• What is the purpose of teaching Treaty Ed where there are few or no First Nations, Metis, Inuit peoples? What does it mean for your understanding of curriculum that “We are all treaty people”?

It is very important to teach Treaty Education to everyone because at some point in your life, you are likely to interact with a person with an Indigenous background or beliefs. In most of our histories, we would have had ancestors who interacted with Indigenous peoples when we first immigrated to Canada. Without a doubt, indigenous peoples played a huge role in our history, as they were here first, so that should be a major component of the education our students receive. Because of these interactions, we should be educated on their culture and history, especially since our “white” culture is constantly being advertised and imposed on anyone who lives here. Teaching Treaty Ed would help distinguish racism, encourage respect, and overall create a happier environment for everyone, and why shouldn’t this be the goal?

Another reason teachers should teach Treaty Education is because it is in the curriculum(!), it is mandatory and should not be seen as an “add on” if you have extra time.

It is also important for students to note that there are still injustices that indigenous peoples face today, like the lack of clean drinking water in some communities, and that there is more to the issue than residential schools; in fact during her video, Claire suggests it is even worse now than when the schools were open. She also noted that by educating the students, she is also educating the parents of the students.

It is important to note that we are all treaty people because we are living on treaty land; Dwayne talked about his family history and noted that while one side was being pushed off of the land (Indigenous), the others (European) were moving onto that land and reaping the benefits of colonization. I feel that it is important that students learn both sides of history when it comes to the creation of Canada, rather than just the white man’s perspective.