Remembering the Fallen

"It is ... always like this in a field hospital. Just ambulances rolling in, and dirty, dying men...." — American nurse Ellen la Motte, The Backwash of War,1934

This year, I decided to focus on the voices of the conflicts to commemorate Remembrance Day  — the nurses, the soldiers, the commanders, the politicians, the survivors, and the relatives of the deceased. I wanted students and staff to connect with those voices; see them as people and not just names in a book. We often gloss over details and descriptions when we don't connect the words with the wars; the letters with the legacies; the paragraphs with the people.

"Certainly, humanity has gone mad! It must be mad to do what it's doing. Such slaughter! Such scenes of horror and carnage!" — Lieutenant Alfred Joubaire, Diary Entry at Verdun, May 22, 1916

So in this year's Remembrance Day blog, I have peppered my post with Voices from War, gathered from several books we have at Twelve Mile Coulee, many of which are among those highlighted in my Learning Commons Display. 

"A column of smoke is rising fast. It has a fiery red core. A bubbling mass, with purple-grey in colour, with that red core. It's all turbulent. Fires are springing up everywhere. One, two, three, four, five, six ... 14, 15. It's impossible. There are too many to count. Here it comes, the mushroom shape. It's coming this way. The mushroom is spreading out. It's maybe a mile or two wide and half a mile high. It's growing up and up and up. It's nearly level with us and climbing. The base of the mushroom looks like a heavy undercoat that is shot through with flowers. The city must be below that. The flames and smoke are billowing out, whirling out into the foothills. the hills are disappearing under the smoke." — Sergeant Robert Carson, tail gunner of the Enola Cay, recorded what he could see from the aircraft immediately after the Hiroshima atomic bomb explosion on Aug. 6, 1945, World War II: The Events and Their Impact on Real People by Reg Grant

The poppy was first adopted as a symbol of Remembrance Day on July 6, 1921, following the First World War. Their symbolic use was inspired by In Flanders Fields poem by John McCrae, a lieutenant-colonel from Guelph, Ont., who served as a medical officer during the First World War. He wrote the poem in May 1915, following the death of a fellow soldier. 

Poppy Facts:

• Poppies grew on battlefields because of the rubble. Bombardments of artillery during the First World War left debris on the fields and the lime in the rubble acted as fertilizer for the poppies, allowing them to grow. This is why they grow so abundantly in Europe, particularly in countries such as France and Belgium.
• Poppies have also a long history as a symbol for sleep and death. In fact, according to Greek and Roman mythology, poppies were often placed on tombstones to represent eternal sleep. Some people even thought the vibrant red colour guaranteed the deceased's resurrection after death. In Ancient Egypt, the poppy was a symbol of Osiris, the god of the dead, so many Egyptians were buried with the bright red flower, including King Tutankhamun, whose tomb contained the flower when he was buried about 1324 BC.
• Not all poppies are red. Poppies come in a variety of colours, including blue, pink, white, yellow and orange.
• Poppies are worn on the left. The tradition of wearing a poppy on the lapel to signify Remembrance Day also includes the act of placing it on the left side, as close to the heart as possible. 
• Year-round Pinning. While many prefer to only wear a poppy around Remembrance Day, according to Veterans Affairs Canada, they can be worn anytime. As such, you will often see them at veteran funerals, memorial services, battle anniversaries, and any time the wearer wants to draw attention to the war-time commemorative symbol. 
  
• French Poppy Connection. How poppies came to be a Remembrance Day symbol all began with a French woman named Madame Anna Guerin, who persuaded the Great War Veterans Association to adopt the poppy after years of being known as The French Poppy Lady, who made fabric poppies and sold them to raise money for veterans' needs. She started her own charity to help rebuild parts of France destroyed by the First World War. 

"When the transport (train) with people who were destined to be gassed arrived at the railway ramp, the SS officers selected from among the new arrivals persons fit for work, while the rest — old people, all children, women with children in their arms, and other people not deemed fit to work — were loaded onto trucks and driven to the gas chambers. I used to follow behind till we reached the bunker. These people were first driven into the barrack huts where the victims undressed and then went naked to the gas chambers. After driving all of them into the gas chambers, the door was closed and an SS man in a gas mask threw a Zyklon (gas) tin through an opening in the side wall. The shouting and screaming of the victims could be heard through that opening, and it was clear that they were fighting for their lives. These shouts were heard for a very short while." — Dr. Johann Kremer, German SS doctor at Auschwitz, witnessed these gassings on Sept. 2, 1942, as stated in his testimony given under interrogation after the war, World War II: The Events and Their Impact on Real People by Reg Grant

100 Books Commemorating the Poppy's 100th Anniversary

Learning about the details and impacts of war begins with the simple act of choosing to educate yourself, and that all begins with the checking out of books. 

