Social Studies Resources

Renewal, the second book in the Footbridge series, guides K–12 educators in bringing Indigenous voices and the philosophy, principles, and practices of Indigenous land-based education into their teaching. This text encourages educators to:

• respectfully renew their own relationships with land directly engage students with the land, no matter where they are located
• guide students in learning through observation, listening, and discussion and to take action in response
• honour diverse ways of knowing and being
• understand historic injustices and engage with the contemporary Land Back movement

Through critical engagement with diverse written and visual works created by Indigenous leaders, land defenders, scholars, and Knowledge Keepers, experienced educators Christine M'Lot and Katya Adamov Ferguson support readers in connecting with Indigenous perspectives on land and water. They offer guidance on bringing Indigenous works into the classroom, including concrete ways to facilitate discussions around land-based topics, advice for land-based activities, and suggestions for how students can engage with these topics through inquiry learning.

In this resource, you will find:

• prompts for individual reflection and group discussion
• valuable concepts and methods that can be applied in the classroom and beyond
• practical action steps and resources for educators, parents, librarians, and administrators

Use this book as a springboard for your own learning journey or as a lively prompt for dialogue within your professional learning community.

Reviews
"Renewal lays out a simple and practical approach to land-based education. It works from the premise that land-based education is not simply “taking the classroom outside,” but is about "education on the land, about the land, and from the land.” The spiritual foundation of earth-based cultures is about living in your place as one small, equal part of the land (land being the entirety of air, earth, water, living beings, and spirits), a foundation common to most Indigenous cultures on this planet. I hope that others adopt it in their journey to become more holistic educators and maybe even make a positive difference in shaping how we humans interact with the land." — Dr. Garry Merkel, Director, Centre of Indigenous Land Stewardship, The University of British Columbia

Educator & Series Information
For use with grades K to 12.

This book is part of The Footbridge Series. This series aims to bridge curricular outcomes with Indigenous-centered content and perspectives from across Turtle Island. Like a footbridge, this series is intended to provide a path between Indigenous worldviews and the classroom, engaging differences, including tensions, and highlighting the importance of balance, all while helping teachers integrate Indigenous perspectives into multiple disciplines within the K-12 education system. 

Contributions by Nicki Ferland, Peatr Thomas, Tyna Legault Taylor, Shannon Webb-Campbell, Tasha Beeds, Sonny Assu, Shalan Joudry, Tricia Logan, Dakota Bear, Shirli Ewanchuk, Dan Henhawk, Réal Carrière, Hetxw'ms Gyetxw Brett D. Huson, Reanna McKay (Merasty)

Photographs by Inuksaq Angotingoar, Makayla Aupaluktuq, Brendan Kingilik, Carina Kingilik, Kyle Lareau, Quin Mikkungwak, Narkyagik, Kaylee Rumbolt, Marissa Scottie, Nathan Snow, Connor Tagoona-Niego, Koen Tapatai, and Shelly Tunguaq

Additional Information
224 pages | 7.00" x 10.00" | Paperback

A teacher lesson plan that accompanies the book, The Seventh Direction. Includes comprehension questions, group activities, colouring pages, and more. In this enlightening legend shared by Lakota Elder Kevin Locke, Wakhan Thanka  (The Great Spirit) created the entire world in seven days; leaving the most precious creation for last. In order to protect this precious creation, Wakhan Thanka needed to hide it where it would always be safe and turned to our animal relatives for help. Together, they found the perfect place. Do you know where they chose?

Educator Information
This lesson plan accompanies the book The Seventh Direction: A Legend of Creation.

This lesson plan is available in French: La septième direction Plan de cours 

Additional Information
12 pages | 8.75" x 11.00" | Paper Packet 

A teacher lesson plan that accompanies the book, Every Child Matters. Includes conversation questions, group activites, colouring pages and more. Learn the meaning behind the phrase, ‘Every Child Matters.' Orange Shirt Day founder, Phyllis Webstad, offers insights into this heartfelt movement. Every Child Matters honours the history and resiliency of Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island and moves us all forward on a path toward Truth and Reconciliation. If you're a Residential School Survivor or an Intergenerational Survivor - you matter. For the children who didn't make it home - you matter. The child inside every one of us matters. Every Child Matters.

Educator Information
Lesson plan for ages 6 to 10.

License allows the use of this lesson plan within a single school. It can be copied and shared within one school but is not to be shared beyond that.

Find the student resource here: Every Child Matters

Additional Information
12 Pages | 11.82" x 5.44" | Paper packet 

CRITR provides dozens of lessons and 100s of questions covering important topics including: Indigenous Canadian History, Residential Schools, Indigenous Contributions past and present, Treaties, and Indigenous Days of Recognition in Canada.

This book is a collection of parts of the history of the Indigenous Peoples in Canada and of the process of reconciliation.  It is designed to educate all children and youth -- our future leaders -- about Indigenous history and current events.  It is intended to give a better understanding and to positively contribute to reconciliation.

Together, we must consider the past, the present, and the future in our efforts to better ourselves and future generations.

This book provides a wealth of high-quality articles and learning activities, consisting of units and lessons that can be used by anyone -- teachers, parents, students, business professionals -- who may have little or no prior knowledge or understanding of Indigenous Peoples or subjects.

In this book, you will meet real Indigenous Peoples speaking out and sharing their stories and their firsthand experiences, and you will clearly hear their passion for reconciliation.

This book is unique. The stories told within its covers are unique, just like everyone working through their own journey of understanding and doing their small part towards reconciliation.

“We need to pursue reconciliation consistently and passionately. Education has gotten us into this mess, and education will get us out. We see this as our challenge and our hope.” -The Honourable Senator Murray Sinclair

Educator Information
Recommended for grades 8 to 12.

