Textbook recalled on Indigenous history flaws

An Ontario publishing company is recalling a children’s educational workbook that critics say misinforms kids about injustices faced by First Nations when Europeans arrived in Canada.

The book, Complete Canadian Curriculum Grade 3, has a section called Moving Out that says First Nations peoples agreed to move to different areas to make room for European settlers to move in.

Critics say the text glosses over the history of the country’s Indigenous population, pointing out First Nations were forced off their land.

The Popular Book Company Canada, based in Richmond Hill, Ont., had initially promised the book would be revised in later editions, but said Tuesday that it would be recalling the edition immediately.

“We know that our Complete Canadian Curriculum Grade 3 does not provide an accurate depiction of the interaction between Canada’s First Nations and European settlers,” it said. “While we cannot undo what has already been published, we are committed to making things better for future editions.”

The company, which said its aim has always been to publish quality workbooks, apologized to First Nations communities, customers, vendors and partners.

“We know that we have to do better and we know that it will take us some time to improve upon this experience,” it said, noting it would be asking members of First Nations communities for help on how to best write about that part of Canadian history.

But some parents said the mistake shouldn’t have been made in the first place.

Trish Frempong of Toronto said she was planning on purchasing the book for her seven- year- old daughter before she saw an image of the book’s contentious section on social media. She says she went to a nearby bookstore to check the book out and decided against buying it. She said the contentious section “perpetuates one particular narrative, that only serves one group of people.”

Jennifer Dockstader at the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre said the book — particularly a section that reportedly says Indigenous people would want to get away from settlers’ “hustle and bustle” — perpetuates negative stereotypes.

It suggests Indigenous people are simple- minded, that they didn’t have robust societies with hustle and bustle of their own, and wanted to be isolated — none of which is true, Dockstader said.