Decolonization and Me Conversation Cards

Decolonization and Me Conversation Cards offer an opportunity to reflect and learn together about sensitive topics such as residential school denialism, Orange Shirt Day, Truth and Reconciliation, and our personal relationship with these topics.

Adapted from the best-selling book Decolonization and Me, these unique cards encourage reflection by exploring the four stages that Canadians need to progress through in our efforts to move forward together. These stages include Denialism, Acknowledgement of the Truth, Acceptance and Responsibility, and Healing Together.

Adapted by Kristy McLeod (Métis Scholar), with approval from Phyllis Webstad, whose story inspired the Orange Shirt Day movement, Decolonization and Me Conversation Cards are perfect for any individual, group, or team who would like to engage in dialogue and learn together. This deck of cards comes in a clamshell box with a guidebook to assist users in gaining more knowledge and navigating self-reflection in a safe and thoughtful manner.

Kristy McLeod is a registered Métis with family roots in the Lac St. Anne and Red River Settlements. She is currently a PhD Candidate in Curriculum and Instruction exploring Métis Identity. Her Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction was focused on how to create inclusive schools. She has been working as an educator in schools for the past 20+ years, both as a teacher in the K-12 system and as a sessional instructor at the University of Victoria. She is Co-owner of PathWise Solutions Inc, a company focused on creating eLearning and training, as well as web solutions for diverse learning groups. She was chair of the Education Committee for the Métis Nation of Victoria and a Director at Large on its board since 2021. Her focus in all things she does is to recognize the value of diverse perspectives and the importance of consultation in creating unity.

Phyllis Webstad (née Jack) is Northern Secwépemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band). She comes from mixed Secwépemc and Irish/Scottish heritage. She was born in Dog Creek and lives in Williams Lake, BC, Canada.

Because of Phyllis and her story, a simple orange shirt has become a conversation starter and national symbol to honour Residential School Survivors and their families. She has received four honorary PhDs for her activism, and in January 2025, she was a recipient of the BC Reconciliation Award and a new award was announced: the Phyllis Webstad Emerging Leaders Youth Award.