CRITR Workbook Features

• Indigenous knowledge from different Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous perspectives.
• Dozens of lessons covering important topics including Residential Schools, Treaties, and Indigenous Contributions.
• Beautiful original art on the cover and throughout the book.
• An Indigenous worldview expressing people's need to develop themselves and their children, in a way that addresses their spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental gifts.
• An approach to the teaching and healing process that is interconnected and cyclical in nature.
• An introduction to readers of the concept of a "sacred circle," also known as a medicine wheel, as well as First Peoples' principles of learning in general terms.
• Words of encouragement.
• A balance between too much and too little content.
• Information and a layout to inform and inspire without overwhelming the teacher or the student, in the classroom or at home.
• Fresh insights and learning activities for key Indigenous events that are celebrated annually in schools and communities across the Nation.
• Critical thinking questions to inspire new learning.
• Activities for individuals and groups.
• Grade-level appropriate word choices to help with improved vocabulary.

How is the CRITR workbook organized?

Each lesson follows this pattern:

• An easy-to-read lesson that may be read in under 5 minutes
• A vocabulary focus called Word Power that defines key words from the lesson
• A set of questions easily answered from the reading
• A Critical Thinking section is included to enhance learning
• Sprinkled throughout the CRITR Workbook are relevant individual and group activity recommendations.

Additional resources are identified throughout the pages with links, including information about how to connect with the Indigenous authors and artists.

Activities, colouring, and word search pages may be downloaded for free. An answer key is included at the end of the book.

What will students learn from this resource?

• Reconciliation is about change, justice, respect, and re-building the relationships between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples in Canada
• Indigenous History of Canada
• Empathy that comes from understanding and being educated
• Knowledge about important and sensitive topics, including stories told by Indigenous authors about what occurred at residential schools. It is important to know these stories of assimilation
• Capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect as prescribed specifically in CTA #63

Educator Information

Additional Information
188 Pages | 9" x 11.5" x 0.5" | Spiral Bound

CRITR provides dozens of lessons and 100s of questions covering important topics including: Indigenous Canadian History, Residential Schools, Indigenous Contributions past and present, Treaties, and Indigenous Days of Recognition in Canada.

This book is a collection of parts of the history of the Indigenous Peoples in Canada and of the process of reconciliation.  It is designed to educate all children and youth -- our future leaders -- about Indigenous history and current events.  It is intended to give a better understanding and to positively contribute to reconciliation.

Together, we must consider the past, the present, and the future in our efforts to better ourselves and future generations.

This book provides a wealth of high-quality articles and learning activities, consisting of units and lessons that can be used by anyone -- teachers, parents, students, business professionals -- who may have little or no prior knowledge or understanding of Indigenous Peoples or subjects.

In this book, you will meet real Indigenous Peoples speaking out and sharing their stories and their firsthand experiences, and you will clearly hear their passion for reconciliation.

This book is unique. The stories told within its covers are unique, just like everyone working through their own journey of understanding and doing their small part towards reconciliation.

“We need to pursue reconciliation consistently and passionately. Education has gotten us into this mess, and education will get us out. We see this as our challenge and our hope.” -The Honourable Senator Murray Sinclair

Educator Information
Recommended for grades 5 to 7.

CRITR Workbook Features

• Indigenous knowledge from different Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous perspectives.
• Dozens of lessons covering important topics including Residential Schools, Treaties, and Indigenous Contributions.
• Beautiful original art on the cover and throughout the book.
• An Indigenous worldview expressing people's need to develop themselves and their children, in a way that addresses their spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental gifts.
• An approach to the teaching and healing process that is interconnected and cyclical in nature.
• An introduction to readers of the concept of a "sacred circle," also known as a medicine wheel, as well as First Peoples' principles of learning in general terms.
• Words of encouragement.
• A balance between too much and too little content.
• Information and a layout to inform and inspire without overwhelming the teacher or the student, in the classroom or at home.
• Fresh insights and learning activities for key Indigenous events that are celebrated annually in schools and communities across the Nation.
• Critical thinking questions to inspire new learning.
• Activities for individuals and groups.
• The font in the grade 5 to 7 book is ideal for young readers ( Arial 13.5-point font). Additionally, the grade 5 to 7 book features shorter sentence structure for easy reading and comprehension. 
• A few activities and lessons featured in the grade 8 to 12 resource have been changed or removed in the grade 5 to 7 book due to the maturity level of the subject matter.  
• Grade-level appropriate word choices to help with improved vocabulary.

How is the CRITR workbook organized?

Each lesson follows this pattern:

• An easy-to-read lesson that may be read in under 5 minutes
• A vocabulary focus called Word Power that defines key words from the lesson
• A set of questions easily answered from the reading
• A Critical Thinking section is included to enhance learning
• Sprinkled throughout the CRITR Workbook are relevant individual and group activity recommendations.

Additional resources are identified throughout the pages with links, including information about how to connect with the Indigenous authors and artists.

Activities, colouring, and word search pages may be downloaded for free. An answer key is included at the end of the book.

What will students learn from this resource?

• Reconciliation is about change, justice, respect, and re-building the relationships between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples in Canada
• Indigenous History of Canada
• Empathy that comes from understanding and being educated
• Knowledge about important and sensitive topics, including stories told by Indigenous authors about what occurred at residential schools. It is important to know these stories of assimilation
• Capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect as prescribed specifically in CTA #63

Educator Information

Additional Information
176 Pages | 9" x 11.5" x 0.5" | Spiral Bound 

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Indigenous activism have made many non-Indigenous Canadians uncomfortably aware of how little they know about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. In Braided Learning, Susan Dion shares her approach to engaging with Indigenous histories and perspectives. Using the power of stories and artwork, Dion offers respectful ways to learn from and teach about challenging topics including settler-colonialism, treaties, the Indian Act, residential schools, and the Sixties Scoop. Informed by Indigenous pedagogy, Braided Learning draws on Indigenous knowledge to make sense of a difficult past, decode unjust conditions in the present, and work toward a more equitable future.

