Parents and teachers avoid discussing the difficult history topics, and this includes the history of Indian residential schools in Canada and the US. Orange Shirt Day is a Canadian Day that remembers this ugly history of residential schools in the last century. With the slogan of “Every Child Matters”, it should matter to us.
Intentional travel and Orange Shirt Day books (like the list below) help teachers, parents, and homeschoolers discuss the hard things. I’m not a historian; just a mom who had to find my own Orange Shirt Day resources. Here’s what I have done to make history real for my four homeschool kids.
Don’t stop: I know what you’re thinking. I don’t live in Canada. This doesn’t apply to me. But it does. Native American culture exists where ever you are. Look at this map from the US Library of Congress showing US residential school locations.
But were there residential schools near me? Maybe. While driving through Lawton, Oklahoma several summers ago, I saw a sign pointing to the remains of the local Indian School. History is in front of us everywhere; we just have to open our eyes to see it.
Affiliate disclosure: When you click and purchase a link in my post, I may earn an (small) affiliate commission on products, services, or travel bookings at no extra cost to you. If you want to help support this website, you need to accept the cookie pop-up for the link to be credited back to the site. Thanks in advance for the gallon of gas. 😉
What are Residential Schools?
The history of residential schools in Canada is difficult. For over a century, approximately 150,000 First Nations children were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to live at government funded schools across Canada. In an effort to “save” them, these Canadian boarding school were church-staffed with the goal of taking away the students’ their traditions, language, and families.
The Reconciliation Commission of Canada, tasked to uncover the truth, has estimated that 2% of these children would perish from residential school abuse. Under harsh conditions, infectious disease thrived and many children died.
The last Canadian Native American school did not close until 1997. In 2021, after the discovery of more than 200 bodies in a mass grave at a residential school in Canada, it was renamed the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day is set aside to commemorate this national tragedy as well as to make strides toward healing and reparations for the Indigenous Peoples.
Many stories of abuse and neglect stayed quiet. Only several decades ago – with the closing of the last Residential School – the Canadian government started acknowledge the grievances against the First Peoples. With more survivors coming forward, we are now understanding the full extent of the damage that had been done to the Indigenous families.
What is the Meaning of Orange Shirt Day?
Started in 2013 as a Canadian Day of Observance, Orange Shirt Day has been is now honored as a national government holiday. Day of remembrance all started in Canada with the book Phyllis and the Orange Shirt. As more people learn about this recent history, you might see more about USA Orange Shirt Day.
The orange shirt symbolizes how the school system worked to remove the indigenous identities, culture, and language of the children. It is commemorated every year on September 30th and has been renamed the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
This is not distant, foreign history. Let’s quit avoiding the painful past. Let’s raise our kids to be better!
Does Orange Shirt Day Matter for the US?
In the US, these residential schools existed under a different name: Indian boarding schools. Look it up. Check out this list of the hundreds of Indian Boarding Schools in the US. 367 boarding schools in 29 states. The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition has plenty of resources including first-hand stories for you look through.
Even though we do not recognize this holiday in the United States, I believe we should be taking strides toward doing so as there were residential schools in our country.
~~~> Learning about residential schools is a great addition to homeschooling geography. Head to this comprehensive post “Homeschool Fun: How to Make Your Own Geography” for info on how my homeschool family mastered geography.
Should I Talk About Residential Schools with my Kids?
That’s fully up to you. It’s a very sensitive subject. However, we need to educate the kids (and ourselves) to not repeat the same mistakes. If nothing else, my kids might remember that day in fall when mom read them the same books and wore orange. And choose to be remember and be kind.
When my kids were younger, I found the easiest way to talk about hard things was through beautiful, kid-focused picture books. No matter the age of your children (or you), a deep dive into beautiful picture books allows you to learn together about not only the Native American culture but to put them in the shoes of Indian children who lived through this hard age.
Many, if not all, of the books below are available on YouTube. As Orange Shirt Day becomes more acknowledged, I hope that more of these books will be more readily available. Reading is a great way to have the hard conversations.
Residential School Books for Kids
When I Was Eight
Written by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton; Illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard
Written by the same author combination as Fatty Legs, this easier book When I Was Eight takes the longer story down to picture book level to tell of her experience at the residential school as she was treated harshly during her education.