To order any of our books, and have them delivered to your classroom, just click on the book-order form link, and I'll process them for you. 

TMC has an abundance of titles pertaining to world conflict, whether they are non-fiction or real-fiction in genre, including those listed in TMC's 100 Books for the Poppy's 100th Anniversary.

DIGITAL RESOURCES

Veterans Affairs Canada is a great resource for information on Remembrance Day, and it is no wonder that the day falls in Veterans Week (Nov. 4-11).  You can watch the 2021 Veterans Week promotional video, Unforgettable Day, to honour all those who served in Canada during times of war, military conflict and peace.

Veterans Affairs Canada, in fact, has a number of educational videos for Remembrance Day on its website, including numerous educational videos. Click here to watch any of those listed below:

1. Legacy: New Altars of the Memorial Chamber (7 Min. 47 Sec) To Mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War, six wooden altars within Parliament Hill's Memorial Chamber were replaced by ones made of stone. The video below shows the new altars and shares the story of the sacred place. 
2. First World War: A Voyage of Discovery—85th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge (30 Min. 25 Sec.) Watch the transformation of 13 young Canadians from all across the country, as they travel through the cemeteries, battlefield sites and commemorative battlefield parks of France and Belgium as they begin to understand Canada's role in the war. The present-day footage is mixed with archival historic film, narration and reflections of the youth tell of the discoveries they made during their time overseas. 
3. Innocence Lost: A Nation Found—Canada Remembers: The First World War, 1914-1918 (19 Min. 24 Sec.) Twelve Canadian teenagers travel to France on a veteran's pilgrimage to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Along the way, they develop a new respect for veterans and what they endured during the capturing of the ridge from its German defenders in April 1917.
4. Canada and the Great War, 1914-1918: A Nation Born (19 Min. 49 Sec.) Canada's role in the First World War is told through the eyes of a young student researching a school project. From mobilization to the 1915 gas attack at Ypres, the Newfoundland Regiment and the Battle of the Somme to the victory at Vimy Ridge, the tragedy of Passchendaele and the final days of the war, the video gives an overview of trench warfare and the allied advance over enemy lines to victory.
5. The Second World War: Canada Remembers: Holland (22 Min. 14 Sec) Follow 10 young Canadians as they travel to the Netherlands with Canadian veterans, who are revered and respected by the Dutch for the liberation of their country from German occupation during the final days of the Second World War.
6. Sacrifice, Achievement and Legacy: Canadians and the Second World War, 1939-1945 (22 Min. 09 Sec.) This comprehensive video showcases how Canadians rallied at home and overseas in the face of the largest threat the country has ever faced. Through archival footage and veteran interviews, the video highlights the contributions Canadians made in Hong Kong, Dieppe, Italy, Normandy, Holland and in the Far East, as well as in the skies and seas around the globe. 
7. Canada Remembers the Far East (24 Min. 24 Sec.) While working on a school project, three French-Canadian teenagers discover the important role Canadians played in the Far East during the Second World War. With the use of archival footage, veteran testimony and historical narration, the teens learn about our country's participation in the defence of Hong Kong, the harsh treatment of the Hong Kong prisoners of war by the Japanese, the air force's role in delivering supplies to the troops on the ground in Burma and the Saviour of Cylon.

**********

Erika's Story author Ruth Vander Zee tells the true story of one woman's account during the Holocaust in the Second World War. Erika is a survivor who recalls the difficult decisions her parents had to make and how those decision affected her life. Erika's Story has been awarded Best Foreign Picture Book in Japan, Best Children's Illustrated Books of 2004 in Great Britain, the 2004 Award of Excellence for Book-Communication Arts, and was voted the most successful non-fiction title in the UKLA Children's Book Awards in 2006, which focuses on literacy, as well as content, as a means of expression.

In the below video, Ruth Zander Zee talks about her book, why she wrote it and reads the award-winning publication.

