Photo credit: UVic Alumni Newsletter June 2021
Indian Residential School Crisis Line--Those affected by the Residential School system can seek support at the IRS Crisis Line, a national, 24-hour toll-free support service operated by trained crisis counselors. Phone: 1-866-925-4419
Created by the Kinship Rising Collective, the Fearless Sisters Rising mural honours the fearless, healing medicine of Indigenous bodies and land relations. Completed in 2018, Fearless Sisters Rising was collectively envisioned and painted over several months by a group of BIPOC young people, students and mentors. The design and project were conceptualized by lead artists Brianna Bear and Nicole Neidhardt. Visit UVic to view this remarkable piece--the mural is located in the main staircase of McPherson Library between the third and fourth floors.
There are many organizations focusing on remembering and addressing the legacies of IRSs, here are a few to get started:
Many excellent books can support your learning about truth, reconciliation, and decolonization--here are a few suggestions to get you started. Not a UVic student? No problem--get your very own Community Borrower card to UVic Libraries!
The Orange Shirt Story by 
Picking up the Pieces by 
Challenging racist "British Columbia" : 150 years and counting by 
The Reconciliation Manifesto by 
21 things you may not know about the Indian Act : helping Canadians make reconciliation with Indigenous peoples a reality by 
Unsettling spirit : a journey into decolonization by 
The sleeping giant awakens : genocide, Indian residential schools, and the challenge of conciliation by The story of a national crime: being an appeal for justice to the Indians of Canada by 
Residential schools and reconciliation: Canada confronts its history by The survivors speak: a report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada by 
They Called Me Number One by 
Up Ghost River by 
Residential schools: With the words and images of survivors by There are many excellent scholarly articles on the histories of residential schools. Contact the Education Librarian for specific recommendations. Here are some initial suggestions to get you started:
There are many excellent resources on the history of residential schools Canada, those listed in this guide are a starting place. If you have questions about this guide, about library research on topics related to Indigenous studies, or if you have recommendations for additional resources to be added, please contact UVic's Education Librarian, Pia Russell. HÍ,SW̱ḴE SI,IÁM
WELCOME FIGURES 2009 (Red Cedar)
by Doug Lafortune (Tsawout)
Learn more about Indigenous art on
campus by viewing the self-guided tour
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The creators of this guide acknowledge and respect the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
This guide was originally developed in May 2021 in response to the remains of 215 children being found on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. On May 27th, 2021 Kukpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc released a heartfelt press release confirming that the remains of 215 children were found on the grounds of the former school using ground-penetrating radar. Since the work at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, numerous other communities have begun the difficult work of investigating and locating the unmarked graves of other children who attended residential schools across Canada. To learn about the events since the discovery last May, read this timeline.
As of May 2022, unmarked graves have been found in relation to the following residential schools in British Columbia: St. Eugene Residential School: ʔaq̓am Press Release, Kuper Island Residential School: Penelakut Tribe Announcement, St. Joseph's Mission Residential School: Williams Lake First Nation
To learn more about the Kamloops Indian Residential School (IRS), the history of residential schools in Canada, and how you can start embracing truth and reconciliation within yourself, you may find the resources below helpful.
For more in-depth resource lists, click on the 'Focused Topics' tab to the left or check out our Indigenous Studies library guide. For further information about campus-wide initiatives regarding this topic, please also consult UVic's 215 website.
Learn more about The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation's (NCTR) Every Child Matters 2020 Initiative. Relatedly, you can learn more about Orange Shirt Day and Phyllis Webstad's story. UVic Libraries' has Webstad's book in English, French, and Shuswap.
There are many video collections on topics related to residential schools and the history of colonization in Canada. To get started, below are a few examples of frequently referred to video series.
Streaming videos and documentaries
We were children (NFB)
Indian Horse (Elevation Pictures)
Kuper Island: Return to the healing circle (Christine Welsh)
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation's YouTube channel
OurOur Stories…Our Strength video collection--Legacy of Hope Foundation
Through Our Eyes: 25+ Short Docs by Indigenous filmmakers--CBC
Indigenous Cinema collection--National Film Board of Canada
Reconciling Ways of Knowing dialogue series--The Reconciling Ways of Knowing Society
Indigenous Speakers Series--University of Waterloo
IRDL Scholars' Speaker Series--Loyola Marymount University
Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in BC--BC Open School
Dan Levy and professors from the University of Alberta supplementary discussion of 'Indigenous Canada
Streaming collection--Aboriginal Peoples' Television Network (APTN)
International Indigenous Speakers' Bureau--Presentations on demand
UVic Libraries has an entire library guide on the history of residential schools in Canada, check it out here. Below are a few short videos to view if you are just starting to learn about this history.
There are countless websites available regionally, provincially, nationally, and internationally that can support your continued learning about residential schools in Canada as well as important related topics such as decolonization, truth, reconciliation, and Indigenous resurgence. Here are a few to get you started:
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR)--University of Manitoba
Missing Children Project--The NCTR is compiling a national register of the more than 4,100 children who died while attending a residential school
Every Child Matters 2020--An online event for students Grade 5-12
Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre--University of British Columbia
Anti-racism and anti-oppression library guide--University of Victoria
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)--United Nations
Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP)--Government of Canada
Indigenous Ally Toolkit--The Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy Network
Wellness Week 2021: Resource list--University of Victoria Libraries
Indigenous Studies library guide--University of Victoria
Includes sections on Residential Schools, Resistance, and Language Revitalization
Some remarkable online courses have been developed to support self-directed learning for topics such as truth, reconciliation, decolonization, and Indigenous resurgence. Below are a small sampling to get you started, there are many, many more.
'Indigenous Canada' MOOC--University of Alberta
Dan Levy and professors from the University of Alberta supplementary discussion of 'Indigenous Canada.'
Reconciling Ways of Knowing dialogue series--The Reconciling Ways of Knowing Society
Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education MOOC--University of British Columbia
The First Nations Principles of ownership, control, access, and possession (OCAP)--First Nations Information Governance Committee
Aboriginal Worldviews and Education--Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Microlearning series--Maskwacis Cultural College in Alberta
The Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums--Conference
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