Capilano Library, Lynn Valley Library, and Parkgate Library will be OPEN from 10:00am-5:00pm for learning and reflection on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. Lions Gate Express Library will be CLOSED.
Since 2013, September 30 has been known as Orange Shirt Day, a day to recognize the harm and pain caused by the residential school system. In 2021, the federal government declared September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, in response to Call to Action #80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration is a vital component of the reconciliation process which inspires all of us to reflect on the past and acknowledge the ways in which Canada's tragic history of residential schools continues to affect our communities today.
In advance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, we encourage you to give yourselves the space and time to recognize and commemorate the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools.
We have a variety of learning resources to support your personal reconciliation journey. Please see below, visit one of our libraries to browse the materials on display, or ask us for recommendations.
Learn
-
The Fire Still Burns: An evening with Squamish Elder Sam George
Wednesday, September 27 at 7:00pm
In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, join the North Shore libraries for an evening with Squamish Elder Sam George. His recent memoir, The Fire Still Burns: Life In and After Residential School, is an unflinching look at the horrors of a childhood in the Indian Residential School system and the long-term effects on survivors. It illustrates the healing power of one’s culture and the resilience that allows an individual to rebuild a life and a future. Register online.
-
A Conversation with Haida artist and activist Gina Mae Schubert
Thursday, September 28 at 6:00pm
Join Gina Mae Schubert, Haida artist and activist, at Parkgate Library. Register online.
Read
- Truth and Reconciliation Reports, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action
-
NVDPL Recommendations for Adults
- We Are Story: Indigenous Literature
- Indigenous Non-Fiction
- Ebooks: We Are Story: Indigenous Literature list for Library2Go / Overdrive
- NVDPL Recommendations for Teens
- NVDPL Recommendations for Kids
Watch
- From Anishinaabe to Zulu: In Film
- NVDPL Reading Recommendations for Indigenous History Month (2021)
- Indigenous Stories on CBC Gem
-
Kanopy
-
Indigenous Studies watchlist
A selection of Indigenous-centred cinema from North America, Australia, Asia, and around the world.
-
Indigenous Studies watchlist
- Stream videos featuring Indigenous voices and issues on Summa, a Canadian video-on-demand collection.
Play
- Check out Walking in Good Relations: A Sinulkhay & Ladders game for Unlearning Anti-Indigenous Racism - click "Place a Hold" and search for the name (copy #93, #94, & #95) or ask staff to help you place a hold!
- Borrow a puzzle featuring Indigenous art
The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential school experience: 1-800-721-0066. Visit www.irsss.ca for more information.
Our libraries are located on the traditional territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nations. Their ancestors have lived here for countless generations. We are grateful for the opportunity to connect community, share knowledge and inspire stories on unceded Coast Salish Territory.
