“The educational systems of this country bear a large share of the responsibility for the current state of affairs. But it can fix what it has broken.” Murray Sinclair, “Reconciliation: The Role of Education”
This quote speaks to the legacy of the residential schooling system in Canada. Many Canadians still do not understand the truth and the impacts of the residential schooling system and what Indigenous peoples experienced at these “schools.” The effects of these systems, implemented by the Canadian government, are long lasting and must be reconciled in part by Canadian teachers. As stated in the quote, the Canadian educational system caused these problems and it must also attempt to fix them. In my own school experience, the truth of Canada’s history was white washed and concealed. In my future teaching career, I want to be a part of the solution rather than part of the problem. To me, truth is foundational to a good education.
One way I plan to implement this in my classroom is by incorporating Indigenous epistemologies and pedagogies into my classroom and teaching my students the truth of Canadian history. I hope to make my Indigenous students feel comfortable and heard in my classroom. Part of this will be the inclusion of Indigenous languages and Indigenous representation in my teaching materials. I also plan to try to decolonize traditionally colonial subjects, such as science, by introducing Indigenous perspectives. Indigenous communities have their own beliefs of how things have come to be, which deserve to be talked about in traditional education settings. In part, this is how I hope to follow Standard 9 of the BCTF Professional Standards for BC Educators. Through the education of Canada’s future, we can begin to reconcile with our past.