GOING DEEPER A


s an educator, I wanted to honour the First Nations of the territories on which we live and go to school. But I didn’t know how. I


heard the territorial acknowledgment be- ing read, but I didn’t really understand what it meant. It got me thinking that if I didn’t understand it as the teacher, what did that mean for my students? Like many non-Indigenous Canadians, my journey to bringing Indigenous ways of knowing into my teaching began the moment I started to reflect on my own beliefs, biases, opinions, experiences, knowledge and position in re- lation to power and privilege. I realized that to go beyond the land ac-


knowledgment, I had to learn about the his- tory, traditional teachings, perspectives and current issues affecting Indigenous commu- nities. I needed to both learn and unlearn many things. As part of this effort, I took two courses


in First Nations, Métis and Inuit Studies last year, First Nations, Métis and Inuit Studies Part 1 with Lakehead University and Inter- mediate Division First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Studies with Queen’s Universi- ty. I was amazed at what we learned about the diversity of Indigenous peoples and cultures, the contributions FNMI people have made to Canada, the issues and effects of the edu- cation system, the roles of the elders and the positive impacts of culturally relevant class- room environments for FNMI students. As I learned more, I felt embarrassed that I didn’t know Canada’s history and the detrimental effect it has had on Indigenous communities and ways of life. Through my courses, I was introduced to two important books, Where the Pavement Ends by Marie Wadden, a pow-


18 ETFO VOICE | SPRING 2021


erful wakeup call to all Canadians, and De- colonizing Education by Marie Battiste, a dis- cussion of the transformation needed in our educational system. Although none of us was alive for the onset of colonialism, Indigenous people have felt its impacts and settlers have reaped its benefits for generations. We know that early treaty promises were


broken and Indigenous people became the targets of colonial policies designed to exploit, assimilate and erase them. The residential school system removed Indigenous children from their homes to systematically strip away their languages, cultures, laws and rights. This is Canada’s history; this is our story. Systemic oppression continues to this


day. Understanding Canada, its history and its present, allows all of us to share in the re- sponsibility of moving forward. Last summer, I had the opportunity to be


part of the Peel District School Board’s Indig- enous Education writing team. Together, we worked on updating the territorial acknowl- edgement our board is using. We worked to bring acknowledgements out of the back- ground and into active consideration for both staff and students. We created resource lists, lesson ideas and a glossary of important ter- minology we felt teachers could use if they needed more background knowledge (e.g., Wampum belt, the Dish with One Spoon Treaty). The acknowledgements developed by our team were brought to the Indigenous Education Advisory Council for approval. As a white, settler educator, I feel the


weight of responsibility to know the truth about Canada’s history and ensure it is part of my curriculum so my students are also empowered with this knowledge. I see the importance of incorporating Indigenous authors, artists and ways of life into as many


FINDING YOUR OWN WAY OF HONOURING THE FIRST NATIONS WHOSE LAND YOUR SCHOOL OCCUPIES BY COURTNEY MORGAN


different aspects of my teaching as possible. I understand the tension created by Eurocen- tric education and the need to create a restor- ative education system that integrates Indig- enous cultures, histories and perspectives to make education inclusive and relevant to all students moving forward. I now realize that prior to my courses I did


not have the appropriate skills or knowledge to effectively use my school and board re- sources to support Indigenous students and to integrate Indigenous perspectives and po- sitions into my practice. Accessing resources, pursuing additional


courses and reaching out to Indigenous com- munity leaders all help ensure that authentic learning and teaching is happening. It is im- portant that each of us in education works to bring about reconciliation. Some educators and students may have a


genuine interest in and personal connection with the territorial acknowledgement, while others will not know much about it. Some educators will have had the opportunity to attend workshops and take courses, but many will not. We all need to share our learnings to help others include Indigenous perspectives in their classrooms and teaching. By ampli- fying Indigenous voices and perspectives we are equipping our students to challenge sys- temic barriers and building equity into their understanding of the world around them. It is the responsibility of each of us to share our knowledge and resources and seek support when we need it to do this work.


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