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Education curriculum in Ontario schools is evolving  

September 20, 2005
MEDIA RELEASE

Anishinabek Grand Chief wants expansion of First Nation perspective in Ontario's new school curriculum

NIPISSING FN - The Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief says that, while it is encouraging to see more First Nation perspectives included in Ontario's new school curriculum, the province should go further and include a significant focus on treaties and treaty rights, the history of residential schools and mandatory Native language instruction for First Nation students.

The province announced that First Nations culture and history would be taught in all classrooms across Ontario with the introduction of an improved curriculum launched this week. Ontario teachers will be required to teach a more detailed Aboriginal perspective in every grade.

"Our history and culture has been excluded from Canada's education system for far too long," said Grand Council Chief John Beaucage. "We've always been simply a token unit in social studies and Canadian history classes. Even that limited curriculum was developed by non-native historians and lacked the perspectives of the First Nations people themselves."

The province has introduced a First Nations perspective as part of revamped social studies and revised history and geography program and in senior grades it will be part of a new Canadian and world studies course.

Many said the previous curriculum overlooked First Nation subjects. After mounting criticism, native educators were brought in to re-write new curriculum guidelines with the First Nation perspective in mind.

"We all remember the Bering Strait theory and how the curriculum classified us as hunter-gatherers, Paleo-Indians or Eastern Woodland people," said Beaucage. "This is not how we see ourselves. We want to see all children learning about us as the Anishinabek Nation, whose contributions to modern society are far-reaching and consequential."

Contemporary Native people like Inuit hockey star Jordin Tootoo are now included in the Grade 6 social studies curriculum. Study units on pioneer life with references to "Aboriginals" now mention specific Nations such as the Iroquois and the Ojibway.

"We want to see the province take this a step further," said Beaucage. "An expanded First Nations studies curriculum should include a significant focus on cultural awareness, treaties and treaty rights, the history of residential schools and mandatory Native language instruction for our own children in public schools.

"First Nations educators must continue to play a lead role in the development of curriculum and teaching these lessons in our schools. I would recommend that the government continue to revise and expand on these developments by ensuring adequate resources to this curriculum development initiative and include further involvement by Anishinabek, Mushkegowuk (Cree), Haudenasaunee (Iroquois), and Metis teachers."

The Anishinabek Nation incorporated the Union of Ontario Indians as its secretariat in 1949. The UOI is a political advocate for 42 member First Nations across Ontario. The Union of Ontario Indians is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.

For more information contact:
Jamie Monastyrski, Communications Officer

Union of Ontario Indians
705-497-9127 (2290), monjam@anishinabek.ca