Tag Archives: residential schools

Mod 4:1 Max Fineday

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Max Fineday is the first indigenous president of the University of Saskatchewan’s Student Union. In an organization that is 106 years old and a province that has a 50% First Nations population, this has been a long time coming. The news is momentous enough to have landed in the New York Times.

In the article is a short discussion on Residential schools and colonization. Overall the article sets a positive tone and gives attention to the work that universities across Canada are doing to support Indigenous students.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/18/world/americas/canadian-universities-strive-to-include-indigenous-cultures.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&src=recg

Module 4 Weblog – Post #4 – Healing Through Storytelling

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Through my research, I have come to understand that a key strength of digital storytelling is not simply the media file that presents the story; more specifically it is the process that led to the creation of that media.

Kookum (Grandmothers) and Youth Circles is a workbook developed to support an Equay-wuk (Women’s Group)  workshop held in the winter of 2012. This group supports the needs and interests of women in the 31 First Nation communities in remote Northwestern Ontario. The workshop and the workbook both provided opportunities for both elders and youth to consider the stories that they had to tell, including their experiences of the Residential Schools – either first hand or through inter-generational impacts.

Reviewing the workbook provides tremendous insights into the types of reflection and strategies that can help contribute to people sharing their own stories as a means of healing themselves and, in some cases, those around them.

Module 4 Post 5

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This is a link to the Canadian gov’t page for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Though the site has a lot of information that does not pertain to residential schools in Canada, there is a fair amount of information here that does pertain to the history and progress being made currently (if we can yet call it progress). A number of links can be found on this site which are beneficial with further researching this topic.

The link goes directly to the page(s) dealing with residential schools.

http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100015576/1100100015577

Module 4 Post 4

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At the Edge of Canada: Indigenous Research is a blog that aims to promote a better understanding of indigenous peoples and the issues they face. This is a 30 minute independent radio documentary on the ‘cultural genocide’ of the residential school system in Canada. The author of the site is a professor at the University of Manitoba.

http://www.attheedgeofcanada.com/2013/11/canadian-indian-residential-schools-as.html

Module 4 Post 2

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This is another video, this one with Deputy Grand Council Chief Glen Hare, of Anishinabek Nation. This is part of a 5 video series and discusses the loss of culture and language, and steps being taken towards regaining some of what was lost. The project is called “Honouring Our Children, Families, and Communities Affected by Indian Residential Schools”.

Module 4 Post 1

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Looking for some alternatives to online written work, I found some video (lots of video, actually) from the different Truth and Reconciliation commissions (this one from Hobbeme).

Where I’m looking particularly at the loss of culture through the use of residential schools, some interviews will provide some good, first-hand information.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Edmonton/ID/2398281934/

Module 4: Post 5 – Truth and Reconciliation Commission Extended

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It seems rather fitting that my first post and last post in this weblog are about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I began this course with no knowledge of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; however, as I have researched my chosen topic, residential schools, I have come to learn quite a lot about the Truth and Reconciliation.

Upon learning about the Commission I was impressed and proud of the Canadian Government’s efforts to seek information of the horrors children endured at residential schools with an aim towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. This seemed to me to be very positive and progressive.

I am disappointed to learn this week that the Commission is, in all likelihood, expected to be given an extension of one year. This extension seems to be needed as the government has been withholding valuable documents regarding the horrid abuses committed at St. Anne’s Indian Residential School in Fort Albany, Ontario and other key documents.

I am hopeful that the Commission can continue it’s invaluable work, and that the Canadian Government can renew it’s commitment to truth and reconciliation.

 

Module 4: Post 3 – Teaching Students About Residential Schools

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My focus thus far has been in educating myself about Canadian residential schools as well as Australia’s policy of assimilation of Aboriginal peoples. I am now interested in learning more about current curricula available to teach students about residential schools and government policies of assimilation.

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) has created a comprehensive Residential Schools Curriculum for grades 9 – 12. They have an impressive website that is rich in information, resources and lesson plans. What I particularly like about this curriculum is that residential schools are examined in many countries across the world: USA, Australia, China/Mongolia and New Zealand.  Lesson plans cover topics such as: traditional knowledge systems, residential/boarding schools around the world, survivors’ stories, Prime Minister of Canada’s apology, healing, intergenerational impacts and so on.  This website/curriculum is an excellent resource for any secondary teachers wishing to teach students about residential schools.

Previously, I have discussed the website Where are the Children on this blog. It bears mentioning again with a more specific focus on its resources and teachers guide. Each resource is written for a specific age group, grades 9/10, grades 11/12 and lifelong learners, and contains age appropriate information divided into similar chapters (Government policy, implementation, outcomes, impacts, revitalization). The accompanying Teachers Guide identifies learning objectives and alludes to unit and lesson plans but does not provide information on where those lesson and unit plans are. Although frustrating to not be able to access the unit/lesson plans, the textbooks provided on the website as well as the website itself are a valuable teaching resource for secondary teachers.

Although there is not an extensive amount of curricula/resources available currently, it appears that what is available will enable teachers to effectively teach students about residential schools. It is also promising that there seems to be a push to develop more curricula/resources about residential schools.

 

Module 4:Post 2 – The Hawthorn Report (1966)

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In 1964 the Canadian Government commissioned UBC Professor Harry B. Hawthorn to complete a study on the current state of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Hawthorn and his team of researchers considered areas such as: economic, socio-economic, political, educational and administrative realms of Indigenous peoples. Hawthorn’s report, A Survey of the Contemporary Indians of Canada Economic, Political, Educational Needs and Policies,(Parts 1 and 2) was published in 1966.

Hawthorn largely concluded that Indigenous peoples in Canada were not treated fairly and were generally at a disadvantage. In particular, Hawthorn noted the impact the residential school system had on creating the poor conditions of Indigenous peoples. He recommended an improvement to Indigenous peoples’ rights and the end of forced residential schools.

From the findings of the Hawthorn report, the Canadian government began to make changes to the Indian Act and the Department of Indian Affairs.