Weblogs for ETEC 521 Indigeneity

Module 1 Module 1 Weblog1 Perspectives and Curriculum TM by troymoore Aboriginal Perspectives and Curriculum By Dwayne Donald http://erlc.ca/resources/resources/aboriginalperspectives/aboriginalperspectives1.php This website discusses the shift in Alberta education to incorporate Indigenous or First Nations teachings into regular curriculum. Given Canadas checkered history as it pertains to First Nations, at first it appeared to some that of the program was a reactionary move to apologize for past injustices. In addition, some teachers were resistant to the change. They felt they were doing enough or that they didnt have enough Aboriginal students to warrant the change. Aboriginal populations are among the fastest growing in Canada, especially in urban areas. The Aboriginal population is often viewed as outsiders, so they feel disconnected. It makes sense to engage this growing population through the curriculum. In addition, Canada is slowly recognizing its sordid past as it pertains to the treatment of First Nation peoples. To not invite them into the conversation or curriculum, educators are once again guilty of the exclusion of a distinct society. Moreover, the perspective of Aboriginal knowledge and tradition is very important and viable. It teaches students to look at the world through a different lens. Cultural and linguistic preservation is also an important element to First Nation peoples. Many believe the only way culture will survive is if language survives as well. Moreover, bringing in more Aboriginal content to curriculum will promote diversity among students. They will gain a deeper understanding of the plight facing Aboriginal people. This article is valuable because it provides reason for curriculum change. It outlines a few of the important reasons for adopting Aboriginal content. One extremely important point outlined in the article is the fact that many believe if language dies, culture goes with it. Many believe language is the most important element of culture. TM Module 1 Weblog 2 Incorporating Aboriginal Culture by troymoore

Incorporating Aboriginal Culture into Curriculum

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/shared.pdf

This is the Ministry of Educations site, specifically the Aboriginal Education portion. I thought about showing this:http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/agreements/quesnelframework.htm. However, I quickly discovered Quesnel Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement is expired. This was strange to me as we are working on it today at our District Non-Instructional day. The Ministry document will be invaluable to my final project as it lays out how to incorporate culture into curriculum. Moreover, it was produced in 2006, so many of its PLOs (prescribed learning outcomes) will be outdated. But, that will not limit its effectiveness. The document begins by discussing how to set up instruction to effectively teach Aboriginal content. The teacher needs to develop strong local community links to access the expertise that exists locally. In addition, the teacher must always be cognizant that some of the history and issues discussed may be sensitive and cause emotional distress. The article then briefly discusses the history of Aboriginal people in BC, but fails to mention many of atrocities faced. Also, oddly enough, page 14 contained a hand drawn Circle of Courage or medicine wheel, yet no mention of it is made The reminder of the document gets to the meat and potatoes of the topic, integration. The article is divided by grade groupings. Instructional strategies are divided into primary, intermediate, and high school, and then further divided by subject matter. Ironically enough, the document is very comprehensive and offer not only integration ideas, but teaching tips, resources, vocabulary, etc. The document is well done, but for some strange reason, does not extend past grade 10. Perhaps this is due to the singularity of subject in grade 11 and 12. The appendix of the document provides sample lesson plans for teachers to use to bring in some outer sources. Each lesson plan is tied to an IRP (integrated resource package) goal or PLO, so they seem very focused. As well, each lesson plan offers assessment advice. The lesson plans, albeit a little dry, would be a great starting point for a teacher looking to integrate some Aboriginal content. The ministry site will be a great site for my project as it contains the most current data on Aboriginal graduation rates, as well as satisfaction survey results.

TM Module 1 Weblog 3 Dying Languages by troymoore

Dying languages?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/24/census-first-nations-languages.html