This book is a must-read for teachers and education students. It should also be read by students and practitioners in social work, child and youth counselling, policing, and nursing, or anyone seeking a foundational understanding of the histories of Indigenous peoples and of settler colonialism in Canada.

Reviews
“This book should be in every educator’s library. It serves as a model for educators to learn and teach about the history of Indigenous peoples and settler colonialism without fear or reservation. It is exactly what has been asked for over and over again.”— Tracey Laverty, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Education, Saskatoon Public Schools

"Braided Learning is a safe learning space for people at the start of their learning journey about Indigenous education and history. Each reader will take away the parts of the stories that are important to them, just like listeners do when we hear stories in the lodge from our elders. Nobody tells you what to do – you figure it out yourself with some subtle guidance." — Deb St. Amant, elder-in-residence, Faculty of Education, Queen’s University

"Understanding how educators can participate in reconciliation means understanding what stands in the way. Susan Dion understands both. Highly readable, engaging, and passionate, this book moves teachers from apprehension to action. Educators of all levels, read this book and take heed of Dion’s question: “So what are you going to do now?” — Amanda Gebhard, co-editor of White Benevolence: Racism and Colonial Violence in the Helping Professions

Educator Information
Table of Contents
Introduction: Indigenous Presence

1 Requisites for Reconciliation

2 Seeing Yourself in Relationship with Settler Colonialism

3 The Historical Timeline: Refusing Absence, Knowing Presence, and Being Indigenous

4 Learning from Contemporary Indigenous Artists

5 The Braiding Histories Stories / Co-written with Michael R. Dion

Conclusion: Wuleelham – Make Good Tracks

Glossary and Additional Resources: Making Connections, Extending Learning

Notes; Bibliography

Additional Information
288 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

Resurgence is an inspiring collection of contemporary Indigenous poetry, art, and narratives that guides teachers in bridging existing K–12 curricula with Indigenous voices and pedagogies. Walk with us along the footbridge which seeks to:

• connect peoples and places
• link truth and reconciliation as ongoing processes
• symbolize the risk and urgency of this work for both Indigenous and settler educators
• engage tensions
• highlight the importance of balance, both of ideas and within ourselves

Through critical engagement with the texts, experienced educators Christine M’Lot and Katya Adamov Ferguson support readers in connecting with Indigenous narratives and perspectives, bringing Indigenous works in their classrooms, and creating more equitable and sustainable teaching practices.

In this resource, you will find

• diverse Indigenous voices, perspectives, and art forms from all across Turtle Island
• valuable concepts and methods that can be applied to the classroom and beyond
• practical action steps and resources for educators, parents, librarians, and administrators

Use this book as a springboard for your own learning journey or as a lively prompt for dialogue within your professional learning community.

Reviews
"Over the past several years, calls have come from across Canada for the inclusion of Indigenous worldviews and knowledge in all levels of education in the country. Enter...Resurgence." ––Windspeaker

Educator & Series Information
For use with K-12 curricula. 

Contributors include KC Adams, Charlene Bearhead, Wilson Bearhead, Lisa Boivin, Nicola Campbell, Sara Florence Davidson, David A. Robertson, and Christina Lavalley Ruddy, and more!

Subjects / Themes: Education; Professional Development; Social Science; Indigenous Studies; Language Arts Disciplines; Study Teaching

This book is part of The Footbridge Series. This series aims to bridge curricular outcomes with Indigenous-centered content and perspectives from across Turtle Island. Like a footbridge, this series is intended to provide a path between Indigenous worldviews and the classroom, engaging differences, including tensions, and highlighting the importance of balance, all while helping teachers integrate Indigenous perspectives into multiple disciplines within the K-12 education system. 

Table of Contents
Introduction

About This Book

About The Footbridge Series

Part 1: Resistance

Beyond Being Silenced by Sara Florence Davidson

• Connections

Poetry as Cultural Expression by Rita Bouvier

• Connections

T’seka Reflection by Lucy Hemphill

• Connections

Poetry by Louise Bernice Halfe

• Connections

Part 2: Resilience

Mental Health by David A. Robertson

• Connections

Writing as a Therapeutic Medium by Wanda John-Kehewin

• Connections

Birch Bark Technology by KC Adams

• Connections

Images and Health by Lisa Boivin

• Connections

Part 3: Restoring

Stories are Resurgence by Wilson Bearhead and Charlene Bearhead

• Connections

Why am I not on Star Trek? by Sonya Ballantyne

• Connections

Indigenous Spaces by Reanna Merasty

• Connections

Games as Resurgence by Elizabeth LaPensée

• Connections

Part 4: Reconnecting

Poems by Nicola I. Campbell

• Connections

Paths of Tradition by Russell Wallace

• Connections

Let the Children Play by Victoria McIntosh

• Connections

Ethnomathematics and Beading by Christina Ruddy

• Connections

The Contributors

Additional Resources

Index

Additional Information
224 pages | 7.00" x 10.00" | Paperback

Educator Information
Recommended for use with grades 1 to 6 (elementary students).

Everything educators need is included in this single work -- contemporary Indigenous stories to read aloud and explore with students, as well as story guides, a map, plant information pages, suggestions for classroom activities, discussion questions, inquiry activities, talking together points, information to support intergenerational or peer-to-peer learning, and connections to the Core Competencies and social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies.

Find a bundle for Animals Care for Mother Earth that includes the book and learning environment resources HERE!

Additional Information
32 Pages | 8.5" x 11" | ISBN: 9781771745970 | Paperback

From the creators of Potlatch as Pedagogy: Learning Through Ceremony, the Sḵ'ad'a Stories series brings intergenerational learning to life. Haida children learn important life lessons from their Elders through real-life situations, cultural traditions, and experiences out on the land.

