Tomorrow marks the start of Secret Path Week. This annual event, which runs from October 17th – October 22nd, marks the dates that both Gord Downie (October 17th) and Chanie Wenjack (October 22nd) passed. Our friends at the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund are calling on all Canadians to step up, take action and “do something” to further the conversation around the history of residential schools.
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On September 30th, students across Canada will mark Orange Shirt Day. They will be encouraged to learn about Phyllis’ Story and to wear orange shirts in support of raising awareness about the Indian Residential School System.
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From the minute our team took our Secret Path boxed set out of its package, we’ve been a big fan. This piece of art has had a tremendous impact on helping Canadians understand the impact of Residential Schools through Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire’s compelling portrayal of Chanie Wenjack’s story.
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Every September 30, people across Canada wear orange shirts as part of Orange Shirt Day. This day honours residential school Survivors and provides an opportunity to remember the children who did not survive. It is also a great jumping-off point for schools to implement anti-bullying and anti-racism programs. It’s a day to remember that Every Child Matters.
Orange Shirt Day, created in 2013, was born out of Phyllis Webstad’s experience while attending the St. Joseph Mission school. Phyllis is a member of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) Nation and the Canoe Creek Indian Band.
I went to the Mission for one school year in 1973/1974. I had just turned 6 years old. I lived with my grandmother on the Dog Creek reserve. We never had very much money, but somehow my granny managed to buy me a new outfit to go to the Mission school. I remember going to Robinson’s store and picking out a shiny orange shirt. It had string laced up in front, and was so bright and exciting – just like I felt to be going to school!
When I got to the Mission, they stripped me, and took away my clothes, including the orange shirt! I never wore it again. I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t give it back to me, it was mine! The color orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying and no one cared.
Intergenerational Effects
I was 13 years old and in grade 8 when my son Jeremy was born. Because my grandmother and mother both attended residential school for 10 years each, I never knew what a parent was supposed to be like. With the help of my aunt, Agness Jack, I was able to raise my son and have him know me as his mother.
I went to a treatment centre for healing when I was 27 and have been on this healing journey since then. I finally get it, that the feeling of worthlessness and insignificance, ingrained in me from my first day at the mission, affected the way I lived my life for many years. Even now, when I know nothing could be further than the truth, I still sometimes feel that I don’t matter. Even with all the work I’ve done!
I am honored to be able to tell my story so that others may benefit and understand, and maybe other survivors will feel comfortable enough to share their stories.
Source: http://www.orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story.html
Orange Shirt Day was Phyllis’ way of conveying what she lost at residential school. She reclaimed the colour orange and talked about her experiences. This movement started in Williams Lake, BC and has gained ground ever since. People across Canadians have picked up Phyllis’ story and her message that Every Child Matters. They have begun to spread it themselves. In 2017, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, Carolyn Bennett, and the Minister of Indigenous Services, Jane Philpott, released a statement urging Canadians to observe the day by wearing an orange shirt. They also suggest Canadians learn more about residential schools and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
The date for Orange Shirt Day is significant. September 30 was when government officials took the children out of their communities to attend residential schools. Modern-day school schedules mean learners are all in school to recognize this day with their classmates and educators. It provides educators and administrators with an opportunity to discuss bullying and racism with learners early in the year. Orange Shirt Day can help schools adopt anti-bullying and anti-racism campaigns and programs.
This September 30, show solidarity with Indigenous Peoples by wearing an orange shirt. Ask your learners to do the same. Demonstrate your belief that Every Child Matters. Remember to broach the subjects of residential schooling, bullying, and racism in your classes. Consider involving learners in implementing action plans to make your school a safe and inviting place. You can visit the Orange Shirt Day website to get more ideas on planning an event in your school or community.
There are also three books available telling Phyllis’ story about her orange shirt for different age groups. You can purchase a book package with a lesson plan for your classroom. 49th shelf has a list of books you can use on or around Orange Shirt Day to supplement any lessons you may have planned around residential schools.
You can find lesson plans and resources to support your teaching around Orange Shirt Day and residential schooling through Indspire or The Manitoba Teacher’s Society.
Learning Bird also has many resources on residential schools. You can access our platform by searching for “residential school” using the keyword search at the top. These resources can help you discuss residential schools with your learners. They cover historical information, impacts, and healing efforts.
As educators, we often want to address deep, important topics with our learners. Still, we are unsure how to do so appropriately. You may worry that a topic is too intense or “grown-up” for your learners. Perhaps you worry about discussing controversial topics in the classroom. You may be concerned that you won’t do the topic justice. One such topic is residential schooling. This blog post will discuss using a novel study to teach and open discussions about residential schooling with learners of any age.
As part of her article Implementing Indigenous Education Policy Directives in Ontario Public Schools: Experiences, Challenges, and Successful Practices, Emily Milne surveyed 100 educators and parents in Ontario. Some non-Indigenous educators in Ontario feel “uncertain about what to teach and how” regarding Indigenous cultures and histories. It is likely how many educators across the country feel.
