One of my biggest responsibilities as an educator is to ensure that my students are receiving quality anti-oppressive education. I believe that all voices should be heard, especially those who have been repeatedly silenced. Being that we live on treaty four territory I strongly believe that treaty education has special importance in what we are teaching our student’s. It is our job as educator’s to ensure that our student’s are receiving quality education and in doing so we cannot continue to ignore the importance of teaching treaty education. My anti-oppressive teachings will embody the Treaty Education curriculum and disperse it throughout as many curricular outcomes as possible. All grades from K-12 have treaty education outcomes which can be incorporated in stand alone lessons or be taught cross-curricular with all of the school subjects. My lessons will continue to integrate treaty education into the curricular outcomes such as this lesson I taught in my pre-internship classroom. I will not participate in the ignorance of true Canadian history by not teaching the happenings of the treaties or the residential schools, much like my own education process failed to teach me.
I hope to work towards truth and reconciliation by acknowledging our treaty four land with my students and breaking down and participating in what it means to be a treaty person. My students will be encouraged to reflect on their own role in the Truth and Reconciliation Act and will be be expected to respect and treat others with equal anti-bias kindness. In following the TRC’s Calls to Action my students will receive education that supports a curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada. As an educator I will make sure the Ministry of Education holds true to the Calls to Action so that my students establish capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect (TRC 63iii).
In engaging with the Saskatchewan Curriculum I will implement available resources and supports offered to me to teach treaty education and I will invite Elders into my classrooms to share their stories with my students. I believe in and support the importance of FNMI’s traditions of oral speaking and will incorporate these teachings into my student’s differentiated learning styles. When teaching treaty education I am aware of my responsibility of being well-informed on topics of Canada’s FNMI history before teaching my class. By doing research, using supplied resources, and conversing with respected Elders, I will be sure to be teaching my student’s quality anti-bias education. I am going to work hard to be an advocate for the truth and reconciliation act because I believe in giving a voice to those who are being wrongfully oppressed. My students will be given ample opportunity to learn about the process of truth and eventual reconciliation and we will work together to understand the words of Pam Palmater, “It’s not reconciliation if it feels good.”
I look forward to my continued journey as an educator as I strive to create a safer space for all students who walk through my classroom door.