Not My Girl
Written by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton; Illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard
As a continuation of the When I Was Eight story, Not My Girl tells of her return home after two years away at a residential school. Not having heard her Inuit name for two years, Olemaun, now Margaret, has a hard time adjusting back to life with her forgotten native language, foods, and skills. In this, she relearns her life while learning to care for a team of dogsled pups.
Shi-shi-etko
Written by Nicola I. Campbell; Illustrated by Kim LaFave
With brightly colored illustrations, Shi-shi-etko is a poem-like short picture book tells the story of a little girl as she wanders her natural world during her last four days before leaving her family for a residential school. With sweet interactions with her streams and plants, she says goodbye to her land, trying to remember it as she moves forward to leave for school. The author is of Interior Salish and Métish ancestry and grew up in British Columbia.
I Am Not a Number
Written by Jenny Kay Dupius and Kathy Kacer, Illustrated by Gillian Newland
Based on the true story of the author’s grandmother, I Am Not a Number is longer picture book tells the story of her childhood as she was taken along with her two brothers from their Anishanabe First Nation community to live at Spanish Indian Residential School. Stripped of her name, she was given a number to identify herself and contact with her parents was refused.
After a year, her father hid her from the Indian agent, so she wouldn’t have to return and her story was kept quiet until telling her full story to her granddaughter, the author of this book. Make sure you read the back pages of I Am Not a Number for additional information. Grab the edition written in English and Ojibwe if you can find it.
Unstoppable: How Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team Defeated Army
Written by Art Coulson, Illustrated by Nick Hardcastle
ake the learning closer to home with Unstoppable that talks about schools in the United States. While most of this longer picture book covers the story of Jim’s rise to athletic ability and fame, the first section talks about how he, the descendant of a Sauk warrior, was taken from his home in Indian Territory in Oklahoma and sent away to Carlisle Industrial School. Although willingly sent by his family, he was forbidden to speak his native tongue and practice his religion at the school. This book takes the story of Canadian residential schools to make it more relevant to our United States history.
Also check out Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path and Bright Path: Young Jim Thorpe for more detail about his upbringing.
The Orange Shirt Story
Written by Phyllis Webstad, Illustrated by Brock Nicol
This is the book that started Orange Shirt Day. This national day of remembrance in Canada all started with the book Phyllis and the Orange Shirt. In this children’s picture book, Phyllis, a one year resident of a Canadian Residential School, tells the story of her first day at the boarding house when her orange shirt was taken from her and her traditional long hair was cut. She never saw her orange shirt again and was lucky to not have to go back after one year. Continue the story with Beyond the Orange Shirt Story with survivor stories told in their own voices.
Fatty Legs: A True Story
Written by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, Illustrated by Liz Amino Holmes
Fatty Legs is a more than one-hundred page biography that tells the story of Margaret who was relocated from her Inuit home in the Arctic Circle as a child to be taken to the Catholic residential school in the Northwest Territories. Fatty Legs is a good book for older students who are ready for more detail about Residential Schools.
Additional books about residential schools – I haven’t read these:
- Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy of the American Indian Boarding Schools
- Dad, I Miss You: A Residential School Story
- Boarding Schools (21st Century Skills Library: Racial Justice in America: Indigenous Peoples)
- Cheyenne Again: A Moving Historical Story About a Boy’s Heritage and Identity at Boarding School for Kids
Educational Travel: Where to Go
Ya’ll know that my ultimate favorite way to learn is through travel and real-life learning. In the summer of 2026, I was able to visit Alaska and British Columbia where I read about Residential Schools for the first time in person at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. It’s tough to admit, but I wouldn’t have know what they were talking about if I hadn’t read these books with my kids.
Native American history deserves to be learned. Learning opportunities abound with all parts of family trips. Here are some amazing Native American sites we have explored as a family by planning some intentional travel.
- 8 Epic US Archeology Sites that Bring History to Life
- Cahokia Mounds: How to See the Best Indian Mounds
- Visit Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site – Cartersville, Georgia
Thanks for stopping by my little corner! Here’s to your next adventure.
I’m Bobbie. After years of planning detailed family trips, I’m diving into travel advising. I’d love to take away the stress and plan a trip for you. Let’s get started today – click here to start.
You can count on me to share honest reviews and answer the questions you need to plan your own trip. My family of six is on a mission to discover all of Georgia’s amazing places, experience amazing road trips across the United States, and create a homeschool life along the way. We even world travel when we can!
Stop by my Instagram or Pinterest page to discover more of our adventures.
Leave a Reply