Thank you for reaching out. I can see how this circumstance could be challenging for you, but what a great opportunity you have to create change and influence new thinking. In this situation, I believe that reflecting on the purpose of Treaty Education in the classroom can serve as a helpful tool in creating ideas that will assist your approach of teaching Indigenous concepts and perspectives. It is crucial to remember that Treaty Education is extremely important in Canadian classrooms and, without a doubt,  throughout your teaching career you will have experiences that are challenging and may be quite similar to this situation, but how you can overcome these difficulties are all a part of the journey through reconciliation.

Everyone is on a different part of their journey to reconciliation; therefore, it is important to continue teaching these concepts to further student’s understanding and knowledge of the past and what can be done for the future. The dark past of Canada is undeniable, it happened. It is our jobs as educators to teach students of this past, whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous, because it will allow them to think about and understand why there is racism and other issues in society today. It can also be a vehicle to stop these problems and issues from reoccurring or becoming worse and therefore, may have the ability to create a future with better, positive relationships and less racism and hate in society.

Treaty Education is also important because as Canadians, we are all treaty people. What this means is that if you are Canadian, you are a part of its history. The treaty agreements were between two parties, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people; therefore, it Is important to recognize that everyone is a treaty person in Canada. By stating that we are all treaty people, acknowledges the agreements of the treaties and how they made it possible for us to be all together on the land unified as one. As Claire Krueger states in her presentation, she views Treaty Education as “Settler Education” because as treaty people, it is everyone’s duty to know Canadian history. I believe it is important to view Treaty Education as this because the treaties are forever and therefore, should be taught to everyone who is a treaty person. By teaching and learning about Treaty Education can help students, and even teachers, to recognize the bigger questions. The knowledge that is absorbed through these teachings can help to better understand the questions of “Who am I?”, “How did I get here?” and “How do I call this home?” Overall, Treaty Education serves as a purpose to unite all individuals, to move towards reconciliation, and to acknowledge and learn about the land we live on and share amongst each other.

I hope this email has helped answer some questions. I also highly suggest taking a look at Dwayne Donald’s “On What Terms Can We Speak?” and Claire Kreuger’s blog for some inspiration. Remember that overcoming the little “bumps in the road” are all part of the journey towards reconciliation!