Photo : Audrey Aamodt something simple . You might simply go to the other stations as your action .”
Road to Métis Identities : Kendell Porter says , “ We wanted to focus our exhibit on Métis people , on the four main communities in Treaty 4 ( Lebret , Lestock , Willow Bunch , and Fort Qu ’ Appelle ). Métis people are often left out of the conversation , and we also wanted to address some of the myths and stereotypes people believe about the Métis .”
Being a Treaty Person : ( Photo ( L-R ): Kelsey Hintze , Daicy Vance , and Kaitlin Corbin ) Kaitlin Corbin says , “ We mapped out the prairie provinces and then the treaty areas . We have a game to see if you can put the treaty numbers down on the map .” Kelsey Hintze says , “ The biggest thing is just for people to understand that everyone who lives in these provinces is a treaty person : everyone lives within numbered treaties .” Kaitlin Corbin says , “ I ’ m still anxious about teaching about treaty , but I am a lot more ready than I used to be . This wasn ’ t part of my education growing up , so coming here … it ’ s a lot more useful .”
Telling the Truth about Residential Schools : ( L-R ) Hailie Logan and Kate Paidel wanted to raise awareness about Indian residential schools , and the importance of adding resources , such as I am not a Number , which can be used with Grade 3 students , into the curriculum throughout the grades and subject areas . Kate says , ” I have learned way more that I thought I ever could . I know taking this into the classroom is still going to be uncomfortable for me , but I know I am not going to stop … It ’ s important to me .” Hailie says , “ For me it is important for my
students to feel represented . I want all of my students to feel that they matter , and that they have a place on this earth and in my classroom .”
Road to Connecting Languages : ( photo includes Instructor Audrey Aamodt ). Zakk Tylor ( R ) and Amy Arnal ( Front L ) set up a guessing game to promote languages . Amy says “ Our table is about making relationships between Settler Canadians and Indigenous people through languages . On our campus , we have three towers named Kīšik ( Saulteaux word for ‘ sky ’) Paskwāw ( Cree word for ‘ prairie ’) Wakpá ( Dakota word for ‘ river ’).” Zakk explains , “ We see people taking these names for granted and they don ’ t know what they mean . The three names reflect the three aspects on the Treaty 4 flag that remind us that the Treaty lasts as long as the grass grows , the sun shines , and the rivers flow .” Reflecting on her education with the Faculty of Education , Amy says she is “ keeping the growth mindset and always learning . We ’ re not pretending to be experts , but we do feel equipped to teach about reconciliation .” It was organizer Shelby Vandewoestyne ’ s ( holding map in photo above ) job to hand out maps to the Roads to ReconciliACTION and in her words , “ entice people ” to visit the booths . From her experience , Shelby says , “ I was able to see different perspectives at the University : people who are really interested and people who aren ’ t . This shows me that there is going to be resistance going into schools in the future . In the spaces we will be working , we will need to create inclusivity and work to break down those barriers .”
Organizers : Getting coffee and Timbits , setting up stations , and handing out maps ; this crew of organizers , ( L-R ) Ashlyn Paidel , Keigan Duczek , and Jessica Weber , were holding this event together while promoting conversations about reconciliation . Jessica says , “ We are trying to spark conversations .” Keigan says , “ So by doing this we are coming out of our box and making ourselves uncomfortable .” Ashlyn says , “ The hope is for the discussion to at least be started about reconciliation and what our aim , reconciliAction is all about .” Keigan adds , “ We ’ ve been promoting the hashtag # reconciliAction just to keep the conversation going after today .”
Blanket Exercise : Teacher Sheena Koops and several students from Bert Fox High School came to the event to talk about the Blanket Exercise . Sheena Koops says , “ We ’ ve been invited here today as people who facilitate the Blanket Exercise regularly , to have conversations about the Blanket Exercise . Our booth is called Complicating the Canadian Story : Conversations with the Oski-pimohatahtamawak , a name given to us by Elder Alma Poitras .”
Michael Starr-Desmonie ( L ), a Bert Fox Grade 12 student , has been leading the Blanket Exercise for almost a year . “ I love doing this . I love doing the Blanket Exercise , so people can understand what my people actually went through … I do this for my elders . Last year someone said , ‘ Your people are invisible these days .’ I said , ‘ I ’ m going to prove you wrong .’ People went through a rough time at residential schools , sexual abuse , physical abuse … they didn ’ t eat normal food ; they ate leftovers . They were tired , starving … My family went through that same stuff . [ Residential school ] put impacts on our history , as kids growing up — what we went through as children — made us stronger , made us who we are today . I ’ m very proud and honoured to do [ the Blanket Exercise ] each and every time , and speak my heart out to people . I ’ ve done the Blanket Exercise about 20 times ; it ’ s emotional . Each exercise , we have a talking circle . The circle means a lot to us . It ’ s a comfort zone . All around you , the circle of life , a big family that supports you . It takes lots of guts and strength , and lots of heart as well . I gain a lot of respect these days .”
Bert Fox student , Shandan Peigan ( R ) says , “ We want to share our history , get it out there , because no one really learns about it in high school . I think we should get it in our education system by Grade 9 or end of Grade 8 , so people know where they come from and know what happened in the past . We can ’ t do anything about it , but we can talk about it and learn from it . It feels good leading [ the Blanket Exercise ] but it ’ s not just me leading : we are a team . We all have
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Education News | Page 13