Written by Sḵ'ad'a Stories author Sara Florence Davidson and educator Katya Adamov Ferguson, the Teacher Guide for the Sḵ'ad'a Stories helps teachers engage their students through the lens of intergenerational learning and authentic experiences. This guide:

- outlines the Sḵ'ad'a principles found in the stories
- shows how to use the Sḵ'ad'a principles in your classroom
- provides the behind-the-scenes thinking of the authors and illustrator
- explains the significance of this series as part of Haida cultural resurgence and preservation
- provides critical perspectives on the impact of colonialism on Haida knowledges
- includes resources and inspirations for educators

This teacher guide is appropriate for all grade levels.

Educator Information

Table of Contents

Introduction

About the Sḵ’ad’a Stories Series

About This Guide

Part 1: Teacher Preparation: Understanding Cultural Contexts and the Emergence of Sḵ’ad’a

Haida Culture and Knowledges

• Haida Gwaii
• Silencing the Haida
• Thriving Haida Communities

Understanding Sḵ’ad’a

• Conversation With Sara
• Branch of Davidson Family Tree

Becoming “Story-Ready”

• Holistic Engagement with Stories

Part 2: Teacher Learning: Sḵ’ad’a for Educators

Significance of Series

Intergenerational Stories

Sḵ’ad’a for Educators and Professional Learning Communities

Sḵ’ad’a Principles

Part 3: Teacher Practice: Ideas for Engaging With the Sḵ’ad’a Stories

Sḵ’ad’a Principles in Practice

Themes and Connections

Engaging Sḵ’ad’a Stories With Students

• Interactive Read-Alouds
• Making Meaning From Stories
• Mentor Texts
• Critical Literacy
• Artifactual Literacies

Sampling of Sḵ’ad’a Activity Ideas

Book-Specific Supports—Jigging for Halibut With Tsinii

Book-Specific Supports—Learning to Carve Argillite

Book-Specific Supports—Returning to the Yakoun River

Book-Specific Supports—Dancing With Our Ancestors

Resources

References

Additional Information
48 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | Paperback

This book for students examines a child welfare policy in Canada that began in 1951 in which Indigenous children were taken from their homes and put into the care of non-Indigenous families. These children grew up without their birth families, cultural roots and language. Many tried to run away and some died in the attempt. The taking of the children became known as the Sixties Scoop. The term “Sixties Scoop” makes explicit reference to the 1960s, but the policies and practices started before the 1960s and lasted long after. Today, Indigenous children are over-represented in the Child Welfare System across Canada in shocking numbers.

Indigenous communities got organized and fought back for their children. In 1985, the Kimelman Report was released, condemning the practice of adopting Indigenous children into non-Indigenous families and for taking so many children out of their communities.

In the 1990s, lawsuits were filed against the governments who had supported taking the children. In 2018 and 2019, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba apologized for their roles in supporting the adoption programs. In 2020, the Canadian government agreed to a settlement for survivors of the Scoop.

Through hundreds of photos and primary documents, readers will meet many survivors of the Scoop. They’ll also learn how Indigenous communities fought back to save their children and won, and how Indigenous communities across Canada are working towards healing today.

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Righting Canada's Wrongs series.

Recommended for ages 13 to 18.

This book is available in French: La rafle des années 1960: et enfance volée aux jeunes Autochtones.

Additional Information
104 pages | 9.01" x 11.02" | 300 Photographs | Hardcover 

The A Girl Called Echo series tells the story of Métis teenager Echo Desjardins, who is struggling to adjust to a new school and a new home while in foster care. Readers follow Echo as she travels through time and experiences pivotal events from Métis history, gains new perspectives about where she came from, and imagines what the future might hold.

Written by Anishinaabe educator Reuben Boulette, the Teacher Guide for A Girl Called Echo includes

• lesson plans specific to each book in the A Girl Called Echo series
• original articles outlining the history of the Métis Nation and their fight for sovereignty
• in-depth reading activities that engage students’ critical thinking skills
• activities that introduce students to the critical study of graphic novels and sequential art

This teacher guide will engage students’ understanding of Métis history and culture and encourage reflection on the importance of learning Indigenous histories.

Educator Information
Recommended for grades 6 to 8.

Find the A Girl Called Echo Series HERE!

Additional Information
72 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | Spiral Bound

The graphic novel, This Place: 150 Years Retold, includes a variety of historical and contemporary stories that highlight important moments in Indigenous and Canadian history.

Written by Anishinaabe educator Christine M'Lot, the Teacher Guide for This Place: 150 Years Retold offers 12 comprehensive lessons that support teachers in

• introducing students to the unique demographic, historical, and cultural legacy of Indigenous communities and exploring acts of sovereignty and resiliency
• using circle pedagogy to show the interconnectedness of ideas and topics, primarily in the form of the medicine wheel
• infusing Indigenous pedagogical practices, such as working with others, seeking holism in understanding, and learning through storytelling
• engaging students’ understanding and encouraging them to embrace differing worldviews
• NEW! Incorporating the This Place CBC podcast when studying the graphic novel

Educator Information
Lessons in this teacher guide are appropriate to Grades 9–12 English, Grade 11 Global Issues, and Grade 12 Current Topics in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies classes. They are also adaptable to relevant university or college courses.

Additional Information
160 Pages | 8.5" x 11" | Spiral Bound 

A collection of authentic Orange Shirt Day books from the founder of the Orange Shirt Day movement, Phyllis Webstad. Package includes four books and three accompanying lesson plans, The Orange Shirt Story, Phyllis's Orange Shirt, Orange Shirt Day and Beyond the Orange Shirt Story.