OTHER RESOURCES

The Canadian Encyclopedia  provides access to hundreds of Canadian documents related to Remembrance Day, and the wars in which Canadian soldiers have fought. The Memory Project contains photographs and interviews from Canadian soldiers of the three wars (Korea, First World War, and Second World War), as well as documents related to Canada's peacekeeping efforts. In addition, there is also a section highlighting the Cree code talkers, who much like the Navajo code talkers in the U.S., were an elite unit tasked with disguising military intelligence using their native language during the Second World War. 

TeachingBooks.net is a database of supportive materials for war-related books written by Canadian authors that can be used in English and language arts novel studies, but they are titles that everyone can access. One of my favourites highlighted is Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. While Three Day Road is not available at Twelve Mile Coulee, due to his adult-suggested reading rating, I would highly recommend it for students Grade 10 and up, as well as adults. Boyden, a Canadian author born in Toronto, won numerous awards and was nominated for a Governor General's Award for the debut novel. His second novel, Through Black Spruce, won the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize and he was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2015. 

Canada in Context is a database with a wealth of information related to Remembrance Day in Canada, including how one community commemorated the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers and a biography of John McCrae, author of the famous In Flanders Fields poem.

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

Follow on Twitter: #OrangeShirtDay
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:

Non-Fiction:

• The Orange Shirt Story by Phyllis Webstad
• Residential Schools: The Devastating Impact on Canada's Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Findings and Calls for Action by Melanie Florance
• We Were Children by The National Film Board of Canada (DVD)
• A Childhood Lost: A Residential School Experience by Grey Wolf Productions (DVD)
• Sixties Scoop by Erin Nicks
• Speaking our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation by Monique Gray Smith
• A Stranger at Home: A True Story by Christy Jordan-Fenton
• Broken Circle: The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools: A Memoir by Theodore Fontaine
• Cultural Appropriation by Heather Hudak
• 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadian Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality by Robert P.C. Joseph
• The Secret Path by Gord Downie
• Not my Girl by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton
• When I was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton 
• Fatty Legs: A True Story by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton
• A Stranger at Home by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton
• Broken Circle: The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools: A Memoir by Theodore Fontaine

RealFiction: 

• Dear Canada: These are my Words: The Residential School Diary of Violet Pesheens by Ruby Slipperjack
• I am not a Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer
• Shin-chi's Canoe by Nicola I. Campbell
• Shi-shi-etko by Nicola I, Campbell 
• My Name is Seepeetza by Shirley Sterling
• The Journey Forward: Novellas on Reconciliation by Julie Flett
• The Train by Jodie Callaghan 
• The Journey Forward: Novellas on Reconciliation by Julie Flett
• Stolen Words by Melanie Florence 
• Amik Loves School: A Story of Wisdom by Katherena Vermette 
• 7 Generations: A Plas Cree Saga by David Robertson
• Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story by David Robertson

Digital Resources

Kids News Explains What is Reconciliation?

The Importance of National Truth and Reconciliation Day by Cree author Michelle Good.

Residential Schools in Canada: A Timeline by Historica Canada

Namwayut: We Are All One: Chief Robert Joseph shares his experience as a residential school survivor and the importance of truth and reconciliation in Canada

Fatty Legs: A True Story author Christy Jordan-Fenton reads Chapter 1 from her book, which was co-authored by Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton 

In this CBC Arts Live documentary, the late Canadian Tragically Hip frontman, Gord Downie, explains the journey he took to recounting the true story of 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack, who ran away from the Cecelia Jeffery Residential School in Kenora, ON, in 1966. In his graphic novel, The Secret Path, illustrated by Jeff Lemire, Downie sings his song of the same name, delivering a haunting musical commemoration of Chanie's life and his fatal trek to return home to Ogoki Post, some 600 kilometres away. The. documentary also includes conversations with Chanie Wenjack's family and the impact his tragic death, as well as the residential schools' impact on their community, their culture, their families.

This documentary includes a panel discussion on The Road to Reconciliation

Win Prizes in TMC's Summer Reading Challenge

School's out for summer...but not reading!

This past school year has been nothing if not interesting: We went back and forth between in-person classes and online studies; we've had to use online book orders to check out titles from the Learning Commons, which was closed for browsing; and we've had to log onto virtual book talks and presentations in order to find out what new additions have been added to the TMC library collection.

