My journey towards reconciliation started off being challenging, throughout my schooling, we never really discussed anything about the Indigenous or residential schools. The first time that I truly came to the realization of my own journey towards reconciliation is when I was watching my Edmonton Oilers play the Calgary Flames. We had a defenseman named Ethan Bear and he was of Indigenous descent and a member of the Ochapowace nation in southern Saskatchewan. Ethan would receive a lot of death threats and hate messages because of his Indigenous descent. However, throughout all of this adversity and hatred towards Bear, he has continued on persevering by playing hockey at a professional level while being a strong advocate for the Indigenous communities off the ice. Being from Edmonton, I was really invested in my team and when I saw all of those messages online towards Bear, I knew this was not alright and some action needed to be taken.
In my opinion, the year 2021, the world as a whole is witnessing the most diverse population there has ever been. Schools are changing drastically in a good way with different cultures and skin colors all taking part in classes. Back in my elementary school, we had very few students of color, and actually, my best friend was of color. The best part about it, though, is that I did not care; friendship should be determined by how much you connect and that friendship should be color blind. As a future teacher, it is imperative that I would be talking about with my students about these situations as we all enter a new society with much more diversity. My most significant rule is called “the golden rule” and it applies to all aspects of life. The golden rule is, to treat somebody as you want to be treated in return. That is a rule that should be empathized and encouraged throughout schooling and in life. This same rule can be applied to unearned privileges, racism, and whiteness. Imagine being in that other person’s shoes; imagine how you would feel if somebody said something racist towards you? How would that make you feel inside?
Residential schools and the Indigenous culture will always be connected in some way. Unfortunately, we cannot change the past, but we can learn from the past as we head towards a brighter future. Throughout my first semester at the University of Regina, I have taken two very informative classes that have helped me with a broader and more knowledgeable understanding of residential schools. Until recently, I did not know the true meaning of Orange Shirt Day. I thought it represented the Indigenous, but I did not know its deeper meaning. I did not understand that a student named Phyllis Webstad who wore an Orange Shirt that was given to her from her grandma, on the first day of residential school, and how it was stripped off her body the moment she entered the school. From a teacher’s perspective, this information is valuable in spreading awareness towards the Indigenous, but it is not enough information. I believe you can never have enough information and facts to tell your students. There is still constant new information about residential schools as professionals and experts continue analyzing and communicating with residential school survivors.
My responsibility as a future teacher will include getting involved in events and learning about the culture, spreading the truth and teaching people about being respectful towards the Indigenous people, being open-minded, supporting aboriginal families, and spreading positive awareness across social media platforms (Canadian’s Teachers Federation, 2016, p. 25-26). My brother’s lacrosse team could not play games in their home arena this year due to COVID. They created a partnership with a community in the Enoch Cree Nation just west of Edmonton. They were fortunate enough to play a game last year wearing a custom-made miners jersey that represented the victims of the residential schools. It was a charity game where all the proceeds went to the Indian Residential School Survivor’s Society. Hopefully, other teams will follow suit by representing the Indigenous for a game or two in the years to come. That way, more people can get exposed to the Indigenous messages and culture as we all look towards a brighter reconciliation for generations to come.