This article deals with the slow desecration and death of many traditional Canadian First Nation languages. Canada once house over 70 distinct languages, but according to the latest census only 60 still exist and of those, only 3 remain strong. This is very true. In my district, Carrier is till spoken and understood, but it is hard to find instructors to teach and maintain the language. This seems somewhat common across Canada. The Mohawk language is another one which is barely hanging on, but a program has taken steps to reteach to young students to speak it. Residential schools played a large part in the destruction of language. It is well documented that students who spoke their native tongue were beaten or worse. Unfortunately, knowledge of culture is passed through generations through language. If the language dies, the culture and knowledge will follow. It is a lose-lose situation for communities when language dies. The bleakest area is British Columbia, where over half of the First Nation languages call home. Only 1 in 20 First Nation persons is fluent in their language and most of those are elders. Young people are not picking up the language as much as is needed for survival. There is a push to rectify that situation. More can speak the Native tongue in comparison to 2006, but the language is still in danger. Racist beliefs (many left over from Residential School ideology) have lead some First Nations to believe they are somehow more Canadian if they dont speak their Native tongue. In addition, a lack of opportunity hurts the language. Some believe outside of teaching, what is the point of getting a second, albeit, their first language. Moreover, only NWT recognizes some Aboriginal languages as official languages. This is great article, albeit not very scholarly, to demonstrate the re-emergence of cultural ideas and language in First Nation communities. If I were to use it in a final project, I would focus on how Aboriginal language is used in curriculum.

TM Module 1 Weblog 4 Closing the Gap Moore by troymoore Closing the Gap for Aboriginal Students. Dr. Emily Faries

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/research/efaries.pdf

This site (Ministry of Education Ontario) contains many articles and links, one of which is Dr. Faries, Closing the Gap for Aboriginal Students. I believe my focus for my final project is going to be something on the integration of Aboriginal culture into curriculum and courses. My district is currently offering English: First Peoples 11-12 for the first time and has offered BC First Nations 12 for a number of years. I know there is a heavy emphasis on Aboriginal grad rates here, due to our relatively high Aboriginal population. I want to examine what we are doing and maybe look at what we can do better. I digress The article, Closing the Gap for Aboriginal Students, is a discussion on how to meet the educational needs of Aboriginal students. Faries believes without knowing and understanding the plight of First Nation peoples in Canada, it is difficult to engage and interact educationally with Aboriginal students. A bit of history, from residential school to federal day school was discussed. It must be recognized that schools were designed to destroy the culture and as a result, there is an inherent mistrust of the educational system. To combat this, schools must embrace and enhance Aboriginal culture. It is imperative to start building the bridges between school and success with Aboriginal systems. Education can be used to revitalize language and culture. In order to do so, the curriculum must be changed to incorporate culture. Courses could be offered in native languages. Although not geographically relevant to my province, it does demonstrate different ways culture can be incorporated. I cannot stress enough the importance of the statement that due to the negative history (residential schools, etc.), education is viewed with distrust. Hopefully, the implementation of Aboriginal culture goes a long ways to rectifying that situation.

TM Module 1 Weblog 5 Dakelh Language by troymoore Dakelh Language http://maps.fphlcc.ca/fphlcc/dakelh This is a First Nation map of the Dakelh language also known as the Carrier. The reasoning for this post is simple. Today at a meeting we discussed incorporating Aboriginal content, and some ideas included carvings, drum-making, dance, etc. Once the discussion started however, we brought forth the point that incorporating content just to do so isnt important unless it is relevant. The Carrier arent carvers like the Haida so why would we carve. In addition, drums have a spirit, to make one just to make one is

simply a trinket in the eyes of local elders. If we are to bring in content we need to ensure it is relevant to the local Carrier. The Carrier name comes from the idea once a person died, they were cremated and their ashes would be carried around. The language is in various states as you can see in this table: First Nation Lheidli Tenneh Band3 Lhooskuz Dene Nation Lhtako Dene Nation Nadleh Whuten5 Nakazdli Band6 Nazko First Nation7 Saikuz First Nation8 Stellaten First Nation9 Takla Lake First Nation10 Tlazten Nation 11 Population Fluent Speakers Understand or Speak Somewhat Learning Speakers 316 1994 1524 435 1500 3344 1000 399 720 1659 5 unknown unknown 25 189 75 50 18 53 154 7 145 10 unknown 731 7 unknown unknown 5 390 70 30 16 42 213 12 136 10 unknown 931 0 unknown unknown 60 114 0 80 35 22 46 20 88 88 unknown 553

Tsil Kaz Koh (Burns Lake)9 104 Ulkatchoten12 850

Wetsuweten First Nation9 213 Yekooche First Nation Total 2174 8098

This is important because it can show how important it is to keep language alive and kicking. TM

