On September 30, Orange Shirt Day is a day when all Canadians come together to honour the thousands of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children who were taken from their homes and forced to attend residential schools in Canada. Together, we acknowledge that this is not just a part of Canada’s history, but an ongoing struggle for all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples who continue to experience the legacies of settler colonialism in Canada. The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation believes in the power of books as a tool for education and reconciliation. Along with our educational partners, we work year-round to ensure all Indigenous and non-Indigenous students have access to Indigenous knowledge, authors, and culture through books.
As a part of our commitment to Indigenous communities and cultural reclamation, we provided books from Indigenous authors to students in over 20 northern communities through our Community Response Fund in partnership with Connected North. As part of this program, Connected North is also hosting live classroom events with authors Waub Rice and Michael Kusugak so that students in remote locations are able to learn and engage with these inspiring authors.
Today, we encourage all Canadians to engage in meaningful dialogue around the long-lasting legacies of residential schools and the on-going systemic injustices experienced by Indigenous communities across Turtle Island.
Below, we have assembled Orange Shirt Day resources to aid in these important conversations:
Orange Shirt Day resources
- Facing History and Ourselves – Stolen Lives: The Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Indian Residential Schools
- University of Toronto Ontario Institute for Studies in Education – Residential School Resources
- CBC Podcast: The Secret Life of Canada – ep 19 The Indian Act
- Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario Orange Shirt Day Campaign resources
- FNMIEAO.com Pedagogical Considerations for Teaching About Residential Schools
- IndigoKids list of 10 books to read to your kids on Orange Shirt Day and beyond