Samara Bouchey

December 7, 2015

Aboriginal Education: Annotated Bibliography

Truth and Reconciliation Recommendations
Being specific to Canada, this document is essential going forward as a
resource for Aboriginal Education in all schools across Canada. While the
ninety-four recommendations addresses topics including health, justice and
language & culture, for this purpose I am solely reflecting on the
recommendations surrounding education, although there is overlap between
the themes. Implementing federal legislation on aboriginal education will be
a major shift in the near future, but a welcome one for a more harmonious
education for indigenous and non-indigenous students across Canada. The
one thread which resonated with me (especially as social studies teacher) is
the creation for curriculum on residential schools, treaties and the
contributions of Indigenous peoples of Canada, appropriate for the age level
it is being taught. Going forward, I still feel challenged about creating
meaningful and authentic lessons on these topics, so having a federal
implemented curriculum will be a helpful starting point, and will continue to
build on them to fit my classes.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of indigenous Peoples
The United Nations DRIP was an article which helped my practice to
pursue teaching aboriginal education and topics in a way which would be
deemed meaningful to students of aboriginal ancestry, as well as their peers.
The main points that I got from this document was that we should celebrate
the uniqueness of Indigenous culture, but ultimately it is up to them to
decide how they will live and keep their culture alive in present day. The
document emphasizes that Indigenous People are entitled to live by their
traditional ways, but are also welcomed to be apart of modern Western
culture, or to take the parts of both which best support their needs.
Affirming that indigenous peoples are equal to all other peoples, while
recognizing the right of all peoples to be different, to consider themselves
different, and to be respected as such;
Affirming also that all peoples contribute to the diversity and richness of
civilizations and cultures, which constitute the common heritage of
humankind;

Cheakamus Centre, Brackendale

Samara Bouchey

December 7, 2015

Visiting the Cheakamus Centre and listening to Swanamia speak about

her past was a very meaningful and moving way to see the experience of
residential schools firsthand, which has continued through the next
generation of Indigenous people. This is a very important source in
understanding a tragic history, and in participating in this program we bear
witness to the stories, a significant part of indigenous culture. Experiencing
the traditional rituals of being on the land was a humbling experience, as
well as being able to follow the trails to gather plants, a daily activity which
members of the indigenous community undertake. The resources of being on
the land and seeing how place can be such a strong part of culture was an
experience which I feel lucky to have been a part of.
Swanamia & Swo wo, Cheakamus Centre, Brackendale
To me, directly hearing from two generations linked to the residential
schools was very powerful. It is one thing to hear about stories of residential
schools by reading about them, but listening to someone who has
experienced the stories which we read about and give their own perspective
is so much stronger than any number of text sources you could read. The link
between the mother and son with residential schools is something that many
people would never be able to understand without the first hand experience
of seeing the emotion which they both display when talking about the
memory.
Alert Bay residential school survivors gather for demolition ceremony,
Globe and Mail, Wendy Steuck, February 19, 2015.
I noticed this article on the front page of the Globe and Mail, as the title
had caught my eye and I looked into it later that evening. This article
described the event of demolishing the buildings of the Alert Bay residential
school, by those who had previously attended the school as students, along
with their families. The points which were made by the journalist highlighted
that residential schools have left a lasting, multigenerational impact as well
as several other ripple effects within First Nations communities.In addition, I
thought that it was interesting to mention how that by attending residential
school, the students became children who never came home. Wether the
children did not return to their homes, or they were not allowed because of
an unsuitable environment for a child to return to, due to dysfunction, abuse
or addiction, only proves that many of the issues which are prominent in

