I believe that it is important to teach Treaty Ed and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Content and Perspectives, regardless if your class and/or school has few or no First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. I do not understand why it is even a topic that is questioned or debated. Before European settlers came to Canada, the lands were already full of self-governing peoples, so why is their histories over-looked in our Canadian curriculums?
I never realized just how little most people in Canada know about Treaty Ed until I came to the University of Regina. My school in Swift Current had a form of Treaty Ed interwoven in most classes, apart from mathematics. While it was certainly not perfect in the way it was taught, it was still exposure and it was something.
Those of us in the Regina area are under Treaty 4. We are Treaty people and it is important to acknowledge the lands we now live on. If Treaty Ed was properly implemented in our Canadian schools, I believe it would create less of a divide when it came to political issues and general off-hand comments about the way things are now in Indigenous communities.
I agree, it is crazy to me that some people seem to be against the idea of teaching about indigenous peoples or of the treaties. It is an important part of our history and affects us to this day. It seems that many who are against such things come from a place of ignorance.
As far as your school I think it is amazing hearing how your school was able to tie in treaty ed. Even if it is not flawless it is undeniably step into the right direction and I am sure many schools wish they could be as far along as your school was.
Thank you for your post!