Mrs. Karen's Learning Commons: The Truth Shall Set You Free

Gloria Steinem once said, "The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."

This Sept. 30, as many observe National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, it is hard not to get upset when you are faced with the truth that our beloved country systematically tried to assimilate the indigenous people into the cookie-cutter perception of what they thought a Canadian should look and act like.

That act led to the the formation of residential schools and the Sixty's Scoop that saw thousands upon thousands of children torn away from their families to be "educated" in the ways of the European Canadian.

The truth of that act, however, was children who were physically, mentally and sexually abused by the very people who were charged with their care; thousands of children disposed of in unmarked graves on school grounds; and the multi-generational post-traumatic stress disorder that continues to plague Canada's First Nation peoples.

So, as we prepare to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we have to ask ourselves what that reconciliation will actually look like. For many, it will be a day to remember, acknowledge and reconcile with the truths we can no longer hide. Sept. 30 is a day to honour those lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. It is about coming face-to-face with the tragic, painful, horrific realities that befell the indigenous peoples in our nation, and what we intend to do to ensure such atrocities never happen again.

At TMC, revealing that truth begins with wearing a colour that is hard to miss: orange.

The Orange Shirt Day movement has polarized Canadians in acknowledging the long-buried truths that our history books don't quite do justice in recording. Like many throughout the country, our students and staff will don orange shirts Sept 29, on the eve of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation holiday, to commemorate the wrongs done to a huge segment of our population and honour the survivors. We urge everyone to continue that practice on Sept. 30, as well.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action

The federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission operated from 2008 to 2015, with the sole purpose to provide those affected by the legacy of the Residential Schools Policy to present testimonials, stories, statements and experiences. The commission documented the materials gathered and created a library collection for ongoing research.

The commission identified 94 calls to action as a result of the information gathered. The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation was No. 80 on that list.

History of Residential Schools
in Canada

There were 140 federally run Indian Residential Schools in Canada, which operated between 1831 and 1998, with the last school closing some 23 years ago.

Survivors advocated for recognition and reparations, as well as demanded accountability for the lasting legacy of harms caused by the schools.

The commission's efforts resulted in:

The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement
Apologies by the federal government
The establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The creation of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

Why We Wear Orange

On Sept. 29, TMC students and staff will join thousands of other schools in Canada in wearing orange to show solidarity to the Orange Shirt Day movement. This year, the day falls on the eve of the newly appointed National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, which will be a holiday at the Calgary Board of Education, and a day to reflect on the impact residential schools have on our society's past, present and future.

The Orange Shirt Story by Phyllis Webstad, chronicling an eight-year-old's 12 months at the Mission residential school in British Columbia, and the significance of the Orange Shirt movement. It is one of many books on residential schools we have purchased for our Learning Commons collection.

Phyllis (Jack) Webstad's Orange Shirt Story

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Click to Learn more about Orange Shirt Day

When Phyllis Jack was only six years old, she lived with her grandmother on the Dog Creek Reserve in British Columbia until she, like many other indigenous children in Canada, was shipped off to residential school. It was 1973/74, and her grandmother decided to scrape together whatever money she could find to buy Phyllis a bright orange shirt to take with her to the Mission school.

However, upon her arrival, she was stripped of her clothes and the one possession that tied her to her granny. In fact, instead of embracing her, she and others were treated like lesser people — people whose traditions, culture, language, heritage and appearance were displeasing and must be changed. The message was often beat into them so that they would not falter in their transformation. As a result, identities were lost, as was self-worth.

Phyllis was a third-generation residential-school survivor. She had grown up with a mother and grandmother who had similar treatments, with likewise results. To say when the last residential school door closed in 1998 ended the trauma would be delusional, to say the least. As each generation deals with the ramifications of the atrocities and years of abuse at the hands of those in authority, that PTSD adds to the recovery as much as the personal physical and mental distress. It is systemic, long-lasting, irreversible.

So, where can reconciliation be found? In acknowledgement; in consideration; in inclusion; in open, truthful discussions; and, yes, in a visible reminder that the orange shirts represent.

To help accomplish this, Phyllis wrote wrote The Orange Shirt Story, telling the sad tale of her first year at the Mission school and the importance one piece of clothing had to identity.

Today, Phyllis Jack (now Webstad) is a Northern Secwpemc (Schuswap) elder from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band). She lives in Williams Lake, B.C., with her husband, son, step-son, and five grandchildren. She tours the country, telling The Orange Shirt Story, as the executive director of the Orange Shirt Society. The society's goal is to create awareness of individual, family and community intergenerational impacts of Indian residential schools through Orange Shirt Day activities, and to promote the mantra that "every child matters."

The Orange Shirt Society began commemorating Sept. 30 as Orange Shirt Day in 2013 in Williams Lake, B.C., which has since spread throughout school districts across the country.

Secret Path Week: Oct. 17 - 22

Secret Path Week is a national movement which occurs annually from Oct. 17-22.

The week was inspired by The Secret Path by deceased author and Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire. The graphic novel is a heart-rending story of an indigenous boy, Chanie Wenjack, who froze to death while running away from a residential school in an effort to reunite with his family.

Organizers of the week challenge Canadians to use the week to answer 's call to action, "to 'do something' by creating a reconciliaACTION and furthering the conversation about the history of residential schools.

Residential School Books at TMC

Over the past few years, we have steadily accumulated a growing collection of books and audio/visual resources focusing on the residential schools, and their survivors, including: