I recently explored newspaper archives and I found an abundance of articles written about Indigenous people's in Canada from the mid 1700s. These articles are haunting and reveal how Indigenous people were seen, described, and treated throughout Canadian history. I find myself wondering if using some of these articles in upper elementary (middle school) would be too early; mainly because the language they use is highly inappropriate. I find myself on the fence about it, our children learn respectful language early in life but I am concerned that introducing these articles may provoke racial slurs rather than diminish them (considering adolescents find humour in everything, it is embedded in their development after all).

If anyone has any advice for me on this, please comment!