However, because it hasn't been an ordinary year, the summer ahead will not be run-of-the-mill either, as TMC launches its first-ever Summer Reading Challenge, with numerous prizes up for grabs to all who participate.

The challenge gives students the opportunity to log their reading from July 1 to Sept. 1, whether it is done with books from home, the public library or with eBooks posted on the website created specifically for this challenge.

The Summer Reading Challenge Website

(Click on the heading to be directed to the site.)

On this site, you will find a wide range of eBooks you can flip through. All you need to do is be logged into your CBE EDU Google account to access the website. Once in, you will find novels and graphic novels that you can read from the comfort of your own home, vacation property, relative's house or campsite — wherever you have Internet service. You can even download books, or make them accessible to offline services via your Google Settings, before you leave your house!

Each title has the suggested reading level, so you and your parents don't have to wonder if it is appropriate for you. 

Whether you choose to use the website or paper copies from another collection, you can still log your reading AND enter to win great prizes, however.

Contest and Prizes

               

Scroll down the website page to find the Contest Entry Form. You will need to check off the titles you've read on the website, or log your own titles in the form before you enter your submission. Just be sure you submit your form by Sept. 10 to qualify for the prizes. DRAW DATE: SEPT. 13!

1. Top Prize: Bloom Trilogy by Canadian best-selling author Kenneth Oppel (Bloom, Hatch, Thrive) 
2. Four Runner-Up Prizes: Copy of Skeleton Tree by best-selling Canadian Author Iain Lawrence 
   
3. PLUS: 3 Random Draws for new books
4. PLUS: 1 Random Draw for a No Holds Barred Access Pass for the Learning Commons, which entitles the winner to first-dib holds on titles in the TMC Learning Commons for the 2021-2022 school year
5. PLUS: All who enter get a laminated custom-designed TMC Learning Commons Bookmark!

Summer Reading Challenge Website eBooks 

(Click on the heading to be directed to the site.)

The Summer Reading Challenge website has numerous eBooks I've compiled for the contest, so check them out!

eBook novel titles:

• Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix: Gr. 5-8 
• Beyond the Stars: Twelve Tales of Adventure, Magic and Wonder by various authors: Gr. 4-7
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney: Gr. 3-6
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney: Gr. 3-6
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry: Gr. 3-7
• Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices: Gr. 3-7
• The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger: Gr. 3-7 
• Dark Paper Strikers Back by Tom Angleberger: Gr. 3-7 
• The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee by Tom Angleberger: Gr. 3-7
• The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett by Tom Angleberger: Gr. 307
• The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau: Gr. 5-8
• The Giver by Lois Lowry: Gr. 5-12
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: Gr. 4-12
• Magisterium Book 1: The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare: Gr. 3-7
• The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau: Gr. 5-8
• The Wild Robot by Peter Brown: Gr. 3-7
• Wonder by R.J. Palacio: Gr. -7 
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Gr. 7-12
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner: Gr. 7-12
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld: Gr. 8-12
• Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli: Gr. 5-12
• Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen: Gr. 5-9
• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton: Gr. 7-12
• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne: Gr. 7-9
• Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: Gr. 5-9 
• The Absolute True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie: Gr. 8-12
• The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline: Gr. 9-12
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Gr. 9-Adult 

eBook graphic novels:

• Drama by Raina Telgemeier: Gr. 4-7 
  
• Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier: Gr. 4-7
• Guts by Raina Telgemeier: Gr. 4-7
• The Only Living Boy: Vol. 1: Patchwork Planet by David Gallaher and Steve Ellis: Gr. 5-9
• The Only Living Boy: Vol. 2: Beyond the Sea and Sky by David Gallaher and Steve Ellis: Gr. 5-9
• Wings of Fire: Book 1: The Dragnet Prophecy by Tui T Sutherland and illustrated by Mike Holmes: Gr. 3-7
• Wings of Fire Book 2: The Lost Heir by Tui T Sutherland and illustrated by Mike Holmes: Gr. 3-7
• Wings of Fire Book 3: The Hidden Kingdom by by Tui T Sutherland and illustrated by Mike Holmes: Gr. 3-7
• The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis and adopted by Nora Twomey: Gr. 5-9
• The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor and illustrated by Michael Wyatt: Gr. 7-9
• Romeo & Juliet: Manga by William Shakespeare and illustrated by Sonia Leong: Gr. 9-12
• Persepolis: A Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi: Gr. 9-Adult

 

National Indigenous History Month Tragically Ironic

When irony becomes a needle, you know there’s mending involved.