Module 2 Weblog Module 2 WL1 St. Josephs memorial Weblog (Module 2 WL 1) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/04/24/bc-st-josepho-memorial.html This website is from the CBC and discusses the reunion of survivors of the St. Josephs residential school (also known as Williams Lake Indian Residential School and Williams Lake Industrial School). Closed in 1981, the school was one of the last operating residential schools in BC. The article calls for plans for a monument for survivors in the spot of the school, which has been torn down and a monument in a Williams Lake park to honour the children that died at this school. However, there is also a link on the page to a 8 and a half minute radio interview with Andy Brice, who is the great grandson of Peter Henderson Brice, who was hired to be a health official for a smallpox outbreak. He did a 3 year study and found that Residential schools in Ontario were so bad that tuberculosis was found in up to 75% of students. Other suggestions included better nutrition, heating and ventilation. 1922 Story of a National Crime published. It discussed deplorable conditions in Residential Schools that Brice had seen. The pamphlet by Brice, was less than stellarly received. This story links the deplorable conditions in BC to the deplorable conditions in Ontario and show Residential schools to be a national problem at the turn of the century. I will use the information in my paper on Residential schools, with a focus on St. Josephs , to demonstrate what the city is doing as reparations.

Moore

Module 2 Weblog 2 The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Weblog (Mod. 2 WL 2) http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/index.php?p=3 This is the website of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The TRC has a mandate to learn the truth of what happened in residential schools and to pass that information on to all of Canada. They follow records, interview survivors, talk to operators, essentially gathering all the information they can on the residential school experience.

They were over 130 residential schools located all across Canada, with the last closing in BC in 1984. 1,000s of British Columbians were affected by the tragedy. Often having school aged children taken against their will. In 2008, the Assembly of First Nations and Inuit took the government and churches to court, leading the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history. In June of 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally apologized on behalf of the Government of Canada. In addition to gathering background information, the TRC is also responsible for hosting several national events each year and supporting education around this subject. Recently, the TRC has also supported the Missing Children Research Project. In fact, their mandate is extremely comprehensive. However, perhaps the best part of this website is the expansive list of websites and links. It connects the user with numerous Aboriginal groups and Government websites to assist in research. This is definitely a website I plan on using in the project. It will most likely be used to show what the government has done in light of the court cases and to highlight some of the material they found. Moore

Module 2 Weblog 3 Residential School Settlement Weblog (Mod 2 WL3) http://www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca/english_index.html This website contains the entire decision for the class action lawsuit in which the government and the churches were sued by survivors of the residential schools. The website also contains a claim form so people who were unaware or for hardship reasons can still file a claim. Currently, Mistassini hostels are the focus of the claims. What makes this site interesting is that it offers monthly updates to the claims put forth so far. The following data is directly from the site: Update for June 5, 2013: The Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat has posted updated statistics including details such as the amount of claims received and total compensation distributed from September 19, 2007 to April 30, 2013:

Total number of claims received:

37,767

Total number of claims resolved: Total number of claims in progress: Total number of hearings held: Total Compensation: The update can be viewed at www.iap-pei.ca.

20,855 16,912 16,968 $1,974,000,000

The next status update will be available on July 3, 2013.

The website also offers appeal forms to those who may need them. It also lists all the schools that applied to be a part of the process including the school I will focus on: St. Josephs. Cariboo (St. Josephs, Williams Lake) St. Josephs Missions (Mission) CARIBOO-ST. JOESPHS British Columbia Williams Lake Already Included in Settlement Agreement Identified as IRS #34 on CEP and IAP I plan to use this to show the process the survivors of St. Josephs went through and to see if any compensation was given. This is all part of the documentation process of St. Josephs. The formating on this one seems a little wonky when cut and pasted from my documents, must be due to the tablemy apologies. Moore

