Residential Schools
"A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.” Many have heard this saying attributed to the Lao Tzu, “The Old Master.” A more accurate translation is “A journey of 1000 miles begins where you are.” What does this have to do about Residential Schools? When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission produced its report in June 2015 it was entitled “Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future,” and it contained 94 Calls to Action. While well-intentioned, many of us, including me, focused on the “first step,” the Calls to Action. Unintentionally we did not start by listening to our Indigenous, Inuit and Metis sisters and brothers. Now is the time to Listen and walk together on a journey that responds to the concerns and issues identified by the Leaders of these communities.
Learning History
Learn about the 630 Indigenous groups of people who have lived here for thousands of years and their first contacts with those who believed they “discovered” this land.
While some believe history is taught, the material here presents history as something to be discovered.
That discovery will be achieved by experiencing things through different eyes and from different perspectives. The history of the place currently called Canada is shifted significantly when seen through the experiences of the Peoples who have lived on these lands for thousands and thousands of years. This list is provided as a “good way to start.” It is not meant to be complete or the only path to follow.
Videos
Doctrine of Discovery – Stolen Lands, Strong Hearts from Anglican Church of Canada.
This film is one of the responses of the Anglican Church’s Primate’s Commission on Discovery, Reconciliation and Justice. It seeks to provide education and insight into the racist foundations of many of our property and other laws still in existence to this day based on the so called “Doctrine of Discovery.”
Books
First Nations 101: Lynda Gray
First Nations 101 is an easy to read primer that provides readers with a broad overview of the diverse and complex lives of First Nations people. It is packed with more than 70 subjects including education, youth, child welfare, urbanization, appropriate questions to ask a First Nations person, feminism, the medicine wheel, Two-spirit (LGBTQ), residential schools, the land bridge theory, and language preservation.
21 Things you May Not know about the Indian Act: Bob Joseph
21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act is the essential guide to understanding the legal document and its repercussion on generations of Indigenous Peoples. Since its creation in 1876, the Indian Act has shaped, controlled, and constrained the lives and opportunities of Indigenous Peoples, and is at the root of many enduring stereotypes.
Courses
The Indigenous Canada Course from the University of Alberta.
Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations. Topics for the 12 lessons include the fur trade and other exchange relationships, land claims and environmental impacts, legal systems and rights, political conflicts and alliances, Indigenous political activism, and contemporary Indigenous life, art and its expressions.
Exercises
Blanket Exercise
The Blanket Exercise builds an understanding of our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada by walking through pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. Everyone is actively involved as they step onto blankets that represent the land, and into the role of First Nations, Inuit and later Métis peoples. By engaging on an emotional and intellectual level, the Blanket Exercise effectively educates and increases empathy.
Mapping the Ground we Stand On.
“Mapping the Ground We Stand On.” explores Indigenous presence and Settler arrival on the map of Turtle Island/Canada. It seeks to act as “education for reconciliation.” Tim Wilson, documented the creation of the exercise and produced two videos, available on PWRDF’s Youtube channel. The Exercise itself is now available as a virtual Mapping Exercise workshop to be delivered over Zoom. The workshop is approximately two and half hours long, with breaks, breakout rooms and interactive elements. We hope it will prove to be a helpful complement to the in-person workshop as we move into a post-pandemic world, reaching audiences that might not be able to participate in-person.