 
June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada and I find it tragically ironic that on the eve of this final month of school, the remains of 215 children were discovered at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.

 
The shock and horror of the discovery at the hands of new ground-penetrating radar technology was something many of the southern B.C. The Nation of Tk'emlups te Secwepemc had long suspected but had no hard evidence to prove.

 
As I, and many others, read the articles and listened to news reports on May 31, my heart was pierced with the realization that this was one school of 139, and the idea that there could be another 138 child-burial grounds out there is not only heartbreaking, it is soul-wrenchingly plausible.

The history of residential schools in this country has never been a good one. We’ve heard testimonies of physical, emotional and sexual abuse from former students who did manage to survive. Their lives, and the lives of further generations, were forever impacted by those experiences — a poison that seeped through the veins of one child, only to be injected into every child thereafter.

But needles are not just tools to inject; they are also the means to mend.

History is a thread that weaves in and out of our culture, and we must acknowledge and give it the standing it deserves if we want true reconciliation and bring the ripped fabric of our society together. It can not be swept under the rug, ignored, devalued, for it defines who we were and who we have become. It lays the foundation of a society and how it views its citizens. It is the path behind and the path forward. In short, it is our compass, to be used to navigate and direct our future, as well as show us how we got here in the first place.

The fact that has only been in the past few years that information pertaining to residential schools has been included in school curriculum is atrocious but more so is the idea that someone can go through post-secondary education and not have one conversation, lecture, lesson on that history is downright appalling.
As a former journalist, I didn’t hear about residential schools until my first newspaper job in Leduc, a city of about 30,000 located 33 kilometres south of Edmonton, and I wasn’t the only one in the dark. In the past few weeks, I have conversed with other journalists and they, too, had similar experiences. It was only when interviewing First Nations people in the course of our jobs that we were faced with this part of Canadian history.

Whitewashing never looked so stark, and frightening.

If we really want to mend from the horrors of the past, that needle — no matter how ironic or poisonous — needs to sew after it injects.

Ensuring that historical-education thread is in Twelve Mile Coulee’s fabric has been a priority of our school and our Learning Commons’ collection for the past several years.

Like many in our district, we acknowledge the lands of the ancestors the schools were built on, we commemorate Orange Shirt Day, we include residential-school teachings in the curriculum, and we actively purchase educational materials.

 
You can read more about our books pertaining to residential schools in my Orange Shirt Day blog here.
For this blog, however, I want to focus on the history of our indigenous brothers and sisters. Their legacy is far more encompassing than a forced assimilation or the on-going investigation into the missing and murdered indigenous women. To think otherwise is an injustice to their culture and their sacrifices, which is why at TMC we just don’t focus on the tragedy that befell the First Nations People; we include their stories, their beliefs, their culture, their impacts and their perspectives.

History for healing.
History for honour.
History for hope.

Ending discrimination and prejudice involves all three, so there’s no time like the present to forge a new path.

Indigenous History Books at TMC

In recent years, our indigenous collection has expanded exponentially, with the addition of updated non-fiction titles, including those that pertain to the First Nations in Alberta, as well as fiction titles that touch on indigenous culture, myths and legends, struggles, residential schools, and societies. In fact, the TMC Learning Commons collection has more than 150 indigenous books that students and staff can check out and each year, that number grows.

Last year, we also purchased several new series that delve into the similar themes in both novel and graphic novel formats. I highly recommend these series, as they focus on heritage and culture, the past and the present:

1. Turtle Island Voices by various authors (early readers, fiction)

Publishing by Pearson Canada, this series focuses on First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives, as well as introduces the concepts of inter-connectedness, respect for life, and the quest for a better future. Each book offers children the opportunity to recognize the role and contributions indigenous peoples in the life, culture and heritage of Canada, in addition to encouraging children to become more empathetic, as well as family-, community- and globally-aware. The series has titles in each grade level and TMC has purchased those for Grade 6, which involve traditional aboriginal origin stories retold by aboriginal authors, as well as high-interest modern stories with indigenous protagonists and those pertaining to social studies and the arts: Stories of Thunderbird, Nothing Scares Me, Glooscap Stops the Wind, Unexpected Friends, The Boy Who Told Tales, Close to Home, The Mystery of Lake Laberge, Contact, Let's Dance and Danger. Suggested reading level: Gr. 1-8

2. 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga by David Robertson (graphic novels, fiction)

This national best-selling, four-part, graphic-novel series follows an aboriginal family over three centuries and seven generations — as warriors, survivors of a smallpox epidemic and casualties of residential schools. Written by award-winning Winnipeg writer David A. Robertson, who is a member of Norway House Cree Nation, and beautifully illustrated by award-winning illustrator by Scott B. Henderson. 

