to Bainbridge Island, the traditional territory of the Suquamish people.
• Our Spirits Don’t Speak English – This documentary provides a candid look at the Indian Boarding School system starting in 1879 through the 1960s combining personal interviews with historical background.   

From Kanopy Streaming Films 

In the News 

• Read about Reconciliation in local and national newspapers.  The Canadian Newsstream collection provides full-text articles that go back for several years up until today.
• View the special edition of Canadian Geographic magazine – Indigenous Voices: A collection of stories from individuals and communities about working to preserve and reclaim their past and creating new visions and possibilities for the future (from PressReader).   

Talking with Kids 

Stories can make it possible to talk about difficult things.  Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton write about Margaret’s experiences in residential school and her return home to her family and community.  There are story versions written for younger kids and for older ones.   

These books can be borrowed either eBook or eAudiobook format from the ORL’s OverDrive collection. 

For Younger Readers in grades K to 3 

• When I was Eight: eBook or eAudiobook  
• Not My Girl (sequel): eBook or eAudiobook 

For Older Readers in middle grades 

• Fatty Legs: eBook or eAudiobook 
• A Stranger at Home (sequel): eBook or eAudiobook 

All four of these books are also always available (without a waitlist) in our TumbleBooks Library for Kids collection.  The stories can be played or read in your web browser.   

Additional External Resources

• NCTR - National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation preserves and shares records of Canada’s residential school system, providing a safe space for Indigenous histories and materials.
• Legacy of Hope Foundation educates about the Residential School System and its impacts on Indigenous Peoples.  They offer educational resources, exhibitions, and support for Survivors and their families.
• The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada is a new, independent organization, established through the National Sixties Scoop Settlement.  Our mission is to accompany Survivors and their descendants along their healing journey by supporting cultural reclamation and reunification, holistic wellness services, advocacy, commemoration, and educational initiatives. 
• The Reconciliation: A Starting Point mobile app is a reference tool for learning about First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, including key historical events and examples of reconciliation initiatives.  Users will learn why reconciliation matters and what public servants need to know and do to advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
• Reconciliation Canada is leading the way in engaging Canadians in dialogue and transformative experiences that revitalize the relationships among Indigenous peoples and all Canadians.
• “Residential Schools” (Podcast) is a three-part podcast series created by Historica Canada and hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais.  It aims to commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools, and honour the stories of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Survivors, their families, and communities.
• Orange Shirt Society is the original non-profit society and origin of Orange Shirt Day.   They have three main purposes:
  • To support Indian Residential School Reconciliation
  • To create awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of Indian Residential Schools through Orange Shirt Society activities
  • To create awareness of the concept of "Every Child Matters"

• The Orange Path is a resource that individuals can use to help them forage their own path towards reconciliation.  It is based on four key steps: Learn, Share, Show, and Act.