Back to school at Thunderchild

Page 5

Well, the kids are back to school at Thunderchild. And most parents are sighing at least a small sigh of relief. Our youngest child, Jack, born in January, is just a few days past the deadline to start school this year. He's not very happy about his four brothers and sisters going back to school and leaving him home alone.

On his first day, home alone, Jack mastered riding a two wheel bike. He was so very proud of himself pedaling around the driveway, huge smile (dimple showing) cruising around the driveway. He waited and waited all day for the kids to come home so he could show them what he had learned.

I guess it's pretty obvious that I am pretty proud of my son.

I am also impressed with some of the education decisions that have been made at Thunderchild over the summer. The community is no longer providing buses to the local border town where a number of our community residents have gone to school. I think some parents think their kids will get a better education at the "town" school. (Read that "if they are educated by white people.") I don't buy that kind of thinking. I went to that town school. My son went there for a while (and filed a human rights complaint about the individual and systemic discrimination he alleges he experienced there).

What if you did learn better math and English at the town school (and I am not saying you will)? What good are those skills going to do you if you have no identity and sense of self-worth as an Indian person?

So despite the controversy, I am glad that the buses have been stopped. I don't think I have a big problem with the idea that some parents are stubbornly choosing to drive their children to the town. That's their choice as parents and I can respect that. But by offering busing services to the town, the entire community was responsible for choosing to educate some of our citizens in the town school. That's a responsibility I do not wish to carry. In my view, stopping the buses is one of the clearest acts of self governance that this community has made since I returned here a little more than five years ago.

You know, self government is not an easy thing. When we hear Indian politicians talking about self government it sounds really beautiful. That leads us to believe that self government is going to be an easy thing.

It's not.

We have all suffered the consequences of colonialism (from the taking of our lands and children through to jail and residential schools). The first steps toward self government are going to be difficult. It's going to hurt and there will be divisions in the community. We need to have faith and believe that when we stand on those good Indian values that are the basis of self government, the good "stuff" is going to follow for us all.

I really believe that change is coming to the education system at Thunderchild. For two years now we have had a high school program. We have a new principal who believes in the Indian ways.

Welcome, Winston Walking Bear. Winston and his wife have returned to the community to do this work and, as we are related, it is important for me to note that it is so good to have family back home. I believe that the education people here at Thunderchild have a vision for our future that puts our children first.

And to put our children first, we as parents must live up to our responsibilities to be involved in their education.