TRC or Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada is a set of 94 calls to action set out by Indigenous people and the government of Canada. This is designed to address Canada’s past aggression towards Indigenous peoples and the implementation of residential schools and how they were a colonial tool of cultural genocide. The TRC addresses these past instances and outlines the process by which the past can be repaired.
10 ii. Improving education attainment levels and success rates.
iii. Developing culturally appropriate curricula.
This Call to Action really resonated with me, I feel as though education 50 years ago favored certain demographics of people regarding race and social status. Today, I believe the same to be true regarding social status, however, the inclusion of various races/cultures has shifted with the increase in immigration. It’s highly important that education remains unbiased and that it allows equal opportunity for each individual. With regards to Indigenous students, we as teachers and educators need to incorporate Indigenous aspects of learning to assist Indigenous Canadians in an academic atmosphere. Improving education for these groups can significantly improve the quality of living for Indigenous communities. I think as educators, by incorporating Indigenous aspects/lessons in units, Indigenous students can achieve higher success rates by learning material that they can relate to. It’s also important for non-Indigenous people to learn Indigenous aspects because it allows them to be exposed to new experiences and share what they learned with their fellow peers. One exercise I believe useful that would acknowledge and incorporate Indigenous aspects of learning Is canoe building, although I wouldn’t get the students to build a full-size canoe, I would task the students (placing them in groups first) to build their own canoe. Here they will research what materials Indigenous peoples would use to build canoes, what type of wood, and as a fun activity after students can create their own canoes using recyclable material and have a fun little competition to see which canoe functions best in water. I believe team building and group work are essential in building success rates and increasing attainment levels, while also incorporating Indigenous aspects it creates a diverse curriculum appropriate for learning as well as teaching.