Hi Reader,

About a month ago, a newsletter reader asked me if I could recommend any books for her preschooler about the history of residential schools for Indigenous children.

This is a topic I'd been thinking about addressing, and her email prompted me to pull together a blog post of books about this painful history in both Canada and the United States.

You may not be familiar with the residential school era (usually called the boarding school era in the U.S.). This was a period of over 100 years when both Canada and the U.S. forced tribal nations and Indigenous families to send their children to schools that attempted to strip them of their cultures. Many children, including kids who were quite young, were only able to see their families during the summers.

At the schools their long hair was cut off, children had to throw away their traditional clothes, and they were forbidden from speaking their Indigenous languages. Physical abuse, malnutrition, and poor health were everyday experiences for many children.

I was shocked to learn that by 1925, approximately 83% of Indigenous children in the U.S. were enrolled in boarding schools.

Talking about this topic is not easy, but it is important history for Canadians and Americans to acknowledge and learn from. There are many age-appropriate books that can help you talk with preschoolers through high schoolers about it.

Head to my blog post on books for young people about the residential schools for Indigenous children. You'll find:

• a brand new book for middle schoolers from the excellent Race to the Truth series. It not only clearly explains the impact of the boarding school era, but also provides an excellent introduction to Native American history in the United States.
• a pair of sensitive picture books for preschoolers about a brother and sister's loving experiences at home before they are forced into residential school.
• a true story about how children pushed back against hunger at their school by sewing secret pockets into their clothes.
• an engrossing young adult novel about a Dine young man attending an elite boarding school today. His great grandmother's distressed phone calls prompt him to learn more about her experience at boarding school.

Especially with Orange Shirt Day approaching on September 30th, now is an ideal time to read one of these books. Orange Shirt Day, also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is observed most often in Canada, but people in the U.S. are also starting to take part in larger numbers.

Sending you good courage,

Rebekah

Rebekah Gienapp (she/her/hers) | rebekahgienapp.com | Connect on Instagram | Coffees for Gaza | Knit 4 Justice​