Case Study Discussion
Discussion
- each group will reflect on their feelings toward the case study they read
- share points to consider with students
Case 1 - Points To Consider
There is great diversity between the nations of First Peoples of Canada. One cannot assume that they are all the same. While there are some underlying similarities regarding worldview (such as a belief in the circularity of creation) each nation manifests its beliefs in different ways. Even within nations, there are many perspectives and each voice should be respected.
- Securing the assistance of a local First Nation or Métis or Inuit community for the delivery of any information about the First Peoples of Canada is a good practice toward ensuring that the local voice is heard and appreciated. Inviting families of students or students themselves who are willing to share is a great place to start. Short of this, there are often community workers who would be willing to visit the school. In urban centres, there are front-line workers at Aboriginal organizations such as Friendship Centers, and Healing Centers who would welcome the opportunity to do public education (many of these centers have a mandate for public education).
- Respecting the voices of our students is essential. A teacher cannot assume that they are the ‘expert’, especially when addressing First Nation, Métis, and Inuit topics as the teacher often lacks the lived experience of being a First Nation, Métis, and Inuit person. There are wonderful opportunities to learn from our students too. Allowing our Aboriginal students to also be ‘teachers’ empowers them and further develops their identity as an Aboriginal person. However, we should not assume that every First Nation, Métis, and Inuit student will want to share and they should never be put on the spot for speaking on behalf of their people.
Case 2 - Points To Consider
- First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people may identify themselves with the term “Indian” despite that it is not considered to be politically correct at the present time. Teachers should respect the many ways in which the First Peoples of this land identify themselves.
- A teacher cannot assume that s/he does not have a First Nation, Métis, or Inuit student is his/her class as they cannot always be identified physically. There are many First Nation, Métis, and Inuit children who do not ‘look’ Aboriginal and who chose not to make it public.
- The teaching of difference/”specialness” needs to be done carefully. If students have not been coached to have an internal respect and acceptance of difference/”specialness”, the information they gain from ‘multicultural’ lessons could be used as ammunition toward ‘other’ students.
Case 3 - Points To Consider
- Students need a foundational understanding of why Aboriginal protests occur. There is a historical context as a colonized people who have suffered greatly and lost much that is often unknown by the general public, including the parents of students who influence the views of their children. Presenting the historical context which informs the current reality of the Aboriginal experience is essential toward building positive relations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in this country.
-Rather than telling students that their parents are ‘wrong’ (which seems very inappropriate), opportunities could be offered for students to question what they know and how they know it. Assisting students toward developing a critical consciousness and forming their own opinions based on factual information is perhaps the best a teacher can give his/her students.
-Teachers shouldn’t be afraid to address current events in the class. Local events addressing Aboriginal issues are wonderful opportunities to explore the local Aboriginal experience. However, this must be done with care ensuring that all perspectives are presented in a respectful manner.
Case 4 – Points to Consider
-It is very common for people of difference to ‘group’ together for a sense of safety. This should be respected while also assisting students to learn about each other.
-Children need opportunities to explore stereotypes: what they are, where they come from, why there are inappropriate, etc. For Aboriginal stereotypes, it is essential that students can appreciate why many Aboriginal people have difficulty with alcohol and understand the facts of the situation. For example, addiction is one way for people to escape personal trauma which Aboriginal people have experienced. Aboriginal people also have a physical susceptibility to alcohol as they did not have it in their diet traditionally, it was brought to this land by the Europeans. There are also more Aboriginal people per capita who chose not to drink/be abstainers in comparison to the mainstream population.
-Restorative Practice from an Aboriginal perspective in this situation would require the boys and girls to get to know each other better to repair the relationships that have been damaged. For the Aboriginal community, a fundamental principle of restorative justice is to repair/restore the relationships. While it may be a common practice to tell the boys and girls to stay away from each other since they are having difficulty getting along, from an Aboriginal perspective, they would be required to ‘come together’ to learn about each other and thus respect and appreciate each other better.