I don’t know when I first heard about Residential Schools as part of colonizing Canada. I don’t remember it from my K-12 years, but if I actually did hear, it fell out of my mind like many algebraic expressions and French verb conjugations. I am not proud of that, and it sparks my present commitment to know more and to do more by the young people I serve today; moreover, I want to listen and to take action so that, like other tragic parts of Canadian history, I don’t forget. In a CBC radio interview with Rosanna Deerchild, Ry Moran, the Director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, speaks about the logo of the NCTR, which was created from the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The TRC published its findings in 2015 with 10 known Truths and 94 Calls to Action. The logo is that of a flame, the ‘flame of reconciliation’ that burns in Canada. He says that, “Like all flames, it is fragile, and it has gone out.” He urges all of us to ask what we can individually bring to that fire, whether twig, log, or a whole bunch of logs. No matter, the goal is to build that fire, “as bright, as strong, as resilient, and as enduring as possible.” That beautiful image can shape anyone’s next and forever steps towards complete reconciliation. No doubt, people of all levels of comfort and knowledge around this piece of Canadian history ask, “What can I do?” At St. Patrick Fine Arts, we strive to create opportunities for staff and students to truly see each other, Indigenous or not. This comes from connecting more often with Blackfoot elders, reading more literature written by and about First Nations people, celebrating Indigenous achievements, and having more and more age-appropriate conversations about the truth in history and the challenges that ultimately affect us all as Treaty people. It is a lot to take in, and as Catholics especially, it may not be an easy road for some. We are committed, though, to travelling together. Our staff is participating in ongoing professional development to grow our foundational knowledge and to become familiar with First Nations-supported lesson plans so more can be shared with your children. We are taking risks by asking questions of ourselves to really discern how our earlier years’ experiences and the ‘truth’ we were raised with have shaped the quality of our current ‘fire-making’ skills. I don’t know when I first heard about Residential Schools (among other related topics), but I know now, and I want to know more and share that with my family and our school community. I welcome your ideas around advancing this crucial goal.
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About MeI have been a Catholic school teacher for 20 years (yikes!!), and administrator for almost 7 of them. Although my knowledge and experience have changed many of my perspectives over the years, some basic things hold fast: I have more to learn, simple is generally better, and all kids are worthy of love. Archives
January 2018
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