Educator Information
Includes picture books for children, as well as books for young adults.  Review individual titles for more information about each include:

• The Orange Shirt Story
• Phyllis's Orange Shirt
• Orange Shirt Day
• Beyond the Orange Shirt Story

Additional Information
9.00" x 12.00"

Sugar Falls is a story of strength, family, and culture that shares the awe-inspiring resilience of Elder Betty Ross. Taken away to a residential school, Betsy is forced to endure abuse and indignity, but her father’s words give her the strength and determination to survive.

Written by Anishinaabe educator Christine M'Lot, the Teacher Guide for Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story offers a diverse menu of activities that support teachers in

• planning lessons throughout the reading process, including before, during, and after reading Sugar Falls
• creating dynamic learning experiences for their students, while maintaining a respectful and dignified approach to Indigenous topics
• enhancing students’ prior knowledge about the topics addressed in the book
• using trauma-informed practices to prepare students for sensitive topics
• identifying cross-curricular connections and opportunities to collaborate with teachers in other subject areas
• infusing Indigenous pedagogical practices, such as working with others, seeking holism in understanding, and learning through storytelling
• engaging students’ understanding and encouraging them to embrace differing worldviews
• facilitating activities for individual students, small groups, whole-class instruction and discussion, or even the whole school

Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story includes sensitive topics (e.g., abuse, trauma); therefore, it is most appropriate for grades 9–12. The activities in this guide are most appropriate for courses such as English Language Arts, Social Studies, History, Global or Contemporary Issues, as well as Current Topics in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies. They could be adapted for use at the university or college level.

Find the student resource here: Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story 

Additional Information
92 pages | 8.50" x 11.00"

Teacher lesson plans and resources that accompany the book Beyond the Orange Shirt Story.

Beyond the Orange Shirt Story is a unique collection of truths, as told by Phyllis Webstad's family and others, that will give readers an up-close look at what life was like before, during, and after their Residential School experiences. In this book, Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors share their stories authentically and in their own words. Phyllis Webstad is a Residential School Survivor and founder of the Orange Shirt Day movement. Phyllis has carefully selected stories to help Canadians educate themselves and gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of the Residential School System. Readers of this book will become more aware of a number of challenges faced by many Indigenous peoples in Canada. With this awareness comes learning and unlearning, understanding, acceptance, and change. Phyllis's hope is that all Canadians honour the lives and experiences of Survivors and their families as we go Beyond the Orange Shirt Story.

Educator Information
License allows the use of this lesson plan within a single school. It can be copied and shared within one school but is not to be shared beyond that.

Teacher lesson plans and resources that accompany the book Beyond the Orange Shirt Story.

Recommended for use with ages 12+.

Additional Information
15 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" 

This is the Teacher Lesson Plan that accompanies the book Meet Your Family. Includes comprehension questions, group activities, wordsearch, colouring pages etc. Mother Earth, we come from her, we go to her, without her we wouldn't be here, she gives all of us life and because of her we are all one family. In many segments of Indigenous life we speak of Mother Earth, Father Sky, Grandfather Sun, and Grandmother Moon.

Meet Your Family is a rhythmic poem that will enlighten readers on how to view these important figures and share a greater concept of seeing the world as our natural family. Meet Your Family is presented in both English and Ojibway. An additional softcover book written in Ojibway with a phonetics guide is included inside this hardcover book.

Educator Information
Includes:

– Brainstorming Activity

– Letter Writing

– Comprehension Questions

– Colouring

– Crossword Puzzle

– Word Search

The license allows the use of this lesson plan within a single school. It can be copied and shared within one school but is not to be shared beyond that.

The student resource is available here: Meet Your Family / Gikenim Giniigi'igoog

Additional Information
12 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | b&w illustrations 

This Teacher Lesson Plan that accompanies the book, This Is What I've Been Told. Includes comprehension questions, group activities, wordsearch, colouring pages etc. It's been said when teachings are passed down from one generation to the next, good things can happen. Language is learned, knowledge is shared and culture is practiced. In this story of language preservation, author/illustrator and Anishnaabemowin language teacher Juliana Armstrong illuminates a number of Anishnaabemowin words along with their cultural connections, passed down from her Ojibway ancestors. Knowing our culture means knowing who we are. When we know who we are, we can walk in a good way.

Educator Information
This book shares Anishnaabemowin words, their cultural connections and their pronunciations with the help of phonetics. This teacher lesson plan includes comprehension questions, group activities, coloring pages and more.

What's Included:

– Brainstorming Activity

– Letter Writing

– Comprehension Questions

– Colouring

– Crossword Puzzle

– Word Search

The license allows the use of this lesson plan within a single school. It can be copied and shared within one school but is not to be shared beyond that.

This resource is available in French: C'est ce qu'on m'a dit Teacher Lesson Plan 

Additional Information
12 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | b&w illustrations 

Orca Origins is a nonfiction series for middle readers that explores cultural traditions around the world. This guide helps educators use the Orca Origins series to build an inquiry-based unit plan that focuses on the diverse traditions from different cultural celebrations around the world and teaches students tolerance. This is done with a variety of dynamic learning activities, handouts and graphic organizers to support students’ learning. The guide includes introductions to six Orca Origins titles: Birthdays, Chinese New Year, Christmas, Diwali, Passover, and Ramadan.

Key Points:

• In the current climate of divisiveness, it is now more important than ever to encourage multicultural understanding -- this guide shows educators how to do that in the classroom.
• Tasha Henry is an experienced educator who holds a Master of Education in Language, Culture, and Teaching.
• Themes include inquiry-based learning, responsive teaching, multicultural education, teaching to diversity.

Additional Information
48 pages | 11.00" x 8.50"

Teacher’s Guide for Powwow Counting in Cree gives you engaging activities that take a deeper look at each illustration in the book, Powwow Counting in Cree. In this resource you will find:
- background information that addresses specific topics related to Cree culture and language
- detailed, easy-to-follow lesson plans for social studies, language arts, mathematics, and other content areas
- additional sources of information about Cree language and culture
- and much more.

