A Knock on the Door: The Essential History of Residential Schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) gave us, as Canadians, the unique opportunity to bring together the collective stories and experiences of Canada’s indigenous peoples in the Indian Residential School System. A Knock on the Door gives us a small sampling of the often horrible experiences as told by residential school survivors.

While this could serve as an essential textbook on the history of Canada’s residential schools, it goes beyond just the telling of stories; it prompts a very real and necessary discussion about the future, and about hope.

We are asked to consider the legacy of these schools on the many indigenous peoples, which leads us to a greater understanding of the issues that our First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples face today. What does reconciliation mean for all Canadians, indigenous or non-indigenous? To accomplish true reconciliation, we are called to action through an analysis of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) are listed and explained.

For educators and students, this is an excellent resource which acts as an abridged version of the final TRC report. However, it is far from a typical textbook or government report. These are stories told by real people who had very real experiences that need to be shared with all Canadians.