Residential schools were boarding schools for Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) children and youth, financed by the federal government but staffed and run by several Christian religious institutions.  Children were separated from their families and communities, sometimes by force, and lived in and attended classes at the schools for most of the year. Often, the residential schools were located far from the students’ home communities. The schools were in existence for well over 100 years, and successive generations of children and families from the same communities endured this experience.
Understandably, the impacts were severe. This history was hidden for many years, until Survivors of the system were able to find the strength and courage to tell their stories.  This lead to one of the largest class action lawsuits in Canada’s history. Though it will take time and commitment to heal the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and Canada, the reconciliation process has begun.

Rupertsland Organization for Teaching and Learning has developed some excellent resources to learn about the Métis history in Alberta that are recommended for all educators. Resources are continually being added as they are created and approved in support of educators’ learning and teaching.

Shattering the Silence is a Saskatchewan Project of Heart interactive ebook that uncovers the history of Indian residential schools in Saskatchewan.
Written in 2017 by the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina, this document discovers the reality of residential schools in Saskatchewan. It is a great resource for teachers, students and the community that covers many topics and all the residential schools in the province.

This ebook is part of Project of Heart, which is a commemorative project that facilitates student learning about residential schools. The project is an inquiry-based, collaborative, intergenerational, and artistic journey to examine the history and legacy of Indian residential schools in Canada, leading to the acknowledgment of the losses incurred by former students, their families and communities.

The Sixties Scoop refers to a period in Saskatchewan’s history when Indigenous children were removed from their parents and communities by provincial child welfare services. Status, non-status, Métis and Inuit children were placed for adoption and/or foster care and were raised outside of their communities without the influences of their Indigenous culture, values and languages. This section contains a list of resources and curriculum connections for teachers to address with their students.

This is a link to the Ministry of Education's site and Sixties Scoop Resources.

Welcome to the Teachers’ Resource Guide for Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation by Monique Gray Smith.
The guide follows the book, chapter by chapter, making it easy for teachers and students to dig deeper into the text and make personal connections to the material. Each chapter of the guide features a
summary, essential questions, metaphors for learning, key concepts and vocabulary
and detailed learning activities.

There is bonus material about making art, keeping a journal and doing research. Activities are laid out clearly, with instructions for teachers and for students as they embark together on the journey of reconciliation.

A teacher’s guide from the 2022 Treaty Education Summer Institute which uses storytelling as a portal to explore Treaties.

This site has been created to support school staffs to work together to expand their understanding of truth and reconciliation as well as the history and legacy of residential schools. It contains tools and resources to support important conversations and professional development opportunities.
This space will continue to grow and evolve as resources are identified and experiences are shared. The intent is that this site will be created collaboratively, in the true nature of reconciliation. Please join the discussion to share what your school is doing to support student understanding and to help bring about reconciliation in our province and our country.

Use the navigation on the left to get started.

Learn more by navigating the more detailed menu below.

"This learning module is designed to help teachers and other educational professionals become comfortable with the topic of reconciliation so that they can begin incorporating this important topic into their work with their students.

Estimated Completion Time: 30 to 60 minutes

This learning module was developed by Joanna Sanders while working to complete a Certificate in Reconciliation Studies that is offered by the First Nations University of Canada."

Everyone benefits when there is a greater understanding and appreciation of Treaties and the Treaty relationship.

This issue of Canada’s History explores the history of Treaties and the Treaty relationship and is an important first step in sharing First Nations perspectives.

It has been developed with contributors who have helped to incorporate the spirit and intent of Treaty making. The contributors, drawn from across the country, bring expertise and insights that help us to understand the continuing relevance of Treaties and the Treaty relationship.

Treaties and the Treaty Relationship Educational Package.

Visit the site to download the information.

This Saskatchewan Ministry of Education documents outlines all of the Treaty Education outcome and indicators for Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Welcome to the Teacher’s area.
As a teacher, we know that you are extremely busy. To assist in the delivery process, we have a batch of PowerPoint documents that are available and ready for you to use. You can use these while teaching about Treaties in their classroom, providing an in-service to your colleagues, or to further your own Treaty knowledge. We hope you find these PowerPoint and additional resources valuable and we will continue to grow these resources for educators.

This simulation is designed to provide students with a first hand, personal experience of the treaty making process. The insight they gain from this simulation will assist them in their understanding of treaty and its impact on the lives of First Nation peoples. This simulation is targeted at middle years to senior students.

"Making the Shift" is a monthly newsletter by Natural Curiosity. The September 2022 edition features lots of information and activities related to Truth and Reconciliation.

A few of the Educator Resources include:
- Orange Shirt Day Resources
- National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Residential School Resources
- Truth & Reconciliation Discussion Guide from Scholastics Canada
- Take Me Outside Indigenous Resources
- Residential School Survivor Stories
- And much more!

How to get started, and who can help.
This is a great read!
This article also provides a list of other resources to teach Truth & Reconciliation.

This guide is a teacher resource containing several classroom activities that explore the stories shared in the Voices from Here video series. Download the education guide and use the worksheets

Episode Three: Gaamiinigooyang – “That Which Is Given To Us” describes the traditional Ojibwe survival system through numerous interviews with historians, tribal leaders, and elders; combined with visually stunning dramatic sequences of the four seasons’ traditional economic cycle. Key interviews are powerfully illustrated with archival photographs, documents, maps, and historical film footage.

Travel from the times before contact, through the Fur Trade period, which introduced European concepts of personal profit, land ownership, and debt. This episode traces the damaging effects of treaties and land loss on the very survival of the Ojibwe; the economic reforms of the 1960s and 70’s self-determination; and contemporary court decisions which have re-affirmed reserved rights to practice traditional hunting, fishing, and gathering. Many of today’s Ojibwe people are experiencing a renewed economic sovereignty through new sources of financial stability including gaming, tribal businesses, and individual entrepreneurship.
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In this condensed life history, Wes FineDay, Nehiyaw Knowledge Keeper, discusses his resistance to colonial violence and his lifelong work and extensive knowledge of medicines, oral history, and ceremony.

The PLEA (Public Legal Education association of Saskatchewan)publication outlines the history behind the First Nation treaties in Canadian history and their relationship to the law.