Intro for September 30, 2025

Dear Gossips,

Today is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. As such, we will not have regular site postings. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is meant “to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”

Some resources to further educate yourself about the history of residential schools includes the 2024 Oscar-nominated documentary Sugarcane, which is streaming on Hulu, or Alanis Obomsawim’s 2017 film, Our People Will Be Healed, which shows a better way to educate Indigenous children from within their communities, without removing them from their families or culture. Another 2017 film, Indian Horse, tells the story of Saul Indian Horse, a residential school survivor. Indian Horse is available to stream on CBC Gem in Canada, or Kanopy in the US (with a library card). 

Books include These Are My Words: The Residential School Diary of Violet Pesheens by Ruby Slipperjack; A National Crime: The Canadian Government and the Residential School System by John S. Milloy; and Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story by David Alexander Robertson, which is a graphic novel aimed at young adult readers.

If you’re looking for resources as a teacher, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has resources organized by grade, and the Legacy of Hope Foundation has podcasts about language revitalization and the history and stories of Indigenous peoples throughout Canada. The Legacy of Hope Foundation also offers ways to get involved. You can also don orange today to raise awareness about the impacts of residential schools, and show that “every child matters”. 

Today we ask you to share in reflection and education, to honor the lost children and the survivors, and work toward a better future for those who remain.    

In truth,

Sarah