Dear pre-internship student,
This is a tough situation that you are dealing with. Trying to teach and foster an understanding of Indigenous education to a group that appears to not care is a challenge. The best advice I can give is to start from the beginning. The class you are teaching is mainly grade 11 and 12, correct? These students have had an entire childhood to pick up biases and integrate them into their belief system without any education to guide them.
Firstly, continue to attempt to teach Treaty Education. Your Coop might have expressed her doubts about the need for it because of the lack of Indigenous students. However, this will not always be the case. These students will one day enter the real world where there is a mixture of culture and diversity, and it is our job as educators to give them the information to be informed in this world. These students might not interact with Indigenous students today, but what happens if they become teachers? Social workers? Journalists? Or work with anyone whose culture differs from their own. Having a clear understanding of racial issues, the history of Canada and the issues and racism still facing our world today will be key in their ability to form positive relationships.
Second, address these biases your students seem to have. These students have had years to form biases, and from the comments you made in your original email, it sounds like they have no problem presenting those biases and thoughts to the world around them. It will be hard to change thinking that has been in place for years, so my suggestion is to give them a reason to care. They have racist thoughts and make comments, give them a reason to change, give them a reason to care, even if you can get them to question their own beliefs. Show them what purpose Treaty Education has in their lives, even if there are no Indigenous students around. Truly have them think about the purpose of Treaty Education and Indigenous education, and ask them who they think these programs are for. Explain how Indigenous students do not need to be taught about their own culture, and they do not need teachers to teach them their history. These programs and curriculum are in place for students who are not Indigenous.
I advised you to make your students care, or at least interested. I find the best way to do this is to make the topic relatable to them. I find when students can personally connect to a topic, they become, even grudgingly, more interested. I connect Treaty Education to the phrase, “We are all treaty people” and the relationships that come from Treaty Education. Try telling your students that Treaty Education and Indigenous studies are all about relationships. Explain to them that these courses give them the information and the viewpoint that allow them to function in a diverse nation and build positive relationships. Remember, make it personal. Ask students what would happen in their jobs if they made a remark like that, or when they get to university and interact with Indigenous students. Explain to them that Treaty Education helps them understand Indigenous viewpoints, beliefs, histories, and struggles, so we are able to build lasting relationships. When you can look in on and appreciate another culture you are able to connect with people. I think the phrase “We are all treaty people” is sometimes said to lightly, a nice sentiment, but without understanding, it means very little. I understand, “We are all treaty people” as relationships. Our relationship with our past, our relationship with ourselves, our relationships with the world around us and our relationships with others. We are all treaty people because we are all linked and connected through relationships.
I have attached some resources you might want to look at, as well as some notes I have on those subjects.
I wish you the best of luck, and please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you!
Steph's Blog 