Module 2 Weblog 4 St. Josephs: An Overview Weblog (Mod 2 WL4) http://irsr.ca/williams-lake-indian-residential-school/ This website is a brief overview of the Williams Lake residential school a.k.a St. Josephs Mission. The school opened in 1886 and operated until 1981, a span of 96 years. Therefore, it is very safe to assume that many families in this region were deeply affected and many families had more than one relative attend. My neighbours mother was a student at this school. The stories I have heard are absolutely heart-wrenching. I do know that 23 counts of sexual abuse were laid against three individuals at the school, including Bishop Hubert OConnor. However, that will need to be researched further to find corroborating evidence. It does speak volumes to the types of atrocities faced there. In addition, hair was cut and clothes changed upon arrival at the school. Families were also cut apart according to gender. Parent visitation was not allowed, children were allowed one month per summer off. It is also alleged (not in this documentation, but in others I have found) that if Native tongue was spoken it resulted in serious beatings. At the height of capacity, in the 1950s the school had over 300 students. Things were so deplorable that 2 boys committed suicide and 8 attempted. There are reported grave sites on the school site as under the foundation of a tunnel structure, which gives credence to claims that more deaths occurred during the schools tenure.

from http://irsr.ca/williams-lake-indian-residential-school/ I dont think I will use this website in my project, but it did provide some very interesting background. Moreover, realizing the size of the school and its years of operation, so much of the Cariboo must be touched by this tragedy. Moore

Module 2 Weblog 5 Abuse and Cover-up

Weblog (Mod 2 WL5) http://www.nwac.ca/sites/default/files/reports/InstitutionalAbusePublicResponse.pdf This website from the Native Womens Association of Canada, in 1992, and it documents how the government refuses to look into residential schools and call for an inquiry. It focuses on schools which have faced allegations of sexual abuse and the redress as a result. These include: Mount Cashel by the Newfoundland government, the Ontario governments investigation into the St. Josephs Training School for Boys, and the British Columbia governments inquiry into the Jericho Hill School for the Deaf. At the time of the documentation, only St. Josephs in Williams Lake had an active RCMP investigation into the sexual abuse at the school. Two convictions were handed down, but at that time no inquiry was made into the school, no arranged of compensation offered, and, as the document points out, no real outcry from the non-Native community. The document points out that in addition to the government refusing to inquire or apologize for the residential school, churches have not been much more forthcoming than the government. Although some churches have apologized, no compensation has been made available. The four aforementioned schools are discussed, at length, by the article, but it is the Williams Lake school much brought me here. In 1989, Father Harold McIntee was convicted of sexually assaulting 17 boys over a 25 year period at the school. One year later, Brother Doughty (a Roman Catholic official) was convicted of 5 counts of gross indecency and indecent assault, for instances that occurred between 1961 and 1967. The article also documents a study done by Roland Chrisjohn from Guelph University on the graduates of St. Josephs was published and I will try to get my hands on it for my project. One facet of the article intrigued me about St. Josephs. The article states Williams Lake was more concerned about the lumber market that the residential school. I will delve into that a little more and see f there is any substance to that allegation. If so, I wonder if was collective shame that caused that response. A school with that many students and things like that happening over a long time period, the people in the Cariboo had to know, right? I will use this document in my research to outline the governments slow response to addressing the concerns of the survivors of residential school and the silence they tried to buy with $16 million dollars. Moore

Module 3

Indian Residential School Resources Weblog 3 1 Indian Residential School Resources http://irsr.ca/lesson-plan-2/ This is not a website I intend to use for my project. It is one I intend to use in school. Even though, over the last few years, residential schools have come up in the media, most people are completely unaware of the truth behind residential schools or the impact residential schools had on community, families, and individuals. One of the nice things about the website is its disclaimer, which recognizes the sensitive nature of the subject matter. It also provides a list of guidelines to follow when teaching about residential schools, which include: dont overgeneralize or simplify, respect the differences people in the class will have, encourage empathy, among many others. The website also has links to 8 individual lesson plans. The first four deal with learning about sensitive issues and how to investigate and research a paper/project on residential schools. These four lessons are great in the fact that they can be tailored to suit almost any grade level and interest group. The second four deal with reconciliation and recovery. There is a superb , albeit brief, summary of Aboriginal education going forward for the teacher. The first lesson: Roots deals with the idea of institutionalized racism. The second: Removal or Relocation deals with the horror of removing children from their homes. The third: Reconcilliation deals with the idea of what Canada needs to do to reconcile with survivors of residential schools. It also introduces learners on ways of using newspapers as research tools. The fourth plan: Rights and responsibilities deals with the Charter and the UN Human Rights. This lesson forces students to reflect on times they felt violated and also makes students look to the future for things they can do to make this world a better place. The lesson plan page on Indian Residential School Resources may not be used for my project, but will be ideally suited for social studies teachers and this is a link I plan to share with colleagues. TM