Additional Information
28 pages | 8.00" x 9.00"

Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation is a nonfiction book for middle readers that examines how we can foster Reconciliation in an accessible way. Centered around the writings of Monique Gray Smith, this teacher guide is a comprehensive support for educators focusing on Indigenous teachings and looking to build an inquiry-based unit plan about Reconciliation. Activities such as essential questions from the author, metaphors for learning and cross-curricular plans are laid out clearly, with instructions and appropriate vocabulary for teachers and students to embark on this journey of Reconciliation together.

Educator Information
This resource helps teachers embark on a journey of Reconciliation in the classroom. The author, Tasha Henry, holds a Master of Education in Language, Culture and Teaching from York University and has been teaching for over twenty years.

Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2019-2020 resource list as being a useful Teacher Resource with regard to English Language Arts, Social Justice, and Social Studies.

Find the student resource here: Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation 

Additional Information
46 pages | 8.50" x 11.00"

The Land We Are is a stunning collection of writing and art that interrogates the current era of reconciliation in Canada. Using visual, poetic, and theoretical language, the contributors approach reconciliation as a problematic narrative about Indigenous-settler relations, but also as a site where conversations about a just future must occur. The result of a four-year collaboration between artists and scholars engaged in resurgence and decolonization, The Land We Are is a moving dialogue that blurs the boundaries between activism, research, and the arts.

The contributors to this book include leading artists and scholars engaged in questions of resurgence, restitution, and decolonization.

Contributors: Jordan Abel, Leah Decter, Jonathan Dewar, David Garneau, Ayumi Goto, Allison Hargreaves, Gabrielle L'Hirondelle Hill, Jaimie Isaac, David Jefferess, Layli Long Soldier, The New BC Indian Art and Welfare Society Collective, Sophie McCall, Peter Morin, Skeena Reece, Dylan Robinson, Sandra Semchuk, Adrian Stimson, Clement Yeh, and Keren Zaiontz.

Reviews
"This beautifully produced, richly illustrated volume not only offers readers a visual journey into the featured artistic installations and performance pieces, but through its creative use of text and graphic design is itself an artistic statement on reconciliation." --Winnipeg Free Press

Educator Information
Recommended for students in grades 11 and 12, as well as at a college/university level.  

Additional Information
240 pages | 6.50" x 9.50"

The Drum Story book and movie were created so people could hear and see the storyteller tell the story. This book and DVD combination also features the Ojibwe language alongside English. This beautiful and ancient story has been passed down through many generations. The story tells of a young girl given the gift of the first drum, and how she used that drum to bring peace to her people. Told in the traditional oral style, the teachings of the story are all about respect for one another and how to live well and properly with Mother Earth.

This hardcover book is richly illustrated (60 pictures and paintings) with 12 originally commissioned original artworks. The DVD is included in a sleeve on the inside back cover. The combination of reading and hearing the story told in the ages-old traditional method is extraordinary. The DVD also features traditional drumming and singing. 

Educator Information
The Drum Story book with story-telling DVD includes English and Ojibwe language translation - selectable on DVD with opposing subtitle and teacher/educational aids in PDF format included on the DVD, printable as a teacher resource. 

Additional Information
65 pages | paperback with DVD 

Indigenous perspectives much older than the nation itself shared through maps, artwork, history and culture.

The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, in partnership with Canada's national Indigenous organizations, has created a groundbreaking four-volume atlas that shares the experiences, perspectives, and histories of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. It's an ambitious and unprecedented project inspired by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action. Exploring themes of language, demographics, economy, environment and culture, with in-depth coverage of treaties and residential schools, these are stories of Canada's Indigenous Peoples, told in detailed maps and rich narratives.

This extraordinary project offers Canada a step on the path toward understanding.

The volumes contain more than 48 pages of reference maps, content from more than 50 Indigenous writers; hundreds of historical and contemporary photographs and a glossary of Indigenous terms, timelines, map of Indigenous languages, and frequently asked questions. All packaged together in a beautifully designed protective slipcase.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+.

The Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada includes a four volume print atlas, an online atlas, an app, and more!

Additional Information
322 pages | 10.50" x 12.87"

Like the night sky above, Tipiskawi Kisik holds a myriad of tales rooted in an Ininew (Cree) perspective. An exploration of stars and constellations—and their associated mythologies—will greet you with age-old knowledge held by Indigenous people prior to European contact. Through Wilfred Buck’s creative, spiritual, and intelligent understanding of the stars, it will be easy to imagine yourself flying inside the Milky Way with Niska (the Goose) or chasing Mista Muskwa (the Great Bear), just like Tepakoop Pinesisuk (the Seven Birds). Above all, these stories can be passed on to the next generation, so they will know of the rich history, science practices, and culture of the Ininew people.

Additional Information
This is a collection of short stories (approximately 25 pages long) with supporting artwork/illustrations. While not aimed at young readers in terms of reading level, this book would support educators in their teaching of Indigenous astronomy to younger audiences, especially since each short story would work well as a read aloud and includes useful illustrations/diagrams of the night sky.

A man of two cultures in an era where his only choices were to be a trailblazer or get left by the wayside.

Dr. Oronhyatekha (“Burning Sky”), born in the Mohawk nation on the Six Nations of the Grand River territory in 1841, led an extraordinary life, rising to prominence in medicine, sports, politics, fraternalism, and business. He was one of the first Indigenous physicians in Canada, the first to attend Oxford University, a Grand River representative to the Prince of Wales during the 1860 royal tour, a Wimbledon rifle champion, the chairman of the Grand General Indian Council of Ontario, and Grand Templar of the International Order of Good Templars. He counted among his friends some of the most powerful people of the day, including John A. Macdonald and Theodore Roosevelt. He successfully challenged the racial criteria of the Independent Order of Foresters to become its first non-white member and ultimately its supreme chief ranger.

