This link leads to “Aboriginal Peoples: Fact and Fiction”, a short book by Pierre Lepage. I couldn’t find out if Lepage is Aboriginal or not, but the book is sponsored by the indigenous Institut Culturel et Educatif Montagnais (ICEM).
I found this book particularly interesting in light of this week’s discussions around protecting culture – the book is meant to be informative about culture, to remove negative stereotypes. It was published as an educational material for teachers to use in conjunction with an initiative between several Nations and Quebecois public schools. Denis Vallant, Director General of the ICEM, writes that “a negative image of the First Nations spread across Quebec. We the Innu nation could not remain silent in the face of all the generalizations that were circulating. The time to take action had come: we had to make ourselves, our culture, and our way of life better known” (iii). To achieve this, they created a shaputuan, a traditional Innu camp, and brought it to schools to give children of all ethnicities the opportunity to experience Innu culture. In Vallant’s opinion, it was a positive step towards ensuring that there is a place for Innu and other indigenous cultures in Quebec.
The book itself is intended to give teachers and students factual rather than generalized information about First Nations cultures. It shares First Nations’ perspectives on colonization, various government treaties, rights, lands, etc, as well as some information on cultural practices. Specifically, it discusses the practices and histories of several groups belonging to the Eskaleut family, the Kanlen’kahaka, the Iroquoian, and the Algonquin. If it is an accurate source, it will be valuable towards my purpose of researching ways for teachers to foster more informed and healthy relationships with their indigenous students.