Reforming First Nations Education

In Molded Images: First Nations People, Representation and the Ontario School Curriculum, Susan Dion Fletcher asserts that the Canadian school system affords limited attention to First Nation contemporary issues. Fletcher purports that textbooks portray native people as if they were frozen in time and that they haven’t participated in any historical progress. She argues that this approach to curriculum does not allow aboriginal students a voice on the complexity of contemporary native issues.

This creates a curriculum that silences Aboriginal students by denying discussion of contemporary native issues; and by denying students an accurate representation of the true complexity of First Nations culture. Until true efforts are taken to honestly explore the validity of the historical perspectives from the vantage point of justice related to first nations people; it will be very difficult dealing with the problems of first nations issues in Canada going forward.

It strikes me from this article that public education in Canada was used to develop citizenship and a proper moral outlook, based on the perspective of Christian values and I realized this was done without taking into account anything from first nations values. As a result of this, native Canadians were considered to be of lesser value and of lesser moral fiber; and frequently depicted in extreme negative stereotypes. I see this as a dilemma which needs to be addressed before any justice can being to occur as we deal with First Nations issues in Canada.

Going forward, how will you find the best way to integrate first nations education with input from first nations people, in your classroom; while considering the constraints put in place by the provincial curriculum?

References:

• Google.ca (Images)

• Fletcher, S. D. (2000). Molded Images: First Nations People, Representation and the Ontario School Curriculum. In Tara Goldstein & David Selby (Eds.), Weaving Connections: Educating for Peace, Social and Environmental Justice (pp. 342-367). Toronto, CA: Sumach Press.