Doug Ford needs education on truth and reconciliation
Across Canada, thousands of Indian residential school survivors shared their experiences with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. In collecting their statements, one primary question was heard more than any other: What will you do to ensure our history gets into the schools?
The response came in the form of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. Many of the Calls to Action deal specifically with education reforms. In the words of Sen. Murray Sinclair, education is what got us into this mess, and education is what will get us out of it.
Unfortunately, Doug Ford’s provincial government appears to have other plans.
The Ministry of Education abruptly cut summer sessions to develop education curriculum on Indian residential schools set to begin this week. Educators and leaders from Nishnawbe Ask Nation, which represents 49 First Nation communities across Northern Ontario, were disheartened and frustrated that this important work was dropped just before it was set to begin.
Unfortunately, this is already the second step backward by the Ford government on our journey towards reconciliation in Ontario.
The Ford government signalled that improving relations with Indigenous peoples is not a priority when it stripped the former Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation of a dedicated minister. Responsibility for the newly named Ministry of Indigenous Affairs now rests with the minister also responsible for Energy, Northern Develop- ment and Mines.
Dropping “reconciliation” sends a very clear message that this government isn’t interested in reconciling with Indigenous peoples. Progress is being made across Canada, and Ontario stands to be left behind.
We are seeing the beginnings of a national effort to tell the truth — to create equality and equity in the presentation of information to public servants, students and general Canadians.
The Canadian Museum of History revised the History of Canada exhibit to include Indigenous experiences.
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society released the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada.
The federal government held consultations with Indigenous peoples on reforming training for 250,000 federal public servants.
An Indigenous Languages Act is just around the corner.
These efforts are preventative mechanisms to help avoid the terrible mistakes made in the past and still playing out today — fundamental human rights violations that have plagued this country since Confederation.
Reconciliation is not about forcing one set of world views onto non-Indigenous peoples, nor is it about replacing one form of oppressive and inaccurate education with another form of oppressive system.
Reconciliation is about coming together in the spirit of mutual exchange and dialogue — an exchange of ideas, values and beliefs that will help to provide answers to the question of where we all want to go as a society.
It is a tragedy that the new provincial government is not supporting this.
Failing to present the perspectives of Indigenous peoples to students within Ontario schools will directly impair reconciliation efforts. In the shadows of our failure to present accurate information, racism and prejudice will continue to fester. Our children deserve an accurate telling of Canadian history and the efforts to date are simply not adequate.
This is not the country we want or the country residential school survivors wanted to see. We want to see a just, fair and honest society where Indigenous Peoples can share our gifts and histories.
Multiple articles of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples affirm that Indigenous peoples have a right to see their cultures, identities and histories reflected accurately within education systems and that states have a corresponding duty to reflect Indigenous perspectives within education systems.
By bringing the perspectives of Indigenous peoples into the classroom, students are presented with ideas that have existed on this land for millennia, in addition to the shocking truth about how this country has treated Indigenous people.
It’s time to stop glossing over big aspects of our shared history and to start becoming more accurate, truthful and honest about the information we present to students.
In this time of reconciliation, this is hardly too much to ask.