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December 7, 2015

todays first nations population are a direct result of residential schools and
assimilation.
Pam Goldsack, Aboriginal Support Worker, Brookswood Secondary
Pam was an excellent source within the school to ask for help when
discussing indigenous perspective, as well as coming into classes to give
presentations or by giving good resources to colleagues for further
investigation into inquiries. The resources she recommended were not
necessarily the most well known, and always had an aboriginal perspective.
Museum of Anthropology, UBC
On our Professional Development day, I had the opportunity to attend
a field trip with Brookswoods carving class to the Museum of Anthropology.
The outing was led by the schools Aboriginal support worker, and the
instructor of the carving class, Aaron Nelson-Moody, from the Squamish First
Nation.
The number of artifacts on display is incredible, especially when
standing between totem poles and ceremonial bowls large enough to carry
person, which date back to the early twentieth century. To look up and see
the totem poles tower over you is a very humbling experience, especially
when considering the primitive tools used to create such intricate and
important pieces of Indigenous culture. One of the highlights for me was the
exhibition on the Musqueam People and how they live in contemporary
society, particularly in the city of Vancouver. Several issues were raised
about the rapid development on traditional Musqueam territory, including
how many traditional burial sites had been disturbed with urban
development. I think that the museum is an important place for everyone to
visit, because there is visual proof of a civilization which has been settled on
their traditional land for centuries, which can definitely better help others
understand why Indigenous peoples have certain rights to the land, more so
than a text document.
Granville Island
As a second part to our Professional Development Day during short
practicum, we went to Granville Island to see how First Nations culture has
been recognized in a very urban environment. I was pleasantly surprised to
see that Indigenous culture is very much alive throughout the area. Our first
stop was at the Emily Carr studio, where we had the opportunity to meet

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December 7, 2015

some carvers who were working on a totem pole. They spoke about how
while they were carving, certain things were used to represent the tragedy of
residential schools. They explained how representation is a huge part of
indigenous culture, particularly within the arts.
We also noticed Aboriginal culture through other aspects while walking
around that day. There are several totem poles standing near the water, and
another outdoor carving workshop set up nearby. I think it is a great source
to demonstrate just how important totem poles are to the local indigenous
peoples, and that visitors can see the complexity of creating such a huge
piece of art. Aboriginal art, carvings and other items available for sale are
also found quite easily when wandering around the market. It shows that
even in a typically touristy place, like Granville Island, there are roots of
Indigenous people who go deeper than what is presently there and that it is
acknowledged.
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North
America, Thomas King, Doubleday Canada, Toronto, 2012.
Kings thought provoking and satirical history of Indigenous people
from the perspective of a First Nations person, was a shocking way to
consider the presence of Indigenous peoples in contemporary society. By
making reference to several mediums of popular culture alongside the
historical facts, which are sometimes twisted due to the colonialist
perspective that is present in the historical accounts of Canadian history, the
reader is given insight into the struggles and pain from a voice which is quite
often stereotyped into one of three categories.
Although I believed that I previously had a fairly educated, unbiased
view of the general history of Canadas First Peoples, Kings book was an
eyeopening read which made me reevaluate my knowledge and how I was
going to incorporate it into my teaching. Without a doubt, this book has
changed my perspective of what I need to incorporate into my teaching, and
how it should be taught.

Three Day Road, Joseph Boyden Penguin Canada, Toronto, 2005.

Boydens story of an indigenous man who is returning home after
actively participating in the great war shows how devastating technology and
ideologies can have an impact on all peoples, especially those who have a

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December 7, 2015

certain spiritual relationship with the earth. Boyden does a wonderful job of
depicting the stresses of returning home from the battlefields of Europe. I
think that he also portrays a very real struggle which Xavier goes through in
the story, where he walks a fine line between maintaining his traditional
values and beliefs amidst the trenches where death and the technological
creations of the white man are constant, and the only means of coping are
through addiction. This book is not only a good source for its novelized
depiction of the First World War, but especially because it comes from the
perspective of an Indigenous person, which is a voice that is rarely heard
when talking about the tragedies of the front lines.
Legacy of Hope Foundation, 100 years of loss.com.
The Legacy of Hope foundation supports raising awareness of the
Legacy of Residential Schools in Canada. By the foundation works with
members from First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples from all across Canada,
to help with research to develop and implement educational resources and
programs. All material that is produced by the foundation is influenced by
firsthand stories and experiences by those who attended residential schools,
their families and communities. The foundation endorses the fact that
anything they put out must contribute to the well-being and healing of
survivors and anyone associated, as well as promoting reconciliation across
the country. One of their programs, 100 Years of Loss, was a great source to
use within the classroom as a way of teaching about residential schools to
students. The materials are straight forward, while providing a several
primary sources, statements and documents from the schools, survivors and
their families.
Braiding Histories, Susan D.Dion, UBC Press, Vancouver, 2009.
Braiding Histories was a good source from an indigenous perspective
to see how their stories and histories are represented in the average
classroom today. While I found that the majority of the text was a critical
view of what is (and is not) being taught in classes, Dion highlighted that by
participating in witnessing, everyone is contributing to the creation of a
greater story of the indigenous peoples of Canada. Witnessing is an
overlooked way of being an involved member of a community which
recognizes the turbulent history which many indigenous peoples have gone
through, and how it continues to be apart of their lives today.