One very tiny way that we can react and respond to discoveries of Indigenous Children buried on the grounds Indian Residential Schools around Canada is to provide information for you to learn, understand, ingest and act on.
Below are numerous links and resources that can help you make sense of what has happened in our country beyond any shadow of doubt.
MANY LINKS ON THIS PAGE include reference and depiction of situations and experiences that include violence, abuse and other difficult content. It is possible to access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national Indian Residential School crisis line at 1-866-925-4419
If you have a resource to contribute, please email events@comoxvalleyarts.com
The “Every Child Matters” emblem is designed by Andy Everson. See his statement of use below.
survivor stories
Indian Horse #next150 challenge – Survivor Stories
Legacy of Hope – Where are the Children
National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation – Dialogues
Second Stories – “It Had To Be Done” (Short Documentary by Tessa Desnomie at National Film Board)
Victoria News Residential School Stories Series
There are SO MANY MORE. Google “Residential school survivors” and you will find thousands.
Reports & Data on Residential Schools:
- Canada’s Residential Schools: Missing Children and Unmarked Burials The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Volume 4 READ HERE
- Where are the Children buried? Dr. Scott Hamilton Dept. of Anthropology, Lakehead University Thunder Bay, Ontario READ HERE
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports (https://nctr.ca/records/reports/)
- Beyond 94: Truth and Reconciliation in Canada READ HERE
- 150 Acts of Reconciliation for the Last 150 Days of Canada’s 150 READ HERE
- The Residential School System READ HERE
Documentaries, Articles & Investigations:
- Beyond 94 – Interactive news and ongoing reporting & investigation by CBC about the action (and inaction) taken on the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- They came for the children: A Film in 5 Parts Based on the TRC Final Report on Residential Schools in Canada WATCH HERE
- APTN Documentaries: Our Stories, Our Voices aptn.ca/documentaries/
- Indigenous-made Films reelcanada.ca/indigenous-made-films/
- 12 Documentaries on Indigenous Life in Canada WATCH HERE
- Residential Schools and Indigenous Resilience READ HERE
Education & Cultural Experiences:
- Indigenous Canada from University of Alberta (MOOC – Massive Open Online Courses)
- Witness Blanket
- Take a virtual trip and experience Indigenous culture START HERE
- Full Circle’s Talking Stick Festival – virtual this year – accessible til July 4 BUY A TICKET HERE
- National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation Archives
Organizations you can join or support and other ways to acknowledge:
- Indian Residential School Survivors Society irsss.ca
- Heritage and Reconciliation Pledge (A template for organizational agreement) TAKE THE PLEDGE
- Orange Shirt Day – Phyllis’ Story
- National Student Memorial Register nctr.ca/memorial
- Write a thoughtful personal or organizational territory acknowledgement START HERE
- Steps Museums and Museum Professionals Can Take to Make a Difference
- Musicians for Change – started by the Comox Valley’s own Doug Cox
- On Canada Project oncanadaproject.ca/settlerstakeaction
- Amnesty International Activism Toolkit
Books on Residential Schools:
- Indian Horse- Richard Wagamese
- Orange Shirt Day – Phyllis Webstad
- Shi-shi-etko and Shin-chi’s Canoe – Nicola Campbell
- Seven Fallen Feathers – Tanya Talaga
- Dear Canada, These Are My Words: The Residential School Diary of Violet Pesheens – Ruby Slipperjack
- In Search of April Raintree – Beatrice Mosionier
- The Train – Jodie Callaghan
- My Name is Seepeetza – Shirley Sterling
- Fatty Legs – Christy Jordan Fenton & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton
- I Am Not A Number – Jenny Kay Dupuis
- When We Were Alone – David A. Robertson & Julie Flett
- A Stranger At Home
- The Break – Katherena Vermette
- Porcupines and China Dolls – Robert Arthur Alexie
- The Marrow Thieves – Cherie Dimaline
- When I Was Eight – Christy Jordan Fenton
- Not My Girl – Christy Jordan Fenton
- Stolen Words – Melanie Florence
- Phyllis’s Orange Shirt by Phyllis Webstad
- We Feel Good Out Here – Julie-Anne Andre & Mindy Willett
- The Land Is Our Storybook – Julie-Anne Andre & Mindy Willett
- When We Play Our Drums, They Sing! & Lucy & Lola – Richard Van Camp & Monique Gray Smith
- Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story
- As Long as the Rivers Flow – Larry Loyie
- Five Little Indians – Michelle Good
- One Story, One Song – Richard Wagamese
- The Red Files – Lisa Bird-Wilson
- The Education of Augie Merasty
- Speaking Our Truth – Monique Gray Smith
- They Called Me Number One – Bev Sellers
- I Lost My Talk – Rita Joe
- Moon of the Crusted Snow – Waub Rice
- I’m Finding My Talk – Rebecca Thomas
- 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga – David A. Robertson
- Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story – David A. Robertson
- Amik Loves School – Katherena Vermette
- I Can Make This Promise – Christine Day
- Up Ghost River – Edmund Metatawabin
(Quick link to Amazon.ca but please support your local booksellers and ask them to order the books in for you)
This page is compiled from resources provided by Heritage BC, BC Arts Alliance, Indigenous BC and deliberate searches.
Usage guidelines for Every Child Matters emblem, created by Andy Everson
Compelled to help raise awareness for Every Child Matters, I created this image on Orange Shirt Day in 2015 and immediately posted it online. As happens these days, the image was rapidly shared and spread on social media.
In 2016, I allowed the Orange Shirt Society to use the design as part of their ongoing campaign of awareness. To this day, the Orange Shirt Society continues to have my full support and can continue to use this design as they fit.
In recent weeks, I have received an overwhelming numbers of requests to use this image—along with the ‘215’ variant—which has necessitated making this statement as I am not able to respond to each request individually.
The following is my statement for the free use of this design:
Artist credit should be given for the design.
The image can be shared openly on social media, including using it as one’s profile pic.
I am amenable to groups and individuals using the design in a not-for-profit manner that helps increase awareness on the issue. This can include making t-shirts, patches and pins for school groups and work teams or using the design on signage to show support for Every Child Matters. What I do ask, however, is that when the design is used, a donation should be given to a non-profit Indigenous society such as: the Orange Shirt Society, The Indian Residential School Survivors Society or Copper Legacy Indigenous Empowerment Society. When businesses are having shirts printed for staff, I think it is reasonable to request that $25-30 PER shirt be given to such charities. Use of the design must go beyond simply raising awareness and should include a component of “giving back”, as well.
ANY and ALL for-profit use of this design is NOT authorized.
I do not wish for this Every Child Matters design to be used and applied to items outside of the above approved items.
G̱ilakas’la! Andy Everson