Dear whom it may concern,
Education of such a thing like treaty education is a task that is associated with many obstacles. Personally, I think that people who do not believe in treaty education are simply not willing to learn about anything that may oppose their own beliefs. Social Studies 30 – a class that revolves around Canadian history – is something that is heavily influenced by the treaties. Due to this, I think that treaty education is something that should be a priority in Canadian education. The fact that your students, who are presumably all at an age where the understanding of why treaties were put in place and the lasting effects of them, do not comprehend why education like this is important is astonishing. In my own opinion, the purpose of treaty education is to ensure that society is educated about the lasting effects of the treaties, and how they have shaped Canada today. When remarks about relevancy are said, I find it difficult to understand why it is not important. Students and teachers alike experience the positive or negative effects of treaties every day, as the people of Canada are all treaty people. This means that as a person living in Canada, everyone inherits the outcomes of treaties. I would recommend that you emphasize this to both your students and coop teacher. If this does not work, I would also like to recommend showing them actual stories from people who have to live with the negative outcomes of treaties, and how it shapes the world they live in. One way I think you could do this would be through an activity where students can write a mock letter to someone who has had these negative experiences. I feel this allows students to connect with a real person, which hopefully triggers consideration of some sort. I also have attached some resources that I have used to develop my own understanding of why treaty education is so important.
Good luck in the future,
Dan Manson
- We are all Treaty People.
- “On What Terms Can we Speak?”
- Claire Kreuger’s blog here
- Claire Introduction
- Mike & Claire
Good ideas
Hi Dan,
Great reflection! I like how you pointed out that people who don’t believe in treaty education are simply not willing to learn ideas that challenge their own beliefs. It is vital that we are willing to unlearn and learn from various perspectives to develop deep understandings about our country’s history!