On Sept. 30, Canada marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR)/Orange Shirt Day to honour and remember the children who didn’t make it home, and the survivors and intergenerational survivors of residential schools across Canada. The NDTR is a public commemorative date that signals individual and collective remembrance of the tragic impacts of residential schools, and commitment to action within the truth and reconciliation journey. For teachers and school leaders, this day is also an opportunity to both deepen our understanding of the ongoing impacts of residential schools and identify ways to join the truth-telling process in student and teacher learning experiences.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) has resources available to support members in their journey in learning and teaching about truth and reconciliation. A selection of publications, workshops and other resources you can access in advance of NDTR/Orange Shirt Day – or any time – is listed below.
ATA library guide
Organized by resources that are best for younger students, older students and teachers, the ATA library guide includes Orange Shirt Day lesson plans, the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada, the Spirit Bear’s Guide to Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action and much more!
ATA PD workshops
Members can request professional learning activities on Indigenous education and truth and reconciliation for their school or local. Relevant ATA workshops include tapwewin: Dismantling Anti-Indigenous Racism; More Than Words: The Significance of Land Acknowledgments on the Journey of Truth and Reconciliation; and Our Shared History, Our Shared Future—A Brief Introduction to Treaties (Une histoire commune, un avenir à partager—initiation aux traités). Contact pdworkshops@ata.ab.ca for more information.
Ready to continue your learning journey?
ATA publications
From literature recommendations for K–12 (and beyond) to Stepping Stones on such topics as residential schools and Elder protocol, publications related to Indigenous education are available on the ATA website. Strengthening the Heartbeat of Reconciliation includes sample activities, resources and key considerations for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Other ATA resources
Treaty-specific land acknowledgments, with the names of regional Indigenous places, communities and nations identified, are available on the ATA website in written and video formats.
