Education for Reconciliation

Province Committed to Working with Partners to Address Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action

Stories of Canada's native people need to be centre of education curriculum, Waterdown teacher says

The universities of Winnipeg and Lakehead recently announced plans to integrate compulsory indigenous-focused courses across their programs. Critics have objected to these proposals, claiming that introducing mandatory courses will hinder freedom of thought and freedom of choice. These objections stem from two faulty assumptions.

Whenever there is talk about the need for systemic changes to ensure Canadians learn about Indigenous peoples, a veritable tsunami of anecdotes pour in. To hear some tell it, Canadians are already experts on indigenous cultures, history and contemporary realities.

A new course being launched at Cape Breton University in the new year will try to share Mi'kmaq history, culture and wisdom with the world. It's called Learning from Knowledge Keepers of Mi'kma'ki and is CBU's response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, many of the whose 94 recommendations relate to education. "The problem all along was that Mi'kmaq history was never taught in the schools," said Stephen Augustine, dean of Unama'ki College and Aboriginal Learning at CBU. "I never learned anything about my own culture and history in elementary and secondary schools."