Recommended Professional Reading

The Essential History of Residential Schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

Between 2008 and 2015, the TRC provided opportunities for individuals, families, and communities to share their experiences of residential schools and released several reports based on 7,000 Survivor statements and 5 million documents from government, churches, and schools, as well as a solid grounding in secondary sources.

A Knock on the Door, published in collaboration with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), gathers material from the TRC reports to present the essential history and legacy of residential schools and inform the journey to reconciliation that Canadians are now embarked upon.

Education Is Our Buffalo

This book is a teacher's Resource for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education in Alberta. In addressing the particular needs of First Nations, Métis and Inuit teachers and learners, this collection of materials sheds light on issues of diversity, equity and human rights as they touch the day-to-day life in Alberta schools and society. It provides information on developments in K-12 Aboriginal education and how to incorporate Aboriginal teaching into today’s classrooms.

The 94 Calls to Action

In June of 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) released its final report detailing the history and ongoing legacy of the Indian Residential School system in Canada that operated until 1996. The TRC’s final report shares over 6,000 Survivor and witness accounts of the system; it outlines the history of the system, its ongoing impacts on Indigenous Peoples today, and it calls attention to the challenge of Reconciliation in Canada moving forward.