Aboriginal Educational Month an Indoctrination Opportunity for the TDSB

The TDSB opines that the best way to celebrate November being Aboriginal Education Month is to feel really, really guilty that you're not Aboriginal and vow to rededicate yourself to "social justice":

November is Aboriginal Education Month in the Toronto District School Board: Aboriginal Education for ALL: Building Alliances. 

This year’s theme highlights that Aboriginal education is not just for Aboriginal students but for all students. When non-Aboriginal students learn about the rich histories, cultures, and contemporary contexts of diverse Aboriginal peoples, cross-cultural coalitions and alliances are more likely to occur. Non-Aboriginal students learn about themselves in relationship to the experiences and lives of Aboriginal peoples. These experiences create possibilities for a common commitment to social justice that leads to an equitable and more inclusive society. There is also a need for educators and policy makers to deepen knowledge about Aboriginal education in supporting Aboriginal student success and well-being as a whole.

We respect the enduring place that First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples hold in contemporary Canadian society. Additionally, infusing Aboriginal perspectives across curriculum creates inclusive spaces for students to see themselves reflected as individuals and validated within the school community. Dr. Susan Dion’s report, Decolonizing Our Schools: Aboriginal Education in the Toronto District School Board (2010), outlines how such an inclusive environment positively impacts Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students’ feelings and beliefs about Aboriginal identities, which in turn positively affects their attitudes toward school.  

Throughout the month of November, the Aboriginal Education Centre will be implementing and supporting various teaching and learning experiences across the system.  

Highlights include:

• Commemorating Aboriginal Veterans’ Day, Monday, November 11, 2013
• Launching of the Native Languages PLC
• First Nation, Métis and Inuit Student Anthology
• Louis Riel Day (Métis), November 16, 2013

THANK YOU! MIIGWETCH! NAKURMIK! NIÀ:WEN! HYI-HYI! MARSEE! QUJANNAMIIK!

Or, as we say in my tribe, OY VEY!