Titles include 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga (Vol. 1-4), Stone: Vol. 1, Scars: Vol. 2, Ends/Beginnings: Vol. 3. The Pact: Vol. 4. Suggested reading level: Grade 9-12

3. A Girl Called Echo by Katherena Vermette (graphic novels, fiction)

Written by Red River Métis (Michif) writer Katherena Vermette from Treaty 1 territory in Winnipeg, A Girl Called Echo is the story of a 13-year-old Métis girl who is struggling with her feelings of loneliness while attending a new school and living with a new family, until she finds herself transported into history while in, ironically, history class. The series takes Echo Desjardins to a Métis camp, old fur-trading routes, a bison hunt on the Saskatchewan prairie, and the perilous and bygone era of the Pemmican Wars. Titles include: Pemmican Wars: A Girl Called Echo: Vol. 1, Red River Resistance: A Girl Called Echo: Vo. 2, and Northwest Resistance: A Girl Called Echo: Vol. 3. Suggested reading level: Grade 7-12

4. Tales From Big Spirit by David A. Robertson (graphic novels, non-fiction)

This non-fiction graphic-novel series highlights important indigenous people in Canadian history. Each beautifully illustrated book is written by David A. Robertson and illustrated by various artists, including Scot B. Henderson and fellow Manitobans Wai Tien and Andrew Lodwick. Titles include: The Land of Os: John Ramsay, The Peacemaker: Thanadelthur, The Rebel: Gabriel Dumont, The Scout: Tommy Prince, and The Ballad of Nancy April: Shawnadithit. Suggested reading level: Grade 4-6

Here are some of the nearly 100 Non-fiction titles in our collection (to find others, just search "indigenous" in eLibrary, using "subject"):

1. What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn
2. Residential Schools: The Devastating Impact on Canada’s Indigenous Peoples and the Truth of Reconciliation Commission's Findings and Calls for Action by Melanie Florence
3. Peace Walker: The Legend of Hiawatha and Tekanawita by C.J. Taylor
4. My Name is Arnaktauyok: The Life and Art of Germaine Arnaktauyok by Germaine Arnaktauyok
5. Our Ice is Vanishing: A History of Inuit, Newcomers and Climate Change by Shelley Wright
6. Great Women From Our First Nations by Kelly Fournel
7. Conversations With a Dead Man: The Legacy of Duncan Campbell Scott by Mark Abley
8. Native Chiefs and Famous Métis: Leadership and Bravery in the Canadian West by Holly Quan
9. Meet Tom Longboat by Elizabeth MacLeod
10. 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality by Bob Joseph

History of Residential Schools in Canada

More than 150,000 children were ripped from their families for more than 160 years to attend residential schools operated in Canada. With the exception of Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, every province and territory was home to the federally funded, church-run boarding schools, the last of which didn’t close until 1996 in Saskatchewan. First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were forced to abandon their families, communities and cultures for lodging that would be their demise, whether by mental, physical or sexual abuse as the governing churches strove to agressively assimilate them into colonial society by stripping them of their culture, language, and traditions.
— Source Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada, Truth and Reconciliation by Canadian Geographic

National Indigenous History Month

In 2009, the House of Commons unanimously passed a motion to make the month of June National Indigenous History Month to honour the history, heritage and diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada. It is also an opportunity to recognize the strength of present-day Indigenous. To learn more click here

Click on the topic links below to learn more:

• National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21
• Indigenous history in Canada
• Reconciliation

Digital Resources

Lovestruck Part 3: Pink Shirt Day

On this last entry in my Lovestruck series, it is quite telling that this blog is all about love, or how the lack of it, can affect others. It is this omission that leads to the most cruel behaviour in our society: Bullying.

