In recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th, 2021, we have collected some of the many resources that may be useful in guiding, reflecting, and informing the ways we teach about Indigenous history and reconciliation at this moment. We encourage other history instructors to consider how we may shift our pedagogies in the future.
Do you have other suggestions for works that could be included on this list? We’d love to hear them! Let us know by tagging @CndHistAssoc on Twitter and using the hashtag #CHATeachingResourcesChat.
Activities
MCDP, CMHR. Picking Up the Pieces: The Making of the Witness Blanket, 2020. (With artist Carey Newman) https://vimeo.com/457804808.
Media Coverage
High, Steven. Media Coverage/Reaction to the Canadian Historical Association’s Canada Day Statement Recognizing the Genocide of Indigenous Peoples in Canada September 17, 2021. https://cha-shc.ca/news/media-coveragereaction-to-the-canadian-historical-associations-canada-day-statement-recognizing-the-genocide-of-indigenous-peoples-in-canada-2021-09-17.
Guidance and Advice
Justice, Daniel Heath and Sean Carleton “Truth before reconciliation: 8 ways to identify and confront Residential School denialism.” Royal Society of Canada, August 25, 2021.
https://rsc-src.ca/en/voices/truth-before-reconciliation-8-ways-to-identify-and-confront-residential-school%C2%A0denialism or https://theconversation.com/truth-before-reconciliation-8-ways-to-identify-and-confront-residential-school-denialism-164692.
Tuhiwai-Smith, Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples* (Second Edition). Zed Publishers, 2013.
Vowel, Chelsea. Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Issues in Canada. HighWater Press, 2016.
Younging, Gregory. Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples. Edmonton, Alberta: Brush Education, 2018.
Public History
McCracken, Krista. “The Role of Canada’s Museums and Archives in Reconciliation.” ActiveHistory.Ca (blog), June 15, 2015.
http://activehistory.ca/2015/06/the-role-of-canadas-museums-and-archives-in-reconciliation/.
#Twitterstorians and Primary Sources
Cody Groat @cwilliamg
September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I’ll be giving a free public lecture on the Residential School System, and my families lived experience, for the community. You can register here: https://westernconnect.ca/site/Calendar?
Kris Cromwell (@IngleWitch), June 24, 2021 “This is a non exhaustive but still quite good resource for the USA using data from the US office of Indian Affairs” https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/additional-resources/location-indian-boarding-school-throughout-united-states
Millions, Erin, “Thread: A key argument of residential school deniers is that the schools were ‘products of their time’ & we can’t judge the past by present standards. Persistent and consistent critiques of the schools were made for over a hundred years. Here are the receipts #residentialschools” https://twitter.com/erinmillions/status/1409103124900597761, June 27, 2001.
Steve Schwinghamer (@s_schwinghamer) August 18, 2021, “If you’re interested in justice and injustice in Canada @NS_Archives offers a great deal of material related to the 1986-87 Royal Commission on the Donald Marshall Jr. Prosecution. #cdnhist” Nova Scotia Archives, Royal Commission on the prosecution of Donald Marshall Jr. https://archives.novascotia.ca/marshall/.
Shekon Neechie @ShekonNeechie
http://ShekonNeechie.ca is a venue for Indigenous historians to gather as an e-community and share their ideas or works in progress.
Storykeepers Podcast @StorykeepersPod
Let’s talk Indigenous books! Storykeepers is a monthly podcast about books by Indigenous authors, hosted by Jennifer David and Waubgeshig Rice.
Blogs
Fraser, Crystal and Mosby, Ian. “Setting Canadian History Right?: A Response to Ken Coates’ ‘Second Thoughts about Residential Schools’”. April 7, 2015
Films
Hubbard, Tasha. Nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up. National Film Board of Canada. Accessed September 10, 2021. https://www.nfb.ca/film/nipawistamasowin-we-will-stand-up/.
Noyce, Phillip, Everlyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, and Kenneth Branagh. Rabbit-Proof Fence. Biography, Drama. Rumbalara Films, The Australian Film Commission, Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC), 2002.
Williams, Alex. The Pass System. Tamarack Productions, 2015. https://vimeo.com/125253802.
Resources for Elementary, Middle, High School and Postsecondary Teaching and Learning
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is hosting an online event “Truth and Reconciliation Week” from September 27th to October 1st. The event is open to all Canadian schools for youth grades 5-12.
In Memoriam, works by Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton
https://49thshelf.com/Lists/Members/2021-22/In-Memoriam-Margaret-Olemaun-Pokiak-Fenton.
Teaching
Lynn Hunt: Why History Matters | The Hedgehog and the Fox.[1] Accessed September 15, 2021. https://shows.acast.com/5e957b9f339fe2a164bb4536/episodes/5e957bbc3bd94228345c18ad.
Nickle, Sarah, Adele Perry, Alison Norman and Jo McCutcheon. A Syllabus for History After the TRC, September 2018.
Rawle, Fiona. THE Campus Learn, Share, Connect. “A Pedagogy of Kindness: The Cornerstone for Student Learning and Wellness,” August 20, 2021.
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/pedagogy-kindness-cornerstone-student-learning-and-wellness.
4 Seasons of Reconciliation
https://www.fnuniv.ca/4-seasons-of-reconciliation/.
Project of Heart – The Truth and Reconciliation Curriculum Guides
https://projectofheartontario.ca/trc-guides/.
ARPDC – Classroom Supports
https://empoweringthespirit.ca/classroom-supports/.
International Contexts
Dunbar-Ortiz, Roxanne. An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States Beacon’s Press, 2014.
Jacobs, Margaret. “Indian Boarding Schools in Comparative Perspective: The Removal of Indigenous Children in the United States and Australia, 1880 – 1940” in Clifford E. Trafzer, Jean A. Keller and Lorene Sisquoc (editors) Boarding School Blues: Revisiting American Indian Experiences (University of Nebraska Press, 2006.)
Trafzer, Clifford E., Jean A. Keller, and Lorene Sisquoc, Introduction “Origin and Development of the American Indian Boarding School System” in Clifford E. Trafzer, Jean A. Keller and Lorene Sisquoc (editors) Boarding School Blues: Revisiting American Indian Experiences (University of Nebraska Press, 2006.)
[1] August 19, 2021, @jburnford “For your syllabus consideration…”