I've just watching all four parts of a documentary titled 8th Fire. This is a project that seeks to: challenge assumptions, form new opinions (based on facts and evidence), and bring us together: setters and first peoples alike. How does it do this? It seeks to form this relationship by giving a first hand look at the history and plight of the aboriginal population living within this country. 8th Fire looks at the history, which has, in turn, formed the present, and has the potential to inform the future; that is, unless truth and reconciliation continues to heal our land.
Throughout most of my life, I had one way of viewing the first peoples population; and it was a view that wasn't necessarily healthy- based on preconceived notions and biased assumptions. It wasn't until my adult years that I started to have the figurative rug pulled out from under me (so to speak). I met aboriginal people, I became friends with many; I began to hear their stories, and I began to feel the burden with which they lived. The roots of empathy had begun to form. Often, we live with one view- one way things must be done; one way for society to move forward effectively, and one way of viewing those around us. It isn't until we discover alternative angles that we begin to engage our world. Related to this... When we begin to understand other peoples' ways of knowing (where they're coming from and how they view the world), we begin to build bridges; we become advocates. This is crucial in life, just as this is crucial within the teaching profession. If we are to value ALL students (as TRB Standard 1 implores us to do), we must understand their way of viewing the world. We may not necessarily see eye to eye on everything, but when we enter this space, we come to understand what they need in order to thrive; what they need in order to feel safe and secure in their own skin. This seems so simple. And yet, this has been so hard for us to implement as a society in Canada. We are just now beginning this process. We are just now beginning to teach this in our schools. We are just now beginning to learn this in our universities. And as prospective teachers, it is our role to model this for our students (and for their parents). Building relationships by valuing others and acknowledging the vast diversity of our land, people groups and ways knowing- this will lead to fruit; and it begins with us.
0 Comments
|
Archives
September 2018
Categories
All
|