What is it?
For our final assignment in ECS 101 class (Education for Justice: Knowledge, Schooling, and Society) we were tasked to write a paper that discusses our own personal journey toward truth and reconciliation. In addition, we were also tasked to create an aesthetic representation of our paper. Below is an excerpt from my paper about my personal journey toward truth and reconciliation explaining what my aesthetic representation symbolizes.
Name of my aesthetic representation: “Resilience”
“My aesthetic representation of my journey toward reconciliation embodies resilience and determination. Throughout history, oppressors have always tried to assimilate groups of minorities by forcing their beliefs, ideals, religion, lifestyle, language, and culture into them. If we were to look back into history, forced assimilation is seldom successful as it only leads to a path to more destruction and violence. In Philippine history, the country has been invaded and conquered by the Spaniards, the Japanese, and the Americans. Although the Philippines now have major influences from those countries, Filipinos have always stayed true to their language and culture. They still managed to preserve their traditions, beliefs, and ideals. This can be said for Indigenous peoples in Canada, as well. Despite being forced into residential schools where they dealt with horrific living conditions and terrible treatment from White oppressors, Indigenous peoples were still able to keep and preserve their culture and language. Although it is a slow progression, Indigenous peoples today are now able to speak their Indigenous languages and dialects and are free to travel across the country whenever they want as these were things they could not do before. Despite being affected by institutionalized oppression for many years, First Nations peoples and communities are only in the beginning of their path to healing from what they have dealt with.”