Healing and Reconciliation Resources/Lesson Ideas
Articles and Books
Reclaiming Connections: Understanding Residential School Trauma Among Aboriginal People
“This manual represents a collaborative effort shared by many people deeply committed to promoting recovery from the trauma of residential school abuse and its intergenerational impacts.”
Where the Pavement Ends: Canada’s Aboriginal Recovery Movement and the Urgent Need for Reconciliation by Marie Wad
den
Teacher resource, or excerpts.
This book is written by a journalist who is involved in the healing process of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. This book focuses on the government policies that are put in place that perpetuate the problems that are tearing Aboriginal communities and families apart.
Stolen From Our Embrace by Suzanne J. Fournier
Teacher Resource, or excerpts.
An exceptional historical and oral account of Residential Schools. It deepens the understanding of how First Nations communities have been impacted by social welfare systems, foetal alcohol syndrome counter-balanced against heroic stories of children who survived, fought back, and found their way home.
April Raintree by Beatrice Culleton Mosionier
(This is the revised version of the novel In Search of April Raintree for students grade 9-12)
A powerful story set in Manitoba on how two sisters who are removed from their family and placed into the foster system. The novel illustrates the difficulties Aboriginal people face in the social system, it touches on the issues of alcoholism, rape, prostitution, and suicide. It is a great book that talks about the issues faced by the Metis.
Websites
Arts Links: Residential School Artists – Students can explore various different ways residential school survivors depict and use art as a way to heal from residential schools. Students can gain information from the art links website. Possible lesson ideas around this website on how to incorporate this website about residential school survivors include a jigsaw, and creation of own art following traditional First Nations art practices. Arts Links Grade 8 Art Resource Guide by Kelsey Orban, Megan Hall, Brett Leoppky and Curtis Bourassa. (Wittness Blanket connection)
Witness Blanket – This website and art exhibit stands as a national monument to 
recognize the atrocities of the Indian Residential School era, honour the children, and symbolize ongoing reconciliation.
The witness blanket is free for people to see actual artifacts from residential schools. It is a powerful reminder of Canada’s forgotten history. It provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to bring their class to take in the powerful meaning behind the witness blanket.
wherearethechildren – This website focuses on the survivors stories of residential schools. It offers archival photographs, and documents and numerous resources for kids and adults to expand there knowledge base on the impact of residential schools.
Films/Videos
Muffins for Granny, Director Nadia McLaren. Mongrel Media, 2007, 88 minutes
An emotional story of personal and cultural survival. It is a documentary which interviews 7 elders on how they were affected by their experiences in residential schools. It talks about how they are dealing with the experience of residential schools and how these charismatic survivors live in today.
Brown Eyes Blue Eyes Experiment by Jane Elliot – Part One, Part Two
This experiment divides blue eyes and brown eyed people and demonstrates how discrimination works. A racial experiment to teach students to impacts of racism based on eye colour.
Residential Schools Resource Package 