Edmonton schools move ahead with teaching about residential schools

The two largest school boards in Edmonton are not waiting to learn what the new government’s intentions are when it comes to teaching about Indian residential schools. 

Under PC leadership, curriculums for 2016 made teaching about Indian residential schools a mandatory learning outcome for every class from kindergarten to Grade 12. But with no direction from the NDP, teachers and staff are taking their own initiative.

“One of the ways we share about residential schools is in new staff orientation. We talk about historical and contemporary realities for our First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students, families, and communities, and we share information, walk them through a placement activity, and have discussions about it,” said Melissa Purcell, acting program coordinator with the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit education unit of EPS. “It’s called ‘Changing the Conversation’… Through my experience in facilitating it, every once in a while people come up to me and say, ‘This is the first time I’ve heard about this.’”

The orientation is given to all staff, from people in central office to custodians, says Purcell. And while the information can be heavy to digest, learning it is crucial to everyone involved.

“We believe reconciliation and healing can be achieved by acknowledging the impact of intergenerational loss of language and culture as a result of colonization,” she said. “One of our unit’s goals is to support that, and it could be through professional learning, through developing resources, or going to classrooms and modelling teaching strategies.”

EPS took an even bigger step toward healing and reconciliation by co-hosting a conference for 700 students from Grade 9 up. They partnered with the Edmonton Catholic School Board and the City of Edmonton, and held the Journey to Reconciliation event, marking the one year anniversary for the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission event held in 2014 in Edmonton.

“We provided sessions on residential schools… What does reconciliation look like, why do we need to reconcile, what do we need to reconcile,” said Athena Mackenzie, an FNMI education consultant for EPS, and an organizer for the event. “This one was about giving students a voice, and giving them information… the truth… that is not taught in schools.”

The event was a full-day of seminars and group discussions, ending with a youth panel that saw three youth address school superintendents and the Assistant Deputy Minister for the FNMI Division of Alberta Education, Jane Martin. The day ended with a symbolic walk from Shaw Conference Centre to Churchill Square, as well as a short round dance.

“It’s a journey to reconciliation so we hope to keep doing something every year with students on reconciliation, in partnership with the City of Edmonton, and Edmonton Catholic Schools… Because it’s about coming together,” said Mackenzie.

Even further work was done in this area with younger children when the FNMI education unit of EPS brought Margaret Pokiak-Fenton and Christy Jordan-Fenton, authors of children’s book Fatty Legs, into EPS classrooms. Fatty Legs is based on Pokiak-Fenton’s experiences in residential school. While relaying such deep and potentially traumatic information to elementary-aged students can be difficult, the illustrated book and interactive author’s visit made the process easier, said Rosemary Litschel, a Grade 4 teacher at Ekota elementary school.

“They understand about hair being cut, they understand about name calling, they understand about being bathed in lice soap, and rubbing and rubbing and rubbing until they bled,” said Litschel, of some of the abuses she touches on with her students.

“But I haven’t gone any further than that, because I have some kids that wouldn’t be able to handle more,” she said.