Whether you are a child, youth, teen or adult, bullying plays a role in nearly aspect of your life, unfortunately. It can pop up in an office or a seniors' home as easily as it can on a playground and in a classroom; it can cause just as much stress and anxiety to a 13-year-old as it does to an 83-year-old. In short, bullying is brutal. 

It sets the stage for what is acceptable and what is expected and, if unchecked, it will govern how we, as a society, treat others within our society, leading to racism, alienation, depression, and suicide. In fact, if you look at how we treat the lest in our society, it gives you a window into the soul of our network: Do we choose kindness or do we choose unkindness? Much like bullying, kindness has a ripple effect that is long-lasting: It helps grow our perceptions of who we are, our role in society, and how that role governs our growth as a people and as a nation.

With a word, a phrase, a nickname, a tease, bullies can bring down the tallest, the strongest, the most talented among us. They can zero in on our insecurities, our fears and highlight the small aspects of our personalities, our appearances and make them appear huge for all to see.

So, what do we do? How do we stop bullying?

First, we bring it out of the shadows and put that jagged little pill that we've been struggling to swallow under the microscope. Like any nasty underbelly to a society, exposing it doesn't stop it from happening — you actually need to take action; stand up for alternative messaging.  It wasn't until we had a dedicated day to draw attention to bullying, for example, that anti-bullying messaging became mainstream. That alternative messaging didn't originate from a committee, a board, a working group — it came from the empathy shown by two Grade 12 students at a high school in Halifax. Their actions have reverberated around the globe, spreading the message of kindness to nations worldwide, all because they empathized with a male Grade 9 student who was bullied for wearing pink. 

They saw an injustice and they acted by engaging the alternative message, one of empathy, inclusion, and above all, kindness.

So never think one act of kindness goes unnoticed. It does, and that is one ripple effect I would get behind 100 per cent!

Pink Shirt Day

This year, Pink Shirt Day will be held Wednesday, Feb. 24. The origin of the day dates back to 2007, when two Nova Scotia high-school students — David Shepherd and Travis Price — began an organized high-school protest, with the help of their friends, to show solidarity towards a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. 

The group showed up at school wearing pink and this one act of kindness and peaceful protest against hate harassment began a movement that caught on in other schools, other provinces, other countries around the globe. In fact, through the kind actions of Shepherd and Price sprung the International Day of Pink, marked each year in April (this year, April 14). The international movement zeroed in on the cause of the pink-shirt bullying: homophobia, transphobia, transmisogyny, and all other forms of bullying and propelled that protest further with information campaigns around bullying and discrimination, especially discrimination based on gender affiliation.

Discrimination and bullying based on race, age, abilities, gender or sexuality is of growing concern in our society, so the International Day of Pink has ambassadors promoting the Think Pink messaging not only in Canada but in countries all over the world. 

Thinking Pink at TMC

Close to home, Twelve Mile Coulee School will be encouraging all staff and students to wear pink to symbolize an intolerance to bullying. In recent years, I have also diversified our Learning Commons collection to include many LGBTQ+ titles in our collection — both non-fiction and fiction. These books are excellent ways to normalize varying genders and to share that kindness, that love to others, whether they fall within the mainstream or not. 

It's not by accident that Twelve Mile Coulee's school motto is Work Hard, Learn Tons, Be Kind. It's our way of thinking pink EVERY day. 

To foster that, here is our collection of LGBTQ+ books, which can be checked out by using our Online Book Order form:

1. Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall. Suggested Reading Level: PrS-Grade 3
2. I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings. Suggested Reading Level: K-Grade 3
3. Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow. Winner of the Lambda Literary Award: Suggested Reading Level Grade 3-7 
4. George by Alex Gino. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 3-7
5. The Best at It by Maulik Pancholy. Stonwall Honor Book. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 3-7
6. The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessey. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 5-7
7. Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 5-8
8. Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman. (graphic novel). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 7-12
9. When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore. (Winner of 2016 Tiptree Award; long-listed for the 2016 National Book Award for Young People's Literature; Stonewall Book Award Honor; Kirkus Best Book of 2016 and A Booklist Editor's Choice). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 7-12
10. As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman (graphic novel). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 8-12
11. Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
12. What if It's Us by Becky Albertalli. New York Times bestseller. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
13. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Award; Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book Award; Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
14. The Book of Pride by Mason Funk. (Non-fiction)
15. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin (Non-fiction)
16. Sex Discrimination by Peggy Parks (Non-fiction)
17. Is Gender Fluid? A Primer for the 21st Century by Sally Hines (Non-fiction)
18. Teens and Gender Dysphoria by Don Nardo (Non-fiction)
19. Gender Equality by Sean Connolly (Non-fiction)

