Page 243 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 to 12 | First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies

Address or a similar cultural expression of spirituality complete the day of a belief adherent? Why does this practice remain relevant in contemporary life? What obstacles to this practice might individuals encounter?” “Why is it customary to acknowledge the land on which any meeting or gathering is held? What is being reclaimed in the process? What symbolism is involved in this practice?” “What is the role of the Métis Nation of Ontario Healing and Wellness Branch? In what ways are its activities grounded in traditional knowledge?”
D1.3 identify several different programs and initiatives to reclaim a place for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit beliefs, values, and customs in education in Canada (e.g., Laurentian University has mandated that all students taking a bachelor of arts degree take at least one course with Indigenous content; some Canadian universities have signed a declaration to uphold the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; schools are inviting First Nations, Métis, and Inuit community members, including Elders, to share their knowledge and participate in the school community; school boards and other community groups are providing intercultural capacity training for educators), and explain how such efforts can influence society
Sample questions: “How are Ontario high schools attempting to support First Nations, Métis, and Inuit knowledge and world views that have been eroded by colonization? Why do these efforts benefit all students?” “Which Canadian educational institutions offer Elder- in-residence programs? What is the purpose of such programs?” “How are First Nations, Métis, and Inuit beliefs, values, and customs being incorporated into your own education? How does that affect your world view?”
D2. Truth, Reconciliation, and Renewal
By the end of this course, students will:
D2.1 make and explain some connections between First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultural observances/events and the goals of truth, reconciliation, and renewal (e.g., festivals offer
a setting for vendors to explain the cultural and spiritual messages of art works by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals; powwows provide
a public forum for sharing traditional knowledge through storytelling; country-wide Rendezvous events encourage wider understanding of Métis culture; harvest camps strengthen Indigenous ecological knowledge and promote understanding of the connection between the people and the land)
Sample questions: “What connections can
you make between cultural understanding and reconciliation?” “In your opinion, how does learning about a culture through reading or watching a documentary differ from learning through participating in a cultural event?”
D2.2 identify and describe several different ways in which efforts to promote First Nations, Métis, and Inuit environmental knowledge and perspectives have contributed to truth, recon- ciliation, and renewal (e.g., land recovery projects for the protection of indigenous seeds and naturally grown foods engage Canadian society in the connection between the people and the land; water walks raise awareness of the necessity
of clean water and the importance of respecting water as a gift from the natural world)
Sample questions: “What are some ways in which Indigenous communities have drawn attention to the depletion of wild salmon stocks? How do these actions follow or diverge from the principles expressed in the Haudenosaunee Two Row Wampum? How are they connected to truth and reconciliation?” “What have Josephine Mandamin’s water walks drawn attention to? How do her efforts support reconciliation and renewal?”
D2.3 analyse some government policies and actions in Canada intended to affirm truth, reconciliation, and renewal related to decol- onization to determine the key commitments of these policies/actions and identify some results (e.g., with reference to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples; the responses of provincial governments to the calls to action expressed in
the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada; Canada’s statement of support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)
Sample questions: “What specific commitments have provincial governments made as a result of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action? How have these commitments affected your own education? What examples can you give?”
D2.4 analyse some judicial/legal actions in Canada intended to affirm truth, reconciliation, and renewal related to Aboriginal title, treaty rights, and nation-to-nation relationships to determine the key stakeholders and processes involved in these actions (e.g., land claim inter- actions take place between First Nations, Métis, or Inuit governments and organizations and provincial or federal governments, and involve re-examining and reappraising the historical
RECLAMATION AND RECONCILIATION
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World Views and Aspirations of First Nations,
NBV3E
Métis, and Inuit Communities in Canada