At a time when First Nations peoples struggled under assimilative government policy and society’s racial assumptions, his achievements were remarkable.

Oronhyatekha was raised among a people who espoused security, justice, and equality as their creed. He was also raised in a Victorian society guided by God, honour, and duty. He successfully interwove these messages throughout his life, and lived as a man of significant accomplishments in both worlds.

Awards
2016 Ontario Historical Society Joseph Brant Award winner
2017 Speaker's Book Award short-listed

Review
With their detailed biography of this giant of Canadian history, Jamieson and Hamilton have done an enormous favour both for aboriginals and non-aboriginals living on this piece of geography currently known as Canada.
— Tworowtimes

Key Points
- A comprehensive biography of Dr. Oronhyatekha, Canada’s first Indigenous physician, and an influential First Nations statesman.
- Covers his friendships with Teddy Roosevelt and John A. Macdonald and his international business.
- He was the first non-White member of the Independent Order of Foresters (IOF), a fraternally organized life-insurance company, having successfully challenged the race criteria for membership.
- As CEO of the IOF, he transformed it from a near-bankrupt, legally embattled organization to a financially stable international company.
- Ahead of his time, Oronhyatekha attempted to broaden the mandate of the IOF so that women and French-Canadians could belong.
- Also details the political, social, and historical context of the Six Nations of the Grand River community in the mid-nineteenth century.

Additional Information
368 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | b&w and colour illustrations | notes, index, bibliography

Read, Listen, Tell brings together an extraordinary range of Indigenous stories from across Turtle Island (North America). From short fiction to as-told-to narratives, from illustrated stories to personal essays, these stories celebrate the strength of heritage and the liveliness of innovation. Ranging in tone from humorous to defiant to triumphant, the stories explore core concepts in Indigenous literary expression, such as the relations between land, language, and community, the variety of narrative forms, and the continuities between oral and written forms of expression. Rich in insight and bold in execution, the stories proclaim the diversity, vitality, and depth of Indigenous writing.

Building on two decades of scholarly work to centre Indigenous knowledges and perspectives, the book transforms literary method while respecting and honouring Indigenous histories and peoples of these lands. It includes stories by acclaimed writers like Thomas King, Sherman Alexie, Paula Gunn Allen, and Eden Robinson, a new generation of emergent writers, and writers and storytellers who have often been excluded from the canon, such as French- and Spanish-language Indigenous authors, Indigenous authors from Mexico, Chicana/o authors, Indigenous-language authors, works in translation, and "lost" or underappreciated texts.

In a place and time when Indigenous people often have to contend with representations that marginalize or devalue their intellectual and cultural heritage, this collection is a testament to Indigenous resilience and creativity. It shows that the ways in which we read, listen, and tell play key roles in how we establish relationships with one another, and how we might share knowledges across cultures, languages, and social spaces.

Reviews
Edited by experts in Indigenous literature and contextualised beautifully, historical writers like E. Pauline Johnson are placed alongside exciting genres like Indigenous Science Fiction — illustrating the vibrancy and innovation of Indigenous storytelling across time, space and politics. If you want a primer on Indigenous cultural expressions, this is for you. If you want deft, detailed stories in Indigenous written, oral and graphic traditions, these will expand your thinking. Read, Listen, Tell will make you laugh, dream and search for more. — Niigaanwewidam Sinclair

A unique compendium that is the direct result of outstanding and painstaking scholarship, Read, Listen, Tell: Indigenous Stories from Turtle Island is an impressively informative, deftly organized, and exceptionally well presented volume that is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Indigenous Cultural Studies collections and supplemental reading lists. — Midwest Book Review

Read, Listen, Tell collects a brilliant and vast array of indigenous short fiction, bolstered by insightful critical essays that prioritize indigenous voices, culture, and methodologies. — Clarissa Goldsmith, Foreword Reviews, July 2017

Educator Information
• Connects Indigenous writing across colonial settler borders (of Canada, USA, and Mexico) at a time when those borders are hardening in light of security measures.
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission report highlights focus on education, prioritizing Indigenous knowledges, pedagogies, and perspectives—this book provides that.
• Provides curriculum material for new Indigenous content mandates in some provinces (Ontario, BC).
• Includes French-, Spanish-, and Indigenous-language.
• Indigenous authors (in translation).

Additional Information
410 pages | 6.00" x 9.00"
Edited by Sophie McCall, Deanna Reder, David Gaertner, and Gabrielle L'Hirondelle Hill

In this book, author Pamela Toulouse provides current information, personal insights, authentic resources, interactive strategies and lesson plans that support Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners in the classroom. This book is for all teachers that are looking for ways to respectfully infuse residential school history, treaty education, Indigenous contributions, First Nation/Métis/Inuit perspectives and sacred circle teachings into their subjects and courses. The author presents a culturally relevant and holistic approach that facilitates relationship building and promotes ways to engage in reconciliation activities.

Additional Information
147 pages | 8.00" x 10.50"

In Achieving Indigenous Student Success, author Pamela Toulouse provides strategies, lessons, and hands-on activities that support both Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners in the secondary classroom. Read chapters on topics such as:

• Indigenous Pedagogy and Classrooms Considerations
• Indigenous Self-Esteem and Mental Health Activities
• Differentiated Instruction and Bloom's Taxonomy
• Attrition, Retention, Transition, and Graduation Continuum
• Indigenous Themes and Material Resources
• Culturally Appropriate Secondary Lesson Plans by Subject (including English, Math, Science, History, Geography, Health, Physical Education, Drama, Music, Visual Arts, Technological Studies, Business Studies, Indigenous Worldviews, Guidance and Career Studies, and Social Studies and the Humanities)

This book is for all teachers of grades 9–12 who are looking for ways to infuse Indigenous perspectives into their courses. Ideas include best practices for retention/transition/graduation planning, differentiated instruction, assessment, and equity instruction. Using appropriate themes for curricular connections, the author presents a culturally relevant and holistic approach that helps to build bridges between cultures and fosters self-esteem in all students.

