September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters.
Many Canadians will wear an orange shirt on September 30, honouring Residential School Survivors, their families, and the thousands of children who never returned home. Established as a federal statutory holiday in 2021 in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, this is a day of public remembrance and reflection on the atrocities and multi-generational impacts of Canada’s Residential School system.
One of the lasting traumas of the Residential School system is the current overincarceration of Indigenous peoples across Canada. Indigenous peoples account for roughly 5% of the Canadian population, and yet 33% of federally incarcerated men are Indigenous and over 50% of federally incarcerated women are Indigenous. Indigenous youth are also alarmingly overrepresented in Canadian correctional facilities, making up 40-55% of all custody admissions. Further, research indicates that 30.5% of Canadian children experiencing parental incarceration have at least one Indigenous parent. (Sources here, here, and here.)
There can be no true reconciliation without reckoning with Canada’s racist incarceration systems. We encourage our community to continue reading the work of Indigenous authors, and to continue educating themselves about the history of Indigenous peoples across our nation. We are proud to share ChIRP’s recommended reads for Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters.
- Shirley: An Indian Residential School Story written and illustrated by Joanne Robertson, with Shirley (Fletcher) Horn.
- Shirley is only five years old when she is taken away by the Indian agent to live at a residential school. She loves learning, but she is not there by choice. From the first day walking up the long, lonely stone steps of the school building, life is hard and full of rules. Separated from her brothers and sisters, she is truly on her own. A true story.
- Today is Orange Shirt Day by Phyllis Webstad (Founder of Orange Shirt Day); illustrated by Natassia Davies (Coast Salish).
- A first conversation about the importance of Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters and what little ones can expect to see and do on Orange Shirt Day – The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. An authentic touch and feel board book designed for ages 0-3 written by the founder of the Orange Shirt Day movement.
- Miya Wears Orange by Wanda John-Kehewin; illustrated by Erika Rodriguez Medina.
- An essential story of healing for readers ages 6 to 8 by award-winning Plains Cree author Wanda John-Kehewin. A beautifully illustrated children’s picture book that gently explores the complex feelings a young girl experiences as she learns the history of residential schools. Based on the lived experience of the author and her daughter, it serves as a vital tool for Social Emotional Learning (SEL), helping educators and parents foster emotional safety while introducing young minds to the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
- Little Shoes by David A. Robertson; illustrated by Maya McKibbin.
- From the bestselling and Governor General’s Award–winning author of On the Trapline comes a beautifully told and comforting picture book about a boy’s journey to overcome generational trauma of residential schools.
- You Were Made for This World: Celebrated Indigenous Voices Speak to Young People edited by Stephanie and Sara Sinclair.
- Every young person deserves the chance to feel like they belong, that they are recognized, that they matter. In the spirit of A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader, You Were Made for This World brings together forty Indigenous writers, artists, activists, athletes, scholars and thinkers with a joint purpose: to celebrate the potential of young people, to share a sense of joy and pride in language, traditional and personal stories and teachings, and shared experiences, and to honor young people for who they are and what they dream of.