The Residential School System The Residential School System

http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/home/government-policy/the-residential-school-system.html This website, through the University of British Columbia (shout out!), is an excellent look at the residential system in BC and Canada. It discusses the purpose of the residential school which was to assimilate and destroy culture. As the site points out it was to, kill the Indian in the child. It stated in the 1880s, with the church assuming the role of educator and forcing theological beliefs on children who were uprooted from their homes. The site discusses the torment these children faced on a daily basis: abuse, which was physical, psychological, and sexual . It also outlines the inferior education the children received, often only to grade 5 and preparing the children for a life in agriculture or wood working. It was not until the 1990s that churches began to recognize their part in this destructive ploy. The site is a great source because it also outlines the need for residential schools. The government of the time believed in order to settle Canada, the Aboriginal population needed to be reformed and the best way to do that was indoctrination at an early age. They went as far as to make it illegal for First Nations to attend schools which were not residential. The conditions at the residential school also highlighted the capabilities the government thought Aboriginal children possessed. Work was geared toward practical ability: sewing, carpentry and farming. Ironically, for a school, it was so unfocused on education that many students only reached grade 5 by 18 years of age. Many children died to the unsanitary conditions faced at residential schools, yet the value placed on Aboriginal life was so low the schools continued for a century. In the late 1950s the government finally began to treat these institutions more like a school and began to hire qualified staff, and the 80 years of mistreatment was swept under the rug. The worthlessness created by these schools is still in communities today. As an aside, when St. Josephs finally shut down many non-Native peoples had no idea what when on because that implied worthlessness still lingered in 1981. This site will be very valuable to my project because it outlines why the government felt the need to create residential schools and always demonstrates how the schools created a sense of despair and worthlessness in many Aboriginal communities. Many Aboriginal people are still reluctant to attend schools and are distrustful of schools due to the horrifying repercussions these schools caused. I hope to glean from this site some of the overt means of making students ashamed of their culture and some of the not-so-overt means of destroying self worth. TM

Harpers Apology Weblog 3 3 Harpers Apology http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100015644/1100100015649

This site, from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, contains a transcript of the apology Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave for residential schools on June 11, 2008. The apology was issued, on behalf of the Government of Canada, to all people impacted by residential schools, particular those whose had survived the horrific treatment at the aforementioned schools. The apology admits over 150,000 children were separated from their families during this tumultuous time. He states the schools were started, partly, to meet the educational needs of Aboriginal children in the 1800s. The need to assimilate children was based on the belief Aboriginal culture was inferior to European culture. 132 schools were funded nationwide with every province containing them, with the exception of Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The government recognizes these schools were a tragedy and should have never occurred. The government also recognizes the fallout to residential schools and the impact it has had on people and communities. Although, Harper states, some enjoyed their time at school, these positives are overshadowed by the tragic stories of survivors. He also recognized the absence of an apology has slowed down the healing process. The onus should fall on the government and country for not issuing an apology earlier and they must shoulder the burden. He apologizes to all survivors and families impacted by residential schools. He also recognized the steps that need to be taken moving forward, including the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This apology will be used in my project because it is the first time the government truly recognized what an atrocity occurred on Canadian soil. It also began the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which will a small focus of the project. I also remember watching the apology on television and wondering the sincerity of it. Given what occurred, I cant help but wonder if healing will ever happen. TM St. Josephs Memorial Weblog 3 4 Events for St. Josephs Reunion http://www.splatsin.ca/wp-content/uploads/SJM-COMMEMORATION-COMMUNIQUE-December-212012.pdf This site shows the planning of the committee which culiminated in a memorial in May of 2013. Its purpose was to help facilitate the healing process as St. Josephs residential school was one of the more horrific schools. The interesting point was it was organized by the Esketemc First Nations. It also shows that St. Josephs drew from 15 First Nation communities and operated, officially, for 90 years. The first event was put on by SD27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) and I knew a few people that attended and said it was extremely informative. The original funding for the memorial came from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. However, additional funding was raised through events. It also shows that SD27 used their Professional

