"They took our words and locked them away, punished us until we forgot them, until we sounded like them."

Content Area Connections:

Language Arts: Analyze how words and illustrations together convey meaning or theme, describe how characters respond to challenges and how loss of language shapes the story, discuss the role of language shaping cultural identity and healing, write reflective narratives about why preserving languages matters
Social Studies: Residential schools, Indigenous histories, the impact of colonization on language and culture, family
Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Empathy, healing, resilience, cultural pride, intergenerational trauma
Art: Symbolism in illustrations

Primary Source Connection: 

• Interactive map showing locations of residential schools. Provides information on each school.
• Library of Congress primary source set on Residential Schools.
• Digital Public Library of America primary source set on residential schools.

Other Books: 

• My Powerful Hair (PK-2)
• I Am Not a Number (1-12)
• All Around Us (PK-2)