Shin-chi's Canoe by Nicola I. Campbell, illustrated by Kim LaFave

From chapters.ca:
When they arrive at school, Shi- shi- etko reminds Shin- chi, her six- year- old brother, that they can only use their English names and that they can't speak to each other. For Shin- chi, life becomes an endless cycle of church mass, school, and work, punctuated by skimpy meals. He finds solace at the river, clutching a tiny cedar canoe, a gift from his father, and dreaming of the day when the salmon return to the river - a sign that it's almost time to return home. This poignant story about a devastating chapter in First Nations history is told at a child's level of understanding.