"The purpose of this support material is to assist educators in using collaborative inquiry to engage in conversations and develop actions to deepen their own, their students’ and communities’ understanding of residential school experiences and related issues that affect the process of reconciliation in Saskatchewan.
These materials may be used in a variety of contexts such as staff meetings, professional learning groups, workshops, school councils and community gatherings. The sample conversation questions and actions may also be useful for individual teacher reflection and planning."

Conversation 1 - What is Reconciliation

Conversation 2 - What do we know about SK residential schools?

Conversation 3 - How can we incorporate culturally-responsive practices in our classrooms to honour the Truth and Reconciliation recommendations and calls to action?

Conversation 4 - How can we move forward...?

Additional Supports

Other Projects in SK

Molly finds an old photo of Grandpa as a child and is shocked to see him singing and drumming—Grandpa never sings. Molly learns about Grandpa’s time in a residential school (or a boarding school, as it’s referred to in the episode).

Engaging lesson plans based on the Five Foundational Knowledge Themes. Educators have the opportunity to build their foundational knowledge while delivering Métis content through lessons that reflect promising practices.

NFB Education is proud to partner with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to help teachers educate students about Indigenous realities during National Truth and Reconciliation Week, as well as throughout the year.

This year, the theme of National Truth and Reconciliation Week is “Remembering the Children,” where we memorialize the children lost to the residential school system and honour Survivors and their families. The expanded program features age-appropriate material for students in Grades 1–12.

All sessions will be held virtually on Hubilo. Registration is required to stream live or pre-recorded sessions and to participate in the Q&A segment. The link for registration is provided on this page.

Reconciliation is about exploring the past and choosing to build a better future. Sharing stories of understanding helps one another to build trust. We want to hear about your moments of reconciliation.

Head to the "Education" Tab to access resources.

5 Films...

"Orange Shirt Day was launched in 2013 to call attention to 165 years of residential school experiences (1831-1996). For residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad, the severing of the threads connecting her to family, community, and culture began in 1973, when the beautiful orange shirt she wore to her first day of school was stripped from her and never seen again. The removal of the orange shirt was the first of a series of destructive methods enforced to deplete her sense of self-worth, erase her culture, and suppress her spirit. Her story is just one of the experiences described by countless survivors, but many others did not live to tell their own story. Intergenerational experiences rooted in the trauma inflicted through residential schools and other forced-assimilation policies continue to ripple through communities today...."

Orange Shirt Day activities for K-Grade 3This activity pack is ready to use in any primary classroom and ideal to use with children from Grade 1 up to Grade 3 to support important conversations around Orange Shirt Day. It includes a PowerPoint, fact files, art activities and more! 

This resource, as the disclaimer says, is a continuing work in progress mapping out territories, languages and treaties. On this website you are able to click on an area and find out about related treaties and Indigenous languages. They have also developed a teacher’s guide.

This resource guide and facilitator's book was created with Walking Together, Education for Reconciliation and The Alberta Teacher's Association.

The resource examines Awareness, Acknowledgement, Atonement, Action, and Truth in Reconciliation.

Check out these great video/curricular resources for Grade 4. The ROVER videos all indicate the curriculum outcomes that they address.

ROVER (Recommended Online Video Education Resources) is a video streaming service for Saskatchewan teachers and students in the PreK-12 education system. It is managed and maintained by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. ROVER is a video-on-demand service that provides teachers and students with the convenience of immediate access to streamed, educational videos that support curricula.

This site also offers all of the curriculum documents for all grade levels.

If you are unable to access the site, it may be because a Saskatchewan Ministry of Education Blackboard login is required. All students have an Edonline account, so contact your child's school or the Ministry of Education’s Support Desk at 1-866-933-8333 or email at networkservices@gov.sk.ca for login information. Your child's student number will be required.

This is a self-guided PD opportunity from the SK Ministry of Education.

Start by downloading and reviewing the PPT "Reconciliation and Treaty Education: Curricular Connections and Resources"

Then review some/all of the other opportunities including:

Introductory Module - Supporting the Journey Towards Reconciliation (also available here: https://resourcebank.ca/courses/supporting-the-journey-towards-reconciliation)

Module 1 - Starting the Conversation (also available here: https://resourcebank.ca/courses/module-1-starting-the-conversation-from-the-sk-ministry-of-education)

Module 2 - The Sixties Scoop (also available here: https://resourcebank.ca/courses/sixties-scoop)

Concentus Citizenship Education - Moving Toward Reconciliation (also available here: https://resourcebank.ca/courses/k-12-resources-for-citizenship-education-from-concentus)

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.

Educational Resources for Justice and Reconciliation

Spirit Bear and Children Make History film (26 minutes)

Spirit Bear and Children Make History read by Dr. Cindy Blackstock

Spirit Bear and Children Make History read in Carrier by Dorothy Patrick

Additional educational resources and links to our initiatives

This booklet is written by Spirit Bear as a youth-friendly guide to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) 94 Calls to Action.

In 2008, a group called the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was made. Their job was to listen to stories about residential schools and then write the stories down so we can learn from our mistakes. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission announced their 94 Calls to Action. These are 94 activities all governments, courts, businesses, schools, and people living in Canada can do to help fix the mistakes of the past and present so that all children – including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children – can grow up happy, healthy, safe, and proud of who they are.

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

"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."

Treaties and the Treaty Relationship Educational Package.

Visit the site to download the information.

Living Sky School Division teachers and consultants share their units and lessons that highlight Treaty Essential learnings. The resource list will continue to grow over time. We welcome your feedback and contributions to this collection of units.

Grade 1 - 7 Plains Cree Hand Drumming Overview

Grade 3 - Lifestyle changes after signing treaty unit

Grade 4 - Residential Schools unit

Grade 4 - Whose Voice? The Conquerors unit
Understanding worldview when learning about the treaties. Use drama and role play to create scenarios with the real characters from history. (Arts Ed/ELA/Treaty Ed)
Grade 5 - 12 - Response to Art viewing sheet with discussion, background and activity
Video with artist talking about her art work about residential schools

Grade 5 – Social Studies - Canada and Aboriginal Heritage unit
Review: Jeopardy Game
Grade 6 – ELA – Heroes/Models/Peacemakers unit

Grade 6 – Arts Education – Métis Identity & Jigging unit

Grade 7 – Ecosystems & Indigenous Knowledge: “Healing Garden”unit
Sacred Plants (3 min. audio file: Oral Storytelling, from CBC Re/Vision Quest podcast "Elders")

Grade 8 – Social Studies - We Are All Treaty People unit