This blog post will discuss using novel studies to teach and discuss residential schooling with learners of any age. While reading this post, remember that novels are also a great way to discuss racism, empathy, and social activism. However, we focus on residential schooling specifically.
It has been well researched and documented that educators and parents can help foster empathy, acceptance, and social change through reading literature. Reading literature can also address complex ideas and concepts. In a recent CBC article, Jo-Anne Chrona, a curriculum developer with FNESC, expressed that reading books can create a space for conversation about difficult topics, particularly residential schools.
Using novels to discuss residential schooling may help learners feel safer talking about how it affects their lives and the lives of their families. Since this topic may hit very close to home, learners have the opportunity to talk about these themes through the eyes or perspectives of the characters in the novels before confronting them in their own lives.
Some learners may not be aware of the effects of residential schools on those in their community. To bring the characters’ struggles to life, invite an Elder or a community member affected by or who went to residential school to speak to the learners. Hearing about residential schools from a novel study and community member may help learners understand how residential schools continue to affect Indigenous people and communities today. Be sure to follow any appropriate Protocols for inviting Elders or community members into the classroom.
It is important to note that the topic of residential schooling may deeply impact your learners. It will be important to foster a safe space in your classroom for learners when they are reading and discussing these novels. You may want to include time and space for learners to break from the discussion or activity if they feel overwhelmed. I’ve included some resources at the end of this article to help you learn about creating safe spaces and trauma-informed practice.
I’ve outlined three different novels below that address residential schooling differently. Educators can use these with different age groups by addressing the topics and themes at different levels.
You could use these three novels to begin discussions on residential schooling at the high school level. The Secret Path will also work well for elementary and middle school-aged learners. Fatty Legs works well for upper elementary to middle school learners. Good for Nothing works best in a high school class due to some language. The novel follows the main character into adulthood, containing mature themes.
Discussing the plot points and themes found in books like these will also enable you to open up discussions that can be difficult to get going in a classroom. Talking about the terrible things that happened in residential schools and their enduring legacy among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit populations can begin with books. These books, and others like them, can be especially helpful in starting these discussions if you feel ill-equipped to address these topics in class directly.
At Learning Bird, we have created lessons that you can use to support the inclusion of these books in your class. These lessons vary in content. Some introduce the history of residential schools. Others help learners analyze the novels based on the theme, character, and other literary devices. Below, you will find one sample novel study lesson for each book. There is also a description of what learners can learn and how you could use it in your class.
The Secret Path is a graphic novel written by Tragically Hip lead singer Gord Downie and illustrated by Jeff Lemire. Complementing the graphic novel is a ten-song album. They also turned this story into an animated film, aired nationwide on CBC Television. The Secret Path retells the true story of Chanie Wenjack, a young boy who died while trying to escape from a residential school in Ontario.
In this activity, learners write letters to an imaginary stranger, only to realize they can not use several basic words like “the,” “and,” “me,” and “to.” After removing these words, learners rewrite their letters and make them understandable. This activity is all about losing your language and being unable to express yourself. Many residential school Survivors went through this and may still feel its effects today.
You could use this activity during or after reading the novel. It will reinforce the theme of lost language from the story. It will encourage learners to discuss how being unable to express themselves makes them feel. In turn, discuss the long-lasting effects of residential schools and what children forced away from their families lost.
Look at our previous blog post if you would like to learn more about the lessons we have created to support you in teaching The Secret Path. All these lessons are free and available for any educator to access and use in their classroom.
Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton wrote the memoir Fatty Legs. This autobiographical story chronicles Margaret’s experiences leaving her community and going to residential school.
This lesson is a great introduction to the memoir Fatty Legs. It helps learners make predictions about the story and leads them through a couple of pre-reading activities. It also prepares learners to read other books by explaining that you can use the strategies outlined in this video before reading any book. Use this lesson before reading Fatty Legs to pique learners’ interest and introduce pre-reading activities.
Michel Noël wrote Good for Nothing, the story of Nipishish, a young man who feels out of place everywhere. It discusses the ongoing legacy of residential schools in the lives of Survivors.
This lesson introduces learners to the concept of formally critiquing a character. They learn criteria to critique a character and then practice by critiquing Mona Paradis from Good for Nothing. Learners can use these criteria to critique any character for a novel study.
It would be best to use this lesson with learners after reading Good For Nothing. That way, learners will have all the information about Mona Paradis to critique her character. It is a great introduction to critiquing a character and the act of critiquing in general. After viewing this lesson, learners will know to formulate opinions about characters and do more than say, “I didn’t like this character” when you ask them their thoughts.
The following resources will help you best support learners triggered while reading about or discussing difficult topics. They can also help learners who may be reliving traumatic events while discussing topics such as residential schooling.
As schools and school boards across Canada introduce a curriculum that deals with residential schooling, as per the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s call to action regarding education for reconciliation (#63), many educators are seeking resources to help them do this topic justice. Below are some additional resources you may find helpful to broach this subject in your class.