Additional Information

Delgamuukw. Sixties Scoop. Bill C-31. Blood quantum. Appropriation. Two-Spirit. Tsilhqot’in. Status. TRC. RCAP. FNPOA. Pass and permit. Numbered Treaties. Terra nullius. The Great Peace…

Are you familiar with the terms listed above? In Indigenous Writes, Chelsea Vowel, legal scholar, teacher, and intellectual, opens an important dialogue about these (and more) concepts and the wider social beliefs associated with the relationship between Indigenous peoples and Canada. In 31 essays, Chelsea explores the Indigenous experience from the time of contact to the present, through five categories – Terminology of Relationships; Culture and Identity; Myth-Busting; State Violence; and Land, Learning, Law, and Treaties. She answers the questions that many people have on these topics to spark further conversations at home, in the classroom, and in the larger community.

Reviews
"Chelsea attacks issues head on, with humour and wit, sarcasm and cynicism and clear, concise and well-organized information. She makes further research easy, as every chapter includes copious endnotes with links to her curated resources. She explains the terminology of identity — status, non-status, registered, membership, Métis, Inuit, cultural appropriation and two-spiritedness." —Nancy Adams-Kramp

"While subtitled A Guide to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Issues in Canada, it would be a mistake to see Indigenous Writes as a book primarily about Indigenous people. Instead, it is much more about all of us — our relationship as non-Indigenous and Indigenous Canadians, and how it has been shaped (and misshaped) by the historic and contemporary governance of these issues.

For any Canadian who wishes to have an informed opinion about the country that we share — or, more to the point, publicly share that opinion — Indigenous Writes is essential reading."—Michael Dudley

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Debwe Series.

For all teachers.

Approved for Manitoba classrooms.  

ERAC approved.

Additional Information
291 pages | 7.00" x 9.00"

In recent decades, educators have been seeking ways to improve outcomes for Indigenous students. Yet most Indigenous education still takes place within a theoretical framework based in Eurocentric thought. Teaching Each Other provides an alternative framework for teachers working with Indigenous students – one that moves beyond merely acknowledging Indigenous culture to one that actually strengthens Indigenous identity. Drawing on Nehinuw (Cree) concepts such as kiskinaumatowin, or "teaching each other," Goulet and Goulet demonstrate how teachers and students can become partners in education. They provide a template for educators anywhere who want to engage with students whose culture is different from that of the mainstream.

Additional Information
256 pages | 6.00" x 9.00"

Amelia McLean Paget was born in 1867 at Fort Simpson, In what is now the Northwest Territories. Her father, William McLean, was a Scot involved in the fur trade and her mother, Helen Murray, belonged to an illustrious Métis famly which had been active in the fur trade for generations. Amelia's life spanned some of the most tumultuous events in the West, including the disappearance of the buffalo, the North-West Resistance, and the establishment of the reserve system. She had a more sympathetic appreciation of Aboriginal culture than is to found in many of her contemporaries. In People of the Plains (first published in 1909), she records her observations of the customs, beliefs, and lifestyles of the Plains Cree and Saulteaux among whom she lived. She died in Ottawa in 1922.

Additional Information
78 pages | 6.75" x 9.75" | Paperback

From Time Immemorial provides an honest and up-to-date survey of the history of the coastal First Nations from pre-contact to the present. The culture of the coastal people was highly complex. Although there were many similarities, there were also many differences among the groups who shared the wealth of their life-sustaining environment. This book provides a broad overview of traditional ways common to a large number of diverse groups. It encourages readers to learn more about particular groups who, long ago, walked the shorelines and forest trails of the Pacific Northwest.

The Teacher’s Guide provides support materials to address 100% of the Learning Standards for the Grade Three Social Studies curriculum and the First Nations content for grades 4-8. It contains detailed lesson plans, reproducible blackline masters, assessment strategies and tools and activities integrating theme across the curriculum (Science, Math, Art and Language Arts).

Educator Information
Table of Contents
Part One
Using the Student Text
Using the Teacher's Guide
Your Social Studies Unit
Prescribed Learning Outcomes Charts
Setting the Stage

Part Two
From Time Immemorial
Chapter 1: Living Together: Villages and Families
Chapter 2: Living in Balance With the Sea: Fishing
Chapter 3: Living in Balance with the Land: Hunting and Gathering
Chapter 4: At Home by the Forest: Shelter and Clothing
Chapter 5: Travel in the Pacific Northwest: By Land, By Sea
Chapter 6: Living with the Spirits: Ceremonies and Beliefs
Chapter 7: Expressing a Culture: Art, Drama, Music and Games
Chapter 8: Living with Other Nations: Trade and Warfare
Chapter 9: Contact with Strangers: Explorers and Traders
Chapter 10: Living with the Newcomers: A Way of Life Ends
Chapter 11: Losing Rights and Freedoms: Legislation and Discrimination

Part Three
Appendix A: Blackline Masters
Appendix B: Assessment/Evaluation Tools
Appendix C: Annotated Related Resource List
Appendix D: Universal Declaration of Human Rights and First Nations RightsInfractions
Appendix E: The National Aboriginal Achievement Awards

Find the student resource that pairs with this teaching guide here: From Time Immemorial: The First Peoples of the Northwest Coast

This Teacher's Guide is also available in French, as is from Time Immemorial:

• Guide de la'enseignant(e) De Temps Immemorial
• De Temps Immemorial: Les Premiers Habitants de la Côte Nord-Ouest du Pacifique

Additional Information
218 pages | blackline masters included | For grades 3-8