He was just a preschooler when his Inuvialuit grandmother, Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton, and his mother, author Christy Jordan-Fenton, began publishing some of his first stories about high school in the Arctic as books. for children. His paternal grandmother’s devotion to their culture, her triumphs and her resilience in overcoming hardships – explored in part in Fatty Legs, A Stranger at Home, When I was Eight and Not My Girl – continue to motivate and set an example for Waylon. “It makes me very proud to know that my grandmother did all this,” said the 16-year-old from Fort St. John, BC This week, First Nations, Inuit, and Metis delegations met with Pope Francis to share stories about the impact of Canada’s school housing system with the pope. expressing “sadness and shame” on Friday for the conduct of some of the Roman Catholic members who administered the schools. Here at home, dedicated students and parents continue to keep alive and ongoing important discussions about truth and reconciliation in the education system. From left: 11th grader Waylon Fenton, 11th grader Isaiah Shafqat and graduate student Leah Creaser. Everyone says there is a need for indigenous representation in the classroom. (Christy Jordan-Fenton, Darek Zdzienicki / CBC, Leah Creaser)
While the debate over Indigenous experiences has grown in the Fenton class and in society at large, many still have much to learn. The teenager recalled, for example, a teacher who only a few years ago raised boarding schools in the classroom, but tried to justify them as “better” than what the survivors had at home. “It was … frustrating for me when he taught it that way. I thought it was wrong,” said Fenton, who was later transferred from the 7th grade. Fatty Legs co-authors Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton, left, and Christy Jordan-Fenton pursued their award-winning title with others, including A Stranger at Home, When I was Eight and Not My Girl. (Submitted by Christy Jordan-Fenton)
His mom’s desire to teach her own children — as well as other people — about the reality of home schooling was one of the main reasons he was encouraged to work with his grandmother to create their age-appropriate books, the first of which was published in 2010. “I wanted my kids to grow up seeing their grandmother as a hero,” said Jordan-Fenton, a BC writer and adult educator. “I never wanted them to feel bad about their native.” Although she was not a native, Jordan-Fenton’s father was a man from Cree Metis. Growing up, she lived in communities where many, including her father, had attended home schools. She knew most Canadians had never learned of the traumatic history of this school system like that – or she believed that schools were a relic of a very long time ago. “One of the ways I explain to people that it’s not so long ago is … the year that homeschooling ended was the year Toy Story came out – the first Toy Story movie,” he said. In student readings and events over the years, Jordan-Fenton and her mother-in-law have seen children from all walks of life connect and empathize with their books. “She always wanted to show that children can go through really, really horrible things and that they could get out of it,” Jordan-Fenton said of her mother-in-law, who died in 2021. Taking a step further, he stressed a balance: teaching students about residential schools but also exchanging positive stories about the culture and history of the natives. “When we tell stories about indigenous children or indigenous people who always suffer, without the winners ever coming out, I understand what it does to [Indigenous children’s] a sense of self-worth, to always tell you stories of defeat “.

Learning in school and beyond

Students today seem more willing to learn about different cultures, perhaps even more so than a few decades ago, according to 11th grader Isaiah Shafqat. “Young people are much more open-minded and eager to learn – and I think they are eager to learn,” said two-minded teenager Mi’kmaw, who attends the Kapapamahchakwew-Wandering Spirit School in Toronto. 11th grader Waylon Fenton knew about home schooling from an early age, when his paternal grandmother and mother wrote a series of children’s books drawn from the former’s experiences in home schools. (Submitted by Christy Jordan-Fenton)
But with the movement to enhance Indigenous perspectives on classroom teaching still emerging, “teachers may not be aware of the issues Indigenous people face or the lessons and lessons they can learn from Indigenous people,” said the 16-year-old. . As a Native Student Representative for the Toronto District School Committee, Shafkat helps initiate student concerns and represents a native voice on various board committees, but also raises awareness beyond the school. Indigenous educational content that helped create Shafqat has been on display in elevators and lobbies of Canadian high-rise office buildings throughout November. Employees of the digital signage company Captivate had contacted the teenager last summer, hoping to cooperate. Appearing in cities such as Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, the content included land-specific landmarks, introduced words and phrases in different indigenous languages, and shared cultural meanings and teachings. In November, indigenous content that helped create Shafqat with digital signage company Captivate appeared on elevator screens and lobbies in high-rise office buildings in cities such as Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. (Wile)
The goal, Shafqat says, was to plant information seeds for adults – who probably have not been in the classroom for a long time – to entice them to further training. “I know a lot of people would like to learn more … and learn with indigenous people but they do not have access to them,” he said. “They should know [residential schools] it happened and understanding is part of reconciliation… Education is really the best way to prevent history from repeating itself ”.

Open conversations

Mi’kmaw biology student Leah Creaser knows the value of open-mindedness, discussion and action. It works to address the lack of indigenous perspectives on science education by introducing students and teachers to the concept of Etuaptmumk, which means learning to see both Mi’kmaw and Western knowledge together. A science lab based on traditional Mi’kmaw knowledge created by an Acadia University student is now part of what freshmen learn in their core biology class. Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) also asked the 27-year-old to continue teaching a new course she ran for the first time last fall exploring integrating Mi’kmaw knowledge into the day-to-day work of scientists, researchers and technicians.
“It’s all purpose [NSCC] “The lesson was to educate people working in a scientific field about how valuable the native voice is and that you should not brush it under the rug,” said Creaser of Wolfville, NS. “If you do research near someone’s property, you’ll probably knock on their door and say, ‘Well, if you see me, I’m working for Acadia and I’m doing this’ … Why not do this with the Mi communities?’ kmaw or with any indigenous group? he said.
Last fall, Leah Creaser, a student of Fisheries Biology, taught a new lesson that emphasizes the concept of two-eyed vision: learning to see both Mi’kmaw and Western knowledge together. (Submitted by Leah Creaser)
The personal sessions last fall often lasted an hour or two when the class was officially over, as the conversations – students sitting in a circle with her – were about regular topics such as history, language use, dealing with stereotypes and interactions between natives. and non -Native. “It simply came to our notice then [people] he did not have that true education, “said Kreiser, a two-minded member of the Acadia First Nation. “So what do we do now? Let’s start training. I think this is a big part of reconciliation [and] That’s what I’m trying to do”. After completing her master’s degree, Creaser plans to pursue a doctorate in fish biology with the hope of becoming a research professor in her own laboratory, while continuing to push for greater understanding and connection to cultural knowledge. “I also want to include this indigenous perspective, cooperation and collaboration – and the building of these relationships – throughout my career.” Support is available to anyone affected by their home school experience or recent reports. A national Indian housing school crisis line has been set up to provide support to alumni and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis hotline: 1-866-925-4419.