Dr. Dean is offering a course on the literature of residential schools

The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was released on June 2, 2015, and includes ninety-four “Calls to Action” that ask all Canadians to participate in a process of education, acknowledgement and healing. The Department of English has responded to the recommendations by creating a new course, “Truth and Reconciliation: the literature of residential schools.” In this course students read memoirs, novels and poetry by First Nations authors that through their strong, beautiful, and emotionally intense language introduce them to the experiences of residential school survivors. Through study and discussion of these works, students are challenged to reflect upon and empathize with the experiences of survivors, and approach the possibility of reconciliation with honesty and humility.