Learn About Indigenous Culture By Reading These Books to Your Children

September 30th is Orange Shirt Day. And as allies, we are constantly looking for ways to support and educate ourselves and community around Indigenous culture. 

Here are our top favourite children's books written by Indigenous authors. Find these books online here.

• I Lost My Talk, by Rita Joe
• We All Count - A Book of Cree Numbers, by Julie Flett
• Stolen Words - Kimotinaniwiw itwewina, by Melanie Florence
• Ojibway Clans Animal Totems and Spirits, by Marc Anthony Jacobson
• Phyllis's Orange Shirt, by Phyllis Webstad
• Ojibway Animals, by Jason Adair

"Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake, BC, Canada, in the spring of 2013. It grew out of Phyllis' story of having her shiny new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually." - IRSSS

Be sure to check out Ashley Wynn's school, Sage and Sunshine, for more information on her culture-based private school. Ashley operates out of our Lavender and Play location on Chemong Road. Sage and Sunshine Culture-Based Private School is dedicated to bringing back Indigenous language and culture to Urban Indigenous children so they can develop connections to their roots to grow up full of knowledge they can share for generations to come.

We encourage everyone to take a look at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: 94 Calls to Action.