development day as a focus on residential schools. I am not sure if that is accurate as the date sited is in April, so it may have been a non-instructional day. It discusses the unveiling of the monuments and what can be done in the future as it pertains to education around the residential school issue in Williams Lake. It also discusses the book (although the title was changed) They Called me Number One by Bev Sellars a recount of her time at St. Josephs. This document will not be used in my project as a source, however, it was valuable as it clearly demonstrated the work that went into the day. It is also important to note that the day, although initially funded by TRC, was also completely organized by the School district and the Esketemc First Nations. An additional thing that came from this event was the idea for a day in September to become an annual remembering residential schools day. This year it will be on Sept. 30 (I think) and orange t-shirts will be worn and teachers are being asked to discuss residential schools in classes on that day. I have been in contact with both my Aboriginal teacher liaison and Principal for an event to occur in my library on that day. Every little bit helps. TM

Residential School Syndrome Weblog 3 5 Residential School Experience http://pimatisiwin.com/uploads/291994116.pdf The document is a doctoral thesis outlining the idea of a specific post-traumatic stress disorder called the residential school syndrome. The question posed is the damage done from residential schools or colonization as a whole. The author was a psychologist at a residential school in 1991 and 1992. He found many youth suffered emotional problems following the closure of the school . The document discusses the history of residential schools, following the Riel rebellion. This I found very interesting, as I had previously never thought there was a link between the two, but it makes a lot of sense. It also discusses the way students were herded and separated at the school, often from family members. It also discusses the way students were given numbers as a way of further stripping culture. No names, just numbers. It discusses a 1991 study based in Williams Lake in which 89 of 187 adults admitted to sexual abuse, the interesting thing to note is that 60 also refused to answer the question. It also discusses the way in which the school not only tried to change the culture of students, but change the way they viewed culture as well. It discusses the number of disorders many survivors have individually, but also the damage done to the communities as a whole. The article documents, through interviews, some problems facing some survivors, including poverty, violence, and substance abuse.

The article offers suggestions for future study, but does determine that residential school syndrome does exist and affects people to this day. I will use this article more for its bibliography than anything. I am in the process of trying to track down the research from 1991 in Williams Lake that is documented. My hopes are to see the results first hand, so I may extrapolate the data myself. TM

Module 4

St. Josephs Timeline Weblog 4 1 St. Josephs Timeline Weblog 4 1 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bccaribo/StJoseph.html This site is interesting. It is hosted by ancestry.com which is a site that allows you to search out your ancestry, through various records, including school histories. I stumbled on it by accident, but it piqued my interest. It chronicles, in timeline format, the history of St. Josephs Mission in Williams Lake, BC. It starts with Father James McGuckin being assigned to the Williams Lake are in 1886. The one thing I liked about this site was that it provides background to the residential school, prior to it becoming a residential school. The site lists the priests who have worked at the mission, as well as a list of many of the marriages that took place at the mission, starting in 1873. The mission school officially started in 1872, serving 11 white and half-white boys. Aboriginals were not allowed to attend. This piece is important because, although perhaps prevalent at the time, the school began as a racially segregated school. Within, 6 years the school population was 75 42 boys & 33 girls. In 1886, St. Josephs Mission became a residential school. The white children were forced to attend other schools in the Williams Lake area. The Sisters of St. Anne were the primary teachers. In 1957, the school burned down, but was rebuilt. In 1981, St. Josephs became the Cariboo Indian Education and Training Centre. What I like about this site is the easy to follow format and although heavy with non-necessary items (for my purposes) such as wedding listings, it does provide some interesting background to the school. I will likely only use this site for some brief background to the school, and to highlight the fact that after it closed, it was made into something positive, the Cariboo Indian Education and Training Center (which I believe is now called the Cariboo Chilcotin Aboriginal Training Employment Centre or CCATEC) TM

St. Josephs Commemoration Weblog 4 -2 St. Josephs Commemoration http://www.sjmcommemorationevents.com/ This site is the official St. Josephs Mission Residential School Commemoration page. It is an overview of all the events that occurred in April 2013 at the Commemoration of the school. Included is the SD27

