Equitable Narratives and Education

I found another article in the Calgary Herald that looked at a Grade 7 class from Calgary Academy who were researching Indigenous heroes and nominating them to be the face of the new five dollar bill. https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/students-draw-5-bills-with-indigenous-heroes-to-submit-for-redesign-nominations

One of the most interesting aspects of PME 821 was the issue of the Canadian Education system supporting the “Grand Narrative” on how this country was founded. For decades students have learned of the bravery of European explorers who came to this country in search of the New World and came across “primitive” and “savage” Indigenous communities that were in need of saving by European insight and religious institutions. This is certainly the narrative that I was taught within my schooling in Alberta and what little I came to know and understand about Indigenous culture was overgeneralized in many aspects. One of the main goals of decolonizing pedagogy has to look at how we disrupt the grand narrative. Teachers within this country must educate themselves of what the true history of this country looks like and how Indigenous communities where sophisticated and vibrant cultures that were and continue to be instrumental to the fabric of our society.

What I like about this activity that is taking place in Calgary Academy is that it disrupts the grand narrative for these grade 7 students. For too long Indigenous communities were seen as disruptions to the settlement of the west and were not appreciated for their holistic model of education and traditional ways of knowing that were highly successful in developing advanced and thriving societies. School boards must take steps to include First Nation perspectives of history within their Indigenous Education policies that disrupt the grand narrative. The next generation of students must be aware of how the dominant Eurocentric perspective subjected Indigenous communities to systemic forms of racism and discrimination that devastated their language and culture and continue to have ramifications to this day. I am hoping that policy in the future can serve to create more understanding and tolerant perspective of our Indigenous communities. This is a respect that recognizes that First Nations people draw their identity and spirituality from their interaction with the land and ecosystems and will do everything that they can to protect it. It is important to have this vision and aspect of hope that policy and education can serve a more equitable relationship for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians in the future.