Page 195 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 to 12 | First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies

decisions, and/or plans of action relating to Indigenous peoples. The concept of stability and change requires students to analyse how and why political institutions and policies change or remain the same. Students apply this concept to help them determine when change is necessary and how they themselves can contribute to change, such as through civic action in support of truth and reconciliation. Finally, the concept of political perspective requires students to analyse the beliefs and values that motivate First Nations, Métis, and Inuit aspirations, as well as relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous govern- ments. Students analyse how these beliefs and values affect perspectives on, and social action in response to, issues of importance to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities and individuals.
It is important to note that, although students use political thinking to guide and struc- ture the inquiry process in this course, the topics they investigate are not only political but also economic, social, and cultural. Any study of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives and realities must acknowledge the interconnected nature of the issues of greatest significance to Indigenous peoples. When Indigenous communities advocate for nation-to-nation relationships with non-Indigenous governments, for example, their goals and actions are evidently, but not exclusively, political. The assertion of the right to sovereignty/self-governance also involves the wish to have autonomy in economic decision making and to develop social institutions that reflect Indigenous beliefs and values. Similarly, when First Nations, Métis, and Inuit leaders approach global issues such as environmental protection by using strategies that reflect Indigenous knowledge, their political actions are socially and culturally motivated.
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