Education is the key. This is not only the truth but also the title of a valuable news article. This article states that reconciliation needs to start with the students. As a fourth year education student, I have come to learn that finding authentic resources is harder than one thinks. There is also the reality that the new generation of teachers has been exposed to a better education in terms of Indigenous culture than people who have been teaching for years. It is truly difficult to ensure that non-indigenous teachers are incorporating non-stereotypical activities. The article highlights a quote from an Indigenous student that says, “She felt her teachers did not have the necessary knowledge or resources.” I feel it is my responsibility as a teacher who has had more training to educate not only my future students but also my mentors. The curriculum is our way of life, but as the article says, textbooks do not show the successes of Indigenous people. Indigenous education can be incorporated in subjects like math and science, not merely social studies. Teachers must start opening the doors to this learning as early as Kindergarten. The Alberta Teachers Association has provided teachers with authentic resources known as Stepping Stones. These resources are free to all and can be found in this link (https://legacy.teachers.ab.ca/For%20Members/Professional%20Development/IndigenousEducationandWalkingTogether/Pages/Resources.aspx). We need to indigenize the curriculum by changing the system. This class provides adults with resources such as There There by Tommy Orange, Books & Islands in Ojibwe Country by Louise Erdrich and The Truth About Stories by Thomas King. As great as these are, we are still in need of resources for elementary aged students. After all, “Education is the only way to create real, long-term, sustainable change.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/8332181/education-key-reconciliation-students/