Shin-chi’s Canoe

Written by Nicola I. Campbell and Illustrated by Kim LaFave

Published August 1, 2018 by Groundwood

Shi-shi-etko is returning to residential school for her second year and this year her younger brother, Shin-chi will be going also. The children are taken to school in a cattle truck. As they travel, Shi-shi-etko reminds Shin-chi that they will not return until the the salmon are running again, that his English name is David, and that he won’t be able to talk to his sister at school. She gives Shin-chi a small wooden canoe carved by their father and tells him to keep it hidden.

Shin-chi misses his home and feels hungry all the time. He sneaks away to the river to find peace and release his tiny canoe. One day, he and Shi-shi-etko find each other at the river. Finally, the salmon are running and the children will return home. When they arrive, they find their father carving a dugout canoe for them.

Shin-chi’s story reflects the loneliness and pain experienced by residential school students while celebrating resilience and family love.

Introducing the Author and Illustrator:

Visit the authors’ bio page and blog.

Visit the illustrator’s bio page and website.

Learning More About the Book:

Read reviews of Shin-chi’s Canoe here, here, and here.

Developing Background Knowledge:

Educators who would like to know more about residential schools in Canada can start with these sources.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

Residential Schools in Canada Education Guide

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (University of Manitoba)