Teaching Toolkit: Orange Shirt Day

The Ottawa Public Library has many impactful picture books, that share the stories of Residential school survivors in an age appropriate way.  Check out this list.  Some of the stories are available as ebooks and some are available in indigenous languages and/or in French. 

There are a number of free virtual events available to attend on September 30th:   

• For children, OPL is offering a special program of live stories featuring storytellers Daniel Richer at 9 a.m. in English and at 10:30 a.m. in French. 
• For teens and adults, enjoy an evening French-language performance by rapper Samian. Continue your evening, with a panel discussion and Q&A with survivors of the Residential School and Indian Day School systems. In addition to being survivors, these speakers will touch on their work with the Legacy of Hope. 
• Finally, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is offering a free virtual event for grades 5-12 called “Every Child Matters.”  

There are a number of lesson plans and other resources available online.  The Orange Shirt Society has videos featuring Phyllis Webstad telling her Orange Shirt story, they also have curriculum-based lesson plans available.  The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has a robust Teaching Resources page with activities related directly to some of the books in our collection.  

The Legacy of Hope is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada. For the past two decades, their organization has worked to raise awareness about Indigenous history and its impacts in Canada through educational resources and multiple exhibitions.  They have many resources and information available on their resource page.  

The OPL has many more Indigenous resources on a wide range of topics.  Find them on our Indigenous subject page.