I'm 52 years old, and like many my age, I was not taught very much about the history of Indigenous people on this land we now call Canada. What I was taught, either indirectly or directly, were harmful lies and stereotypes mixed in with glorified historical figures and events. You see, in the 70's and 80's our government had hoped that Indigenous people would have all been successfully assimilated into the "Canadian" culture, and there would be no need to learn about them!
It wasn't until I began teaching in Fort Qu'Appelle, SK, where Treaty 4 was signed in 1874, that I began to wonder about the many Indigenous students in my classes, and my responsibility to understand them. You see, I suddenly became very aware that I was the minority in the classroom and my worldview was not widely appreciated or shared. I knew then, I had a lot of learning to do, and there began my personal journey of decolonization.
I'd like to dedicate this blog to all the students who were my teachers, all the mentors, guides, elders, and instructors along this never ending path of unlearning and relearning, change and transformation, that one day may lead me to have a good relationship with the original people of this land and the land itself.
If we are to truly understand our place in this world, we need to embrace the mistakes we have collectively made in the past and work collaboratively to do things differently in the future. This work I am doing is my promise to do just that. I hope you join me.
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