This week’s blog post is aimed towards treaty education and it’s importance within our curriculum. There are many schools within our societies that are made up of primarily white students, minorities such as First Nations students are less represented. Some schools interpret this as a legitimate reason to not incorporate treaty education into their classrooms. This is a mistake and with the question’s provided in this weeks post, my aim is to clarify why this is the case.
1. What is the purpose of teaching Treaty Ed (specifically) or First Nations, Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) Content and Perspectives (generally) where there are few or no First Nations, Metis, Inuit peoples?
The particular benefit of making sure all students regardless of race or culture learn Treaty Ed and FNMI content is that it can help mend a conflict that has lasted generations. During the colonization of North America, the issue that Indigenous people faced was that the newly arrived Settlers decided their way of life was better. The “uncivilized” lifestyles couldn’t be accepted by the Settlers because it was different to them. A few trades, wars, genocides, and treaties go by and the Settlers have weaseled their way into power. Now by this time all that remained of the First Nations people where those who hadn’t been killed by sickness, war or starvation, certainly a tough bunch. It was decided that treaties and agreements would be the best way to sweep them under the rug and complete our white takeover of the country, and so we did. The kicker really is that we had no intention of keeping our word when it came honoring our treaties. In reality the Settlers had a real superiority complex. Whenever someone was in the way of our expansion treaty land or not, we pushed them away. Where ever we wanted to build whether it was under treaty permission or not, we took it. It almost seems as though the treaties were a publicity stunt to portray the white settlers as gracious negotiators.
So the initial problem that started this violent take over of land and culture was fear of the misunderstood, or in other words prejudice and racism. If we continue to this day to not teach treaty education to the settlers descendants, they will develop their own opinions (which might not be too positive) of other races and cultures. So if teachers are against treaty education in schools that are predominantly white or are neutral to the idea and will only follow-through if asked, they are allowing future generations to develop negative biases towards a culture they know nothing about. It is instead a necessity to teach Treaty ED and FNMI content so that students from all cultures can gain an understanding of this countries history and can learn to appreciate the First Nations culture.
2. What does it mean for your understanding of curriculum that “We are all treaty people”?
Well this statement expresses that there were two parties that signed the treaties. The First Nations people and the White Settlers, two parties in agreement. Despite the fact that White people didn’t hold up their end of the bargain and still don’t today. But this does not deny the fact that; First Nations people have been treated in ways that are racist and demeaning and by the letter of our Canadian laws are victims of crime. Their land was stolen from them, we still live on the treaty lands that belongs to them. Acknowledging that as white settlers we have done wrong but that we can do better, is a first step to reestablishing a relationship with the First Nations people. The biggest impact we can make is with the future generation, making sure that they learn about treaties and Indigenous culture. Being a role model for them in indigenous learning by always incorporating Indigenous learning when possible. Making them aware of social issues that plague Canadian minorities, so that they can be a voice against injustice.
