This week we had a Pro-D Day on the Friday and as a school we attended a presentation at the Tsawwassen First Nations Longhouse. This was a special presentation put on by the Tsawwassen people and they invited teachers in the Delta district to attend. I was surprised to hear that Aboriginals are not being taught about the residential schools and that some of them don’t even find out about them until their late teens/twenties. I though that this was very sad to learn because it is a part of their history, just as it is apart of mine, and it also can help them understand many things that happen in their community and families. The presenter explained that he wasn’t aware of residential schools until he was in his twenties and that once he was made aware of what happened and what was done to his people, he was able to understand the things his grandparents and parents did, or didn’t do, while raising him. I think that it is really good that residential schools are going to become part of the new curriculum and I think it would be even better if all districts put on more workshops about the residential schools and how to approach the subject with a class.
The residential schools were a sad time in history for aboriginal people. I think it is a delicate subject and one that needs to be well thought through when teaching this to children. There are many times historically that human has hurt human and hopefully we can learn through past mistakes and move into true compassion and care for others.