Some of my students will never live in Canada, but they use English globally, often through their work or travel.
Other students I have are new to Canada.
This winter there has been an important citizen movement that started in Canada, called #IdleNoMore. (I use the # [hashtag] in front of Idle No More because communication between citizens who have adopted this movement is mostly through social media - like facebook and twitter.)
I am the descendent of settlers. My ancestors in Canada, in the mid-1800's believed the propaganda that native Canadians were savages. My ancestors put coins in the church collection plate to pay for the kidnapping of native children to attend residential schools, far from their parents. It was an attempt at cultural genocide. My own children know the truth. The cycle of racism has been broken in my family. We walk together, on Turtle Island.
The original native citizens of Turtle Island (also know as North America) have suffered 500 years of colonial atrocities and #idleNoMore was the movement that thrust the truth of these issues into the minds and eyes of Canadians. Not all agree. But immigrants and folks living abroad can not really understand how racism and cultural genocide could still be happening in a "nice" country like Canada.
Education is the key. The horror stories about these atrocities are many. The good news is that truth is finally entering the school systems. The people who are Colonialism Deniers (think Holocaust Deniers) are becoming fewer, and can not justify their racist beliefs. They are becoming marginalized, like racists, pedophiles, criminals, and sexists. We have no room for such low-brow attiududes in our communities. I, for one, am speaking out.
Many of my students like to talk about Canada, and I like to share the truth about our First Nations people. We are fortunate to live among such rich cultural heritage. It is the ONLY thing that is truly Canadian.
Here is a map, showing the original, pre-colonial ranges of the First Nations of North America.
Other students I have are new to Canada.
This winter there has been an important citizen movement that started in Canada, called #IdleNoMore. (I use the # [hashtag] in front of Idle No More because communication between citizens who have adopted this movement is mostly through social media - like facebook and twitter.)
The original native citizens of Turtle Island (also know as North America) have suffered 500 years of colonial atrocities and #idleNoMore was the movement that thrust the truth of these issues into the minds and eyes of Canadians. Not all agree. But immigrants and folks living abroad can not really understand how racism and cultural genocide could still be happening in a "nice" country like Canada.
Education is the key. The horror stories about these atrocities are many. The good news is that truth is finally entering the school systems. The people who are Colonialism Deniers (think Holocaust Deniers) are becoming fewer, and can not justify their racist beliefs. They are becoming marginalized, like racists, pedophiles, criminals, and sexists. We have no room for such low-brow attiududes in our communities. I, for one, am speaking out.
Many of my students like to talk about Canada, and I like to share the truth about our First Nations people. We are fortunate to live among such rich cultural heritage. It is the ONLY thing that is truly Canadian.
Here is a map, showing the original, pre-colonial ranges of the First Nations of North America.