Purchased (soon to be delivered/added):

1. King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender (2020 National Book Award Winner). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 3-7
2. The Fabulous Zed Watson by Kevin Sylvester. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 3-7
3. Birdie and Me by J.M.M. Nuanez. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 5-9
4. Spin with Me by Ami Polonsky. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 5-8
5. Always Human by Ari North. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 7-12
6. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 7-12
7. The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (graphic novel). Suggested Reading Level Grade 7-12
8. Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 8-12
9. Mask of Shadows fantasy series by Linsey Miller. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
10. 19 Love Songs by David Levithan (short-story collection). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
11. Break in Case of Emergency by Brian Francis. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
12. We Set the Dark on Fire series by Tehlor Kay Mejia. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
13. The Black Flamingo (novel in verse). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
14. Flamer by Mike Curato (graphic novel). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
15. Proud to Play: Canadian LGBTQ+ Athletes Who Made History by Erin Silver. (Non-fiction) 

Bullying Facts

Alberta bullying statistics from the Alberta Civil Liberties Centre:

• 1 in 3 adolescent students report being bullied in the past three months.
• Bullying peaks for boys in Grade 9 (37 per cent) and for girls in grades 8 and 9 (28 per cent).
• In a 2006 study, 39 per cent of students reported they were bullied, and 20 per cent reported both bullying and being themselves.
• On a national scale, Canada ranks 26th and 27th among 35 countries on the bullying and victimization scales, respectively, among 13-year-old students.

According to the centre, sexual harassment is the No. 1 form of bullying, and 66 per cent of that harassment involves sexual comments, jokes, gestures, looks and 49 per cent involving touching, pinching or grabbing in a sexual way. More disturbing is the fact that 81 per cent of youth reported having been sexually harassed, with 35 per cent stating they first experienced sexual harassment in elementary school.

"Bullying is a repeated and hostile or demeaning behaviour intended to cause harm, fear or distress, including psychological harm or harm to a person's reputation. It often involves an imbalance of social or physical power." Alberta Education

Alberta Education identifies bullying behaviours as a form of aggression and can be:

• Physical, such as poking, elbowing, hitting
• Verbal, such as name-calling, insults, racist, sexist or homophobic comments, put-downs or threats
• Social, such as gossiping, spreading rumours, excluding someone from the group, isolating, ganging up
• Cyber, such as social or verbal bullying through the use of email, text messages or social media posts
• Bullying is "very much a group phenomenon," states Alberta Education's website for educators, noting 85 per cent of bullying takes place in the presence of others. This is why the department has introduced several initiatives to address bulling in schools, including the Respect in School online training program to prevent abuse, bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools.

Bullying Prevention

Reporting incidents of bullying is also a major part in defeating it, whether that is to our parents/guardians, our teachers, our principals, our administrators, our bosses. Alberta Education has recognized that, "bullying prevention is an ongoing, collaborative, problem-solving process that is an essential part of creating welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments," and as such, requires a comprehensive approach.

That approach is two-fold: The role of adults and the role of the student body/community. Together, bullying behaviour can be nipped in the bud, reported, addressed, and the message of kindness and the importance of positive relationships can be promoted in a strategic action plan. For these initiatives to work, everyone needs to be involved, from students and their parents or guardians to educators and administrators.

To fight bullying takes a massive effort from all parties involved but the ripples are worth it!

Our world can do with a lot more kindness these days, so let's all Get in the Pink!

Literary Resources

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall read-along with Miss Winnie, PBS Kids:

I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings read-along by Jazz Jennings:

Q&A with Ami Polonsky on her book Gracefully Grayson

Other Digital Resources

Edmonton Police Service Cyber Bullying Prevention Video:

On Nov. 17, 2011, 150 students and staff from St. Albert Catholic Schools joined then Alberta Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk and CTV's Josh Classen in a flash mob at Kingsway Mall in Edmonton to stand up to bullying:

Alberta 24-7 Bullying Prevention Helpline: 1-888-456-2323 (toll-free)