In Grades Seven to Nine I remember learning a significant amount of Indigenous history, and there were whole units dedicated to learning about Indigenous culture and ways of life. From Grades Ten to Twelve, there was much less emphasis on Indigenous history because of the heavier loads of course content we had to push through. There was mention of legislation that affected Indigenous people, but there was no mention on how this legislation affected them directly. The only times where we were taught about the direct affects of legislation and colonialism was when we talked about residential schools or the sixties scoop.
The problem, however, was that much of Indigenous history was taught in the past tense. Indigenous history was never connected properly with the issues of today. For example, I was told that working towards reconciliation was the right thing to do but was not told why it needs to happen. I did not learn about how lateral violence and intergenerational trauma existed in Indigenous communities or how the government systems in place continue to marginalize and prevent the success and healing of Indigenous peoples. I only began to learn these present-day impacts when I started my schooling at the University.
To answer the calls to action, I want to educate myself as best I can on the issues that Indigenous people face today, and how that is connected to our shared history. I want to show my students those connections, and through that I will hopefully be able to mobilize them to work towards reconciliation. I want to bring in speakers and elders to fill in the gaps where my knowledge is not sufficient. I also want to do this to show my students that there are real people impacted, because I believe that hearing a story from someone directly in front of you is much more impactful than any video I could play. I also want to include as many different aspects of Indigenous cultures, knowledges, and ways of knowing and doing in my classroom as I can. I want to foster the acceptance and celebration of Indigenous cultures as well as other cultures.
