01 In Alberta
In 2011, there were 220,695 Aboriginal people living in Alberta, roughly 6% of Alberta's population. At this time, 49% of Alberta's Aboriginal population were under the age of 25.
(Statistics Canada, 2016.)
Student demographics, including the percentages of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students, will vary from one school district to another. Many school districts may include demographic information on their websites. It is encouraged that you explore the websites for your school and school district to gain insight as to the student population you will be teaching and involved with.
(Statistics Canada, 2016.)
Student demographics, including the percentages of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students, will vary from one school district to another. Many school districts may include demographic information on their websites. It is encouraged that you explore the websites for your school and school district to gain insight as to the student population you will be teaching and involved with.
The map to the right shows the location of all 25 residential schools in Alberta, represented by yellow squares. These locations are significant to Canadian history, FNMI history, and also to the history of Education.
Click the image to access a document from the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada that shows the location of all residential schools throughout Canada.
02 What is the TRC?
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) is a component of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. It was established on June 1, 2008, with a mandate of 5 years.
In short, the TRC's purpose is to inform all Canadians about the truth of Indian Residential Schools (IRS). The Commission exists to acknowledge and provide survivors, families, communities, and anyone personally affected by the IRS experience with "a safe and culturally appropriate manner" to share their experiences (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, n.d.). This includes First Nations, Inuit, and Métis former Indian Residential School students, their families, communities, the Churches, former school employees, Government and other Canadians. |
This video, produced by the TRC, discusses the development and purpose of the Commission.
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TRC Calls to Action
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission released their 94 Calls to Action in 2015. The document outlines the following four Calls to Action regarding education (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015, pg. 8-9).
Education for reconciliation
62. We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in consultation and collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal peoples, and educators, to:
63. We call upon the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada to maintain an annual commitment to Aboriginal education issues, including:
64. We call upon all levels of government that provide public funds to denominational schools to require such schools to provide an education on comparative religious studies, which must include a segment on Aboriginal spiritual beliefs and practices developed in collaboration with Aboriginal Elders.
65. We call upon the federal government, through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, post-secondary institutions and educators, and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and its partner institutions, to establish a national research program with multi-year funding to advance understanding of reconciliation.
Education for reconciliation
62. We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in consultation and collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal peoples, and educators, to:
- Make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for Kindergarten to Grade Twelve students.
- Provide the necessary funding to post-secondary institutions to educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms.
- Provide the necessary funding to Aboriginal schools to utilize Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods in classrooms.
- Establish senior-level positions in government at the assistant deputy minister level or higher dedicated to Aboriginal content in education.
63. We call upon the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada to maintain an annual commitment to Aboriginal education issues, including:
- Developing and implementing Kindergarten to Grade Twelve curriculum and learning resources on Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of residential schools.
- Sharing information and best practices on teaching curriculum related to residential schools and Aboriginal history.
- Building student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect.
- Identifying teacher-training needs relating to the above.
64. We call upon all levels of government that provide public funds to denominational schools to require such schools to provide an education on comparative religious studies, which must include a segment on Aboriginal spiritual beliefs and practices developed in collaboration with Aboriginal Elders.
65. We call upon the federal government, through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, post-secondary institutions and educators, and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and its partner institutions, to establish a national research program with multi-year funding to advance understanding of reconciliation.
Although many of these Calls to Action need to be implemented by the Government of Canada, there are some things that teachers can do that would work towards these goals. For example, as teachers, we can begin to build "student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect." We can do this in a number of ways, which will be discussed in the section "What Can Teachers Do?"
03 Some Definitions
FNMI refers to First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples. The following more specific definitions are taken from the Alberta Teacher's Association Education is Our Buffalo, which is available in the Additional Resources section.
Reconciliation: According to Oxford Living Dictionaries, reconciliation is defined as "the restoration of friendly relations." In the context of this inquiry, reconciliation is a complex process aimed at repairing the relationships between Canada’s Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. It involves the acknowledgement of the devastating history of Canada’s Indian Residential School system, and focuses on improving relations to create a positive future.
Treaty refers to a legal agreement between Canada’s Crown and Aboriginal groups. These legal agreements divided the land into 11 groups. The Government of Canada explains treaties as “solemn agreements that set out promises, obligations and benefits for both parties” (Government of Canada. Indigenous and Northern Affairs, 2010).
- First Nations: A term used by the Assembly of First Nations to refer to their membership. In 1980, all the chiefs in Canada adopted a declaration to call their member nations (the Cree, the Mohawk, the Blackfoot, the Dene, etc) First Nations, because they did not like the terms Indian band and Indian tribe. The term is also used to reinforce the idea that Aboriginal peoples were the original inhabitants of the Americas—they were the “first nations” of North America. (ATA, 2016, pg. 4)
- Métis: The term for a person who self-identifies as Métis, is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples, is of historic Métis Nation ancestry and is accepted by the Métis Nation. (ATA, 2016, pg. 4)
- Inuit: Inuit word meaning “the people.” The singular is Inuk. Refers to the Aboriginal peoples who generally live north of the treeline in Canada, near Canada’s Arctic coast (as well as to the Native peoples of Greenland). In 1997, 726 Inuit from territories in Canada, Alaska and Russia lived in Alberta. To say “Inuit people” is redundant, and most prefer simply Inuit. (ATA, 2016, pg. 4)
Reconciliation: According to Oxford Living Dictionaries, reconciliation is defined as "the restoration of friendly relations." In the context of this inquiry, reconciliation is a complex process aimed at repairing the relationships between Canada’s Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. It involves the acknowledgement of the devastating history of Canada’s Indian Residential School system, and focuses on improving relations to create a positive future.
Treaty refers to a legal agreement between Canada’s Crown and Aboriginal groups. These legal agreements divided the land into 11 groups. The Government of Canada explains treaties as “solemn agreements that set out promises, obligations and benefits for both parties” (Government of Canada. Indigenous and Northern Affairs, 2010).