Latest news with #OrangeShirtDay
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Reconciliation takes more than students in orange shirts. But these schools are making progress
Schools are incorporating TRC's calls to action, but it's 'not enough progress' 6 hours ago Duration 1:58 Social Sharing When Niigaan Sinclair visits schools, he always asks, "How many of you have an orange shirt in your closet that you pull out at least once a year?" He considers it progress that nearly every hand goes up these days. "I'm seeing more conversations, more curriculums, and probably most important of all, the change in school culture," said the author and indigenous studies professor at the University of Manitoba. Ten years since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)'s final report, more students are marking Orange Shirt Day each September. Also known as Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, many spend at least part of the day learning about residential schools, where Indigenous children were forced into government-funded, church-run schools to strip away their culture. Yet Sinclair, also a former high school teacher, notes it's just one day set aside to talk about the impact of residential schools. "Can we do it for the other 364 days?" he said from Yellowknife. Teaching K-12 students about residential schools is just one step toward reconciliation, according to Sinclair and other educators. Sinclair believes many areas with a high Indigenous population — across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Northwestern Ontario, for instance — absolutely understand working together to achieve the TRC's recommendations, which spell out ways to address the legacy of residential schools. Schools talking about reconciliation, but more work needed 10 hours ago Duration 1:39 Yet "in many corners of the country, we're still having a conversation about the why, not about the how," said Sinclair, whose father was the late Murray Sinclair, the judge and senator who chaired the commission. "Virtually every school district in Canada has in some way or another adopted principles of reconciliation. Whether they've committed to the calls to action is a little bit different." WATCH | Urgency needed as Canada lags on 94 calls to action, says Indigenous advocate: 'Greatly concerning' that only 13 calls to action completed: Rose LeMay | Canada Tonight 8 months ago Duration 21:41 In 2023, the Yellowhead Institute, an Indigenous-led research and education group, reported that only 13 calls to action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had been addressed in the nearly 10 years since they were introduced. Rose LeMay, CEO of the Indigenous Reconciliation Group, says all 94 need to be addressed 'within a generation.' Also, Isabella Kulak, 14, shares the origins of Ribbon Skirt Day and talks about what the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation means to her and her family. Theme of education The theme of education runs throughout the recommendations, from calling for federal support to eliminating educational gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. For K-12, the TRC called upon federal and provincial governments to collaborate with Indigenous groups and educators to develop mandatory, age-appropriate curriculums about residential schools, treaties and Indigenous contributions, plus training for teachers. While all provinces and territories do include residential schools in their overall curriculum now, exactly where it appears, how deeply, and whether it's even compulsory varies across regions. According to non-profit group Indigenous Watchdog, which tracks progress of the calls, none of the education-related calls are fully complete. Still, progress inches forward at individual boards and schools. Building intercultural respect and understanding among K-12 students, for instance, is a part of Call 63 that resonates northwest of Toronto at the Peel District School Board, Canada's second largest and with one of the most diverse student populations. Hundreds of PDSB students, staff and community members gathered Friday at the board's Maawnjiding Wiigushkeng Centre for Indigenous Excellence and Land-Based Learning in Cheltenham, Ont., for its second annual powwow. Students spent a glorious spring day taking in dancers in vibrant regalia, drum circles and cultural pavilions that ranged from storytelling and traditional animal hide preservation to street art and Indigenous DJs. For some attendees, the joyful event built on what they learn every day. At SouthFields Village Public School, Indigenous perspectives are blended into different subjects and school-wide events. Students learn about residential schools, but also the value of time outdoors in nature and saying "thank you to what nature has given us," said Grade 4 student Ryka Gill. "Some people [who] are Indigenous, in the past, their culture was taken away," she said. "In this generation, I think it's important to learn about Indigenous culture." Gill's teacher, Laura Gibson, says educators today must "carve out spaces for voices not my own." Seeking ongoing training and development means she's more able to bring Indigenous voices to her students and spark connections. She and her colleagues incorporate Indigenous learning across different spaces. Attending the annual powwow is one example, but there are also school trips to a longhouse and Indigenous speakers regularly invited into their classrooms. Experiences like this weren't available to previous generations, according to PDSB's Indigenous education lead Nicole Reynolds. "That we can share this with students from various backgrounds and from diverse identities is really important.... They are learning with Indigenous people." 'An education system that includes us' At Yukon's First Nation School Board, engaging local First Nations has been a vital pillar of the new school authority, which started in 2022 following decades of Indigenous leaders decrying the "devastating" schooling of their children, according to Melissa Flynn, FNSB executive director. "When the education system hasn't been meeting the needs of our children ... it's not the family and the children that need to change, it was the education system and how it's being delivered," she said from the board's head office in Whitehorse. "It is changing the education system [from] a system that is happening to us as learners and families, to an education that includes us." That's meant changes to how kids are taught, like adopting structured literacy for learning how to read, more trips out on the land and developing high school courses on more resonant topics, like food sovereignty. In just three years, Flynn is heartened to see improved literacy at the board's 11 schools and every time a family reaches out to say their children now feel excited to attend school. The involvement of nine different First Nations governments, as well as Indigenous elders and knowledge-holders, has been key, she said. They consult on everything from school growth plans to next steps after the latest literacy and numeracy data is gathered to building students' sense of duty to the community. "Every single generation has a responsibility in the education of our children," Flynn said, adding that tapping into a traditional practice of multi-generational learning, mentoring and support benefits not only students, but teachers and staff, as well. "How do we bring it back into the learning system where no one learns alone?" Flynn has an eye to improve Indigenous language programs next, but feels confident overall that responding to what Indigenous students and communities need is the right approach to addressing the TRC's calls to action in education. "We all live on the territory of an Indigenous group. What a gift it would be for everyone across Canada to see this is what education looks like: It is guided by the people and the land that you live on."
CTV News
30-04-2025
- General
- CTV News
Manitoba boosts Orange Shirt Day Fund
Orange flags are shown during an Orange Shirt Day event in this undated photo. (CTV News)
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Canadian publisher offers ‘a sacred place' for Indigenous authors
Miles MorrisseauICT First Nations author Carol Rose GoldenEagle didn't think twice about where to turn when it came time to publish her first children's book. Medicine Wheel Publishing in British Columbia was the obvious choice. SUPPORT INDIGENOUS JOURNALISM. GoldenEagle, one of Canada's most accomplished and acclaimed Indigenous journalists in earlier years under the name Carol Morin, was drawn to Medicine Wheel because of the Indigenous writers who had already chosen the publishing house. 'I took a look at the roster of authors that are affiliated with that publisher, and I was very impressed,' GoldenEagle, Cree/Dene, told ICT from her home in Sandy Bay, Saskatchewan. 'I thought I would be honored to be a part of that.' Morin was a groundbreaking journalist, becoming one of the first anchors for APTN national news and the first Indigenous anchor for a national news program, CBC NewsWorld. She went on to publish several prior books after a name change to Carol Daniels or Carol Rose Daniels. Now writing under a new moniker taken from her Cree name, Osawa Mikisew Iskwew, she chose Medicine Wheel for her new picture book, 'Mother Earth: My Favourite Artist,' which is illustrated by Cree artist Hawlii Pichette. She's not the only one who has noticed the work by Medicine Wheel. The publishing house was recognized in 2024 as British Columbia Publisher of the Year for its commitment to excellence and for donating more than 15,000 books to Indigenous communities Her book is one of five from Medicine Wheel now available for pre-order, and is set to be released April 1. Prominent authors Among the list of prominent writers featured at Medicine Wheel are David Bouchard, who was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2008, and Phyllis Webstad, whose story of losing her new orange shirt at residential school led to creation of Orange Shirt Day in Canada. Bouchard, Métis/Ojibway, has published more than 70 books, including the 2017 book, 'Proud to be Métis,' and the children's books, 'Meet your Family,' and 'We Learn from the Sun.' Bouchard is a former educator and high school principal who has a school named after him in Oshawa, Ontario. He grew up in Saskatchewan and now lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Webstad is Northern Secwépemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem'c Xget'tem First Nation, Canoe Creek Indian Band. She comes from mixed Secwépemc and Irish/French heritage, and was born in Dog Creek. She now lives in Williams Lake, British Columbia. She first captured attention in 2013, when she shared her childhood story of arriving at a residential school wearing a new orange shirt her grandmother had given her, only to have it taken away and never returned. Her efforts to draw attention to the notorious Canadian residential school system led to the creation in 2013 of Orange Shirt Day, later renamed the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is held on Sept. 30 each year in Canada. In 2018, Webstad published a children's book, 'The Orange Shirt Story,' to share her story in her own words. She has written several other picture books, including 'Beyond the Orange Shirt Story' published in 2021 and "Today is Orange Shirt Day' published in 2024. She was featured in a 2021 Canadian documentary film, 'Returning Home,' and in 2022 was awarded the Governor General's Meritorious Service Cross in the civil division, which is given to Canadians for works that bring honor to Canada. Another author, Peter Thomas Mckay, or Galksi De'entkw, is an educator from the Nisga'a First Nation along the Nass River Valley in the Northwest Coast region of British Columbia. Mckay was born into the matrilineal fireweed fortress clan among the killer whale crest people. His oral stories have been favorites in his home and in the schools where he works. He grew up hearing his language and the cultural stories of his nation. 'I look at Medicine Wheel and it's a place, a sacred place that allows for Indigenous voices to return to the natural world.' Mckay told ICT. 'I feel safe with them.' His book, 'Grandmother Mouse,' is an expression of evolving Indigenous storytelling, based on traditional stories and his own interpretation of those stories that he shares with his children. ''Grandmother Mouse' came about because I used to tell stories to my children when they were quite young, and it was a way to get them to go to bed,' said Mckay, who now teaches social studies to grade 12 students. 'Originally, in my traditional stories, growing up, I would hear of this creature named Mouse Woman, who would appear to intervene with humankind if the human was in danger.' 'Grandmother Mouse' is set to be released on April 8. Another author whose works are published by Medicine Wheel is Ḵung Jaadee, Haida, from the village of Old Massett, Haida Gwaii in northern British Columbia. Jaadee is a storyteller who shares her works at schools, museums and other events. She is perhaps best known as an author for her 'Raven' series. She wrote her first book, 'Raven's Feast,' in 2016 after being approached by Medicine Wheel to turn her stories into a book. 'Raven's Feast' was one of the first books published when Medicine Wheel launched in 2016. 'Gifts from Raven' followed in 2019, with both books illustrated by Jessika von Innerebner. Jaadee's latest, 'I am Connected,' illustrated by Carla Joseph, was recently released. 'Listening to elders' Teddy Anderson, the founder of Medicine Wheel Publishing, is very clear about two things: He is not Indigenous, and he is committed to protecting Indigenous stories and storytellers. Anderson spent his summers in the far north in Canada's Yukon territory and was surrounded by Indigenous culture, language and stories. He has been adopted into a Tlingit family. 'Being adopted does not make me Indigenous at all,' Anderston told ICT. 'It's … like I'm given a sacred trust.' Before entering the publishing industry Anderson was a teacher, working in schools across Canada. 'I realized that a lot of people were terrified to teach culture,' Anderson recalled. 'They didn't know how to approach it. They didn't want to be disrespectful. It was all very well-intended, a lot of good intentions, but that fear was almost crippling for a lot of people.' Schools have been scrambling to reset the curriculum to reconcile with the true history of Canada, to include the truth about residential schools but also to include authentic Indigenous voices and worldviews. Anderson saw publishers who were stepping up to fill that void who didn't mind stepping on Indigenous creatives at the same time. 'I saw Indigenous elders, storytellers with these beautiful stories, just being taken advantage of in the publishing community,' he said. "There's a lot of really good publishers out there, which I would vouch for, but there's also some that are doing things like buying the rights to stories and owning them and then dictating how the elder is to share them. You know, there's a lot of issues that way.' It is these stories of historical and cultural significance that Anderson says he is trying to share and protect. 'When Phyllis Webstad or Ḵung Jaadee or anyone says, 'This is my story,' I'm being gifted a trust to make sure that I do a good job with it,' he said. 'I just feel very grateful for the opportunity. There's a line there that I think I have to navigate very delicately where my job is to empower and support, and if I ever stop doing that, I need to just stop what I'm doing.' Medicine Wheel received the 2024 Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award from the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia, which noted the publishing house has been referenced in the House of Commons and featured on national television. 'Medicine Wheel Publishing produces acclaimed, culturally authentic Indigenous books, resources, and tools tailored for moral and cultural education,' according to the announcement of the award. Medicine Wheel now also works with the Indigenous Elders and Educators Council. 'A sense of awe' For GoldenEagle, the publication of 'Mother Earth: My Favourite Artist' is the result of a dream decades in the making. She released her first novel, 'Bearskin Diary,' under the name Carol Daniels, in 2015 about a First Nations journalist trying to find her Indigenous identity. She followed up four years later under the name Carol Rose Daniels with a volume of poetry, 'Hiraeth,' which was shortlisted for the Saskatchewan Book Award. The same year, after changing her name to GoldenEagle, she published her second novel, 'Bone Black,' about a missing First Nations woman. But she also wanted to write for children. 'I left the media as you know, it's been almost 20 years now, because I wanted to pursue my love of writing,' GoldenEagle told ICT. 'And that includes writing for children. So this one is my first one, and I'm very proud of it.' When asked about her inspiration for the new book, she chuckles. 'What was the inspiration?' she responded. 'All you have to do is go outside, honest to goodness, looking at the sunset or the sunrise, looking at different rocks on the ground, looking at birds and how they interact and move. 'All of these things just really filled me with a sense of awe.' Our stories are worth telling. Our stories are worth sharing. Our stories are worth your support. Contribute today to help ICT carry out its critical mission. Sign up for ICT's free newsletter.
