ECS 210- Week 7

Hello,

Sounds like you have found yourself in a difficult situation, but I commend you for your continued attempts to promote Treaty Ed. The purpose of teaching Treaty Ed where there are few or no First Nations, Métis, Inuit (FNMI) peoples is that there is a contemporary need to provide perspectives that challenge the status quo. Through the history of Canada, there has been a calculated campaign against FNMI Content and Perspectives, through “Othering” and the promotion of a discourse of dysfunction towards Indigenous peoples. As was discussed by Dwayne Donald, there is a continued process of denying relationship, and that people find it difficult to appreciate each other’s perspective. It sounds like this is what you are facing with your cooperating teacher. It is our duty as teachers to incorporate the alternative ways of knowing and perspectives, not only because they supplement and challenge the Western perspectives, but because they are legitimate. They undermine the dominant discourses that Indians were savages when Canada was “discovered”, they challenge the status quo, and offer reasons for the equity issues that we continue to see in the Canadian context. Including this content in the curriculum destabilizes the white settler centered school environment, challenges teachers to deal with contentious issues, and invites students to think critically about their surroundings and stereotypes they often see. As mentioned in the Q & A video, there is still a lot of racism being perpetuated, and we need to identify the systemic structures around us that promote this racism. Where there are few FNMI students, it is more important to teach this content, because stereotypes are stronger within these communities, and there is less general understanding of the perspectives and contemporary issues that people face today. As mentioned in the Q & A video, we need to own these decisions because we are forming the people of the future. As mentioned by Dwayne Donald, in order to think about the future you have to work backwards and trace out the lineages that have brought conditions into being. Also, as Claire mentioned in her introductory video, non-Indigenous students are the ones who need to learn and engage with this knowledge. In regards to your situation, it is truly a difficult topic to approach. I recommend placing your students in space, which is to say identifying the treaties and first nations groups that are close to you. In your instruction, I recommend continuing with your endeavor to promote alternative points of view, and to help the students recognize that Indigenous people have a special relationship with Canada, which has not always been taken care of. In regards to materials, I recommend asking your school’s librarian for help in regards to materials that are available in your school. Also, looking into youtube videos for some presentations in regards to treaties and Canada. Finally, using texts like “Ways of Knowing” by Yale Belanger, or “Finding Daasha” by Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox can provide some useful tools and stories to include in your lessons.

2. What does it mean for your understanding of curriculum that “We are all treaty people”?

We are all treaty people because we are living within the treaty agreements that have been made. We all have a duty to understand and continue the good-faith understandings involved in the treaties. Treaties are not only a piece of paper that was signed, but the celebration of agreement between settlers and Indigenous people in Canada. A duty to continue on in a form a mutual respect, and in aid of one another. In terms of curriculum, we need to continue providing the broader understandings of these agreements beyond the simple treaty documents. As Claire mentioned, many people just continue to turn the page on the issues being faced by Indigenous communities. We can not just put a check beside reconciliation and continue on, because our society has structures that perpetuate racism.