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Alberta Teachers to Receive More Training To Be Able To Teach Indigenous Histories in Classrooms

Jun 22, 2016 | 2:29 PM

ALBERTA – Alberta grade school teachers will soon have more tools to further First Nations, Métis and Inuit history and perspectives in the classroom.

To honour the current government’s commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Alberta Education will prepare teachers with professional development resources to ensure confidence when teaching about Indigenous history, including residential schools.

Today (June 22) representatives from Alberta Education, the Alberta Teachers’ Association, Alberta Association of Deans of Education, Alberta School Boards Association, Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia, College of Alberta School Superintendents and National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation signed a Joint Commitment to Action that will ensure all K-12 teachers receive additional training related to First Nations, Métis and Inuit history and culture within the next two to three years.

Doctor Jane O’Dea, current Professor and former Dean of Education at University of Lethbridge, said that she is extremely pleased with this addition to the new teaching quality standard.

“I think that it is very important that students learn the histories of First Nation’s people; not just after contact with European people, but also with the culture, value and knowledge systems of these people prior to contact. Very often we hear about the darker history since European contact, which is important, but what a lot of people don’t realize is the incredible wisdom, knowledge, values, perspectives that is written deep in First Nations culture. I think that it is really important that we have access to that.”

Dr. O’Dea stressed for that scope of teaching to occur, professional development must include close consultation and collaboration and create opportunities to listen and to learn from First Nation’s communities.

“For example, we live close to the biggest reserve in Canada (Blood Tribe Reserve, Alta). There are incredible elders and knowledge keepers with a range of expertise about the culture. Up until this time it is as though we haven’t really had the opportunity to access this. I think that one of the most important parts of this initiative is that the education system will be given the resources to bring in those diverse people from the community to work with teachers,” she said.

In a press release, David Eggen, Minister of Education, stated that the signing was a positive step forward in Alberta’s commitment that all students learn about the cultures of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people and history and legacy of residential schools.

“We can’t know where we’re going until we know where we’ve been, so this enhancement to curriculum will serve to enrich the knowledge and understanding of current and future generations of Albertans,” Eggen said.

The signing comes after the provincial government announcement last week that they will establish new curriculum across six subject areas, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit content.