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Province purchases Indigenous history books for classrooms

Jan 19, 2019 | 7:57 AM

EDMONTON, AB — The provincial government will be providing every junior high and high school in Alberta with copies of the Canadian Geographic Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada.

Richard Feehan, Minister of Indigenous Relations, made the announcement Friday morning alongside Education Minister David Eggen.

“We all have a part to play in reconciliation, and it is critical teachers have the resources they need to teach this important material in their classrooms,” Feehan said in a news release. “The atlas includes information on Indigenous communities, languages, education, treaties and lands, told through authentic Indigenous voices. It will serve as a powerful education tool as we move forward together along the path of reconciliation.”

The initiative is to allow teachers across the province to bring First Nations, Metis and Inuit history and contributions into classroom lessons. Currently in the province, it’s mandatory that the current and future curriculum includes specific student learning outcomes related to First Nations, Inuit and Metis perspectives and experiences, as well as content on the significance of residential schools and treaties.

The atlas also includes an interactive website and educational app. Three of the books in the set are about First Nations, Metis and Inuit history and people, while the fourth volume focuses on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the history of residential schools.

A total of 1,600 copies were purchased by the province.