Although Ontario has gradually introduced Indigenous history and culture courses to elementary and secondary schools, Chippewas of Rama First Nation Chief Ted Williams, along with six Simcoe County mayors, say there is much more to be done.
Recently, the six mayors penned a letter to Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, calling for expanded Indigenous education in Ontario’s elementary and secondary schools.
“This is a door that has been opened for the Province of Ontario, the Ministry of Education and the boards of education, and my hope is that they walk through that door and begin to develop … actions related to developing appropriate curriculum, in this case, for our area or region,” Williams said.
“There’s so much more to be done,” he said. “We look forward to the action by the Ministry of Education, and the various boards of education, specifically for us in Simcoe County.”
Williams pointed to a number of regional aspects of Indigenous history that he would like to see included in the education system.
“When I was speaking with (the mayors), I talked about how the education curriculum has not changed a whole lot over the course of the last 40 to 50 years,” he said.
“I was discussing with my colleagues the development of culturally appropriate curriculum, the history of the area, of the region.”
Williams noted the Coldwater-Narrows settlement was reached about 10 years ago, while the Williams Treaty First Nation settlement happened about four years ago.
“There’s a lot of historical documentation in there that would be very useful to add to the current curriculum of this particular area. You’ve got (more than) 600 First Nations across the country who I’m sure feel the same way,” he said.
The letter to the province came about as a result of monthly meetings held with local mayors and Williams, when a variety of regional issues are discussed in an informal manner.
“The mayors have embraced wanting to know more, wanting to learn more, and they all, in their own way, have participated in different events that acknowledge the Indigenous community,” Williams said. “I think it’s something that they can all be proud of.”
When the mayors discovered their own lack of knowledge, Williams said, they viewed education as an indispensable tool in moving toward reconciliation.
The discussions arose from Orange Shirt Day, or the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, becoming a statutory holiday in 2021 in honour of Indigenous children who attended Canada’s residential schools.
“(The discussion) came to a head, or an understanding, with the Orange Shirt Day on Sept. 30,” Williams said. “They wanted to know what their history was, and so I provided them with the history and they were dumbfounded, they were shocked.”
“They said in their memo that they were embarrassed by their lack of knowledge,” Williams continued. “When they came to understand the history, and the education was forced upon the Indigenous population, and how children were taken, that led into the curriculum.”
Although the mayors’ letter called for improvements to the education system, Williams stressed there are numerous resources available to anyone who might like to further understand Indigenous history in Canada.
“Start with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, or the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report — they can start right there,” he said. “That's a good starting point for everyone in the country, to begin to understand the challenges that the First Nation communities have had to overcome.”