Pro-D day, complete with a special presentation by Quesnel students and their tile project. It was great to see so many of my students do their part and decorate tiles. April 28th, marked the viewing of We Were Children, a film written by Jason Sherman which discusses the impact of residential schools by following 2 children (Lyna and Glen) through the residential system. It also invites survivors to share their stories with the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) in Williams Lake at Thompson Rivers University (North) in May of 2013. During this Commemoration there is also a Town Hall: What does reconciliation mean to everyone in the Cariboo Region which was hosted by Justice Murray Sinclair, Conference Chair and Chair, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. However, the part of the site which interested me most and will probably have the greatest impact on my project is the videos page. It includes 4 videos including the Commemoration, stories from survivors and two videos from Williams Lake Secondary students Survivors from Alkali Lake, by Sadie Johnson & Ses Jack and What is Reconciliation? by Tiffany Boston. These stories *were+ created to build an awareness and recognition of the residential school experiences of First Nations in the Cariboo region of British Columbia. I am not sure how much, if any, of the videos I will use, but they are part of the public domain. TM Commemoration video

Two Rows Weblog 4 3 Two Rows http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxnYrm2cHi0 Two Rows is a documentary by Freedom Central featuring Kevin Annett, who is an ordained minister and has been investigated residential schools and what he calls the Holocaust of Native Peoples in Canada. Annett is called Eagle Strong Voice by the Anishinabe Nation in Winnipeg. Kevin Annett was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for his work on the International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State (ITCCS). Annett tells the story of his life in Pt. Alberni where he was first exposed to the troubling lifestyle following residential schools. He founded the ITCCS to bring to justice the people behind residential schools in Canada. He makes some broad claims about the government buying silence through remuneration. Also he documents many of the students plight. He also tells about suspicious circumstances following some of the people he has worked with, uncovering the truth of residential schools.

I am not sure how much of this film I will use, however, there are lots of Annett videos online, which I will probably filter through. I chose this one because it was award winning and offers allegations of resistance from the government about finding out the truth about residential schools. TM

Honour the Apology Weblog 4 4 Its Time to Honour the Apology http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Carleton+student+wants+residential+schools+documents+releas ed/8712899/story.html I chose this story because it is very recent (3-4 days ago). For those who havent followed it, I will recap it. A student at Carleton University, Geraldine King, has asked the government to release documents to the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission). She helped spearhead a protest on July 25th, in Ottawa. The government has responded that they arent holding many documents and that some TRC searches have been irrelevant. The TRC sees it differently. They have asked, repeatedly, for millions of documents the government is still holding onto. King, whose grandmother attended St. Josephs (not the one in Williams Lake), is still trying to get the release of documents. This follows closely on the revelation a few weeks ago on the nutrition experiments the government conducted on students in residential schools. I am planning on using this, among some more recent stories, to showcase that the TRC was the only thing the government has done since the apology by Stephen Harper. This, coupled with Annetts allegations from the ITCCS, may show the government has been dragging its feet, after all the promises in the apology. TM

Impact of Residential Schools Weblog 4 5 The Impact of Residential Schools http://zone.biblio.laurentian.ca/dspace/bitstream/10219/382/1/NSWJ-V7-art2-p33-62.PDF The article was found through a search, but comes from the Native Social Work Journal, volume 7. Ideally, what the article outlines is the idea that residential schools not only impacted those who went to the schools, but generation after generation following those survivors. It discusses the sordid history of colonialism.

It is interesting to note, the author, Cheryl Partridge discusses the traditional learning styles of Aboriginal peoples using the medicine wheel. She then discusses the history of residential schools following the Davin Report of 1879. The idea that churches must run schools. What I really found interesting was the description of self view from residential schools. Children were being taught that their way of life, their parents, everything about them was wrong and dirty. They were told their rituals would condemn them to hell. She explains further that the punishment put upon these students impacted not only who they were, but the kinds of parents they would make. Think about that for a second, we know the damage done to victims of abuse, yet are surprised at the long reaching impact of residential schools. It is an interesting dichotomy between the impact of the schools and the subsequent impact by future generations. I will probably use this article in my project to highlight that the ramifications of residential schools was not only on the survivors, but impacts generations and communities as well. TM