Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action

The Truth and Reconciliation report is one of if not the most important documents for educators to not only read but develop a firm grasp of its content. This requires all of us, educators specifically, to do great self-reflective work on what these 94 calls to action mean and what they look like in our practice. Our education system is so steeped in colonization and the effects of residential schools certainly remain. In order to work towards decolonization, we need to be extremely conscious of the damage that has been done and we can use this report as a guide to help us attempt to undo that damage.

As a teacher candidate, I have been working on reflecting what my part can and will be to decolonize imaginations in the classroom in the future. I will use this report and other resources to continue educating myself on the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples and how we can change moving forward.  I have been working towards checking my own personal bias and how that might enter my teaching practice. Doing the self-reflective work is a critical first step to be able to meaningful actualize decolonization. We need to ask ourselves what decolonization means to us? How have I benefitted from colonization? How do I respond in conversations with folks that promote colonial practices and mindsets? What does land mean to me? This is a journey I have been on the past two years and I feel I have grown immensely in my understanding. This has allowed me to explore these topics with my students. It is important as educators to understand the difference between appreciation and tokenization of Indigenous peoples in their culture. It is our responsibility to do the work and the research ourselves and ensure that we are acknowledging all ways of knowing and being in our classrooms and schools.