Educators say introducing kids to reconciliation requires kinship, cultural approach

When it comes to educating kids about truth and reconciliation, several educators in Winnipeg are approaching the subject with an air of culture, rather than caution. To mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), several organizations offered educational opportunities for families to engage with survivors, knowledge keepers, and Indigenous teachers to learn more about the outstanding impact of residential schools, as well as engage with First Nations cultures and storytelling. When it comes to what occurred at residential schools, parents, teachers and relatives are often tasked with the challenge of approaching the subject in a way that does not cause further harm. The Kapabamayak Achaak Healing Forest in Winnipeg, which saw approximately 600 students the week of the NDTR this year, handles the responsibility in a variety of ways. The forest, which is centred by a gathering space with room for a sacred fire, was established in 2016 and has since been a community resource and “living memorial,” according to its website, “to honour Indigenous children lost to or affected by the residential school system.” Kerry Saner-Harvey has been involved since the beginning. He noted that “age-appropriateness is important.” He said that, until children reach a certain age, residential schools are not covered in depth. “We get a whole range,” he said. “One group was grades two, three… our Elder was very good about saying kids were hurt, but not saying details.” On the other hand, Saner-Harvey continued, kids from the junior high groups heard more stories about “what actually happened.” He said, when it comes to educating kids, “being able to just be present is significant.” The space is looked after by a group of volunteers called the keepers of the forest. The keepers take care of the space, located in the back corner of St. John’s Park in Winnipeg’s North End neighbourhood, as well as function similarly to board members. Many are members of the congregation at the neighbouring St. John’s Anglican Cathedral, which founded the area in collaboration with community Elders. Saner-Harvey said the opportunity to teach these subjects outside, on the land, is also significant. “Reconnecting with the land, to remind us that a reason that this happened is because [it was taken away],” he said. He said the stories read at the gathering space have a heavy focus on the relationship with the land, but it’s presented in ways that are universal. “Finding your sit-spot … rocks,” he said, with a laugh. “Things like that are a way to remind kids of the teachings that were lost, and that they can be relearned. The knowledge is still there, so let’s relearn that. It’s not just about learning the atrocities.” Georges Beaudry addresses a class at the Kapabamayak Achaak Healing Forest last year. Photo: Kapabamayak Achaak Healing Forest. Michael Redhead Champagne, a member of Shamattawa First Nation, is a public speaker and children’s author. He said he approaches the subject in two ways. Firstly, he said, “the kinship approach. “Just explain. People were taken from their families, and one way to make that better is to repair families,” he said. “Then, the education approach, where we say schools hurt Indigenous kids in the past. Let’s make sure school today help Indigenous Peoples.” He can even then mesh the two into one sentence, he said — what can schools do today to support families who were hurt in the past? “[The approaches] provide opportunities to learn and build relationships,” