EF 5/6 June 19

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84310718257?pwd=czVhWkZXdjRjaFJtbnoyU2wvYjA1UT09

Meeting ID: 843 1071 8257

Password: 1UYScy

First Nations – original people in a land 

Aboriginal

Aboriginal peoples are under threat, in trouble, around the world, experience violence: Cuba, Australia, Finland, Canada, United States, Japan

Canada – First Nations 12,000-20,000 yrs

Australia- Aboriginals 60,000-80,000yrs

Their land and way of life is being taken away

Brazil – Amazon jungle – fires- some of the tribes have never been contacted

Archeology – studying ancient human structure, buildings, town, villages

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

• Focus of BC new curriculum- First Nations

Curriculum – what we study in school

First Nations ways of knowing, culture, history in Canada

My school experiences- none of the history, social studies, literature, 

BC curriculum

-English 12

-First People’s English 12

• science focused on First Nations

The focus was on Europeans, settlers, White men in Canada

• male-centred, Euro-centred

• Government controls education and what kids learn

• What history did you study in school?

Words that people use – 

- Native,

-Aboriginal

(etymology- word history, ab – original   word origin Latin ‘ab’ – beginning)

-First Nations – many groups, the ‘s’ is important

-Indian – not used now, older term

• Talk about origin of the word ‘Indian’ due to geographical misunderstanding

Cuba, - West Indies

Christopher Columbus 1492

“Red Indian” – don’t use that name anymore

“East Indian” – don’t use that name anymore

• racism towards First Nations people “Indians”

• dismissive, belittling, negative

• when I was young, people talked badly about First Nations people

• lots of First Nations kids in my school, segregated

At the time, it seemed normal.

• Tell this story

• policy at my university – have to finish your degree in seven years

student/ professor –led initiative to change it to 10 yrs

• racism against First Nations – BCTF AGM story

700 teachers

“equity-seeking groups” wanted representation

• First Contact Canada

* http://aptn.ca/firstcontact/

First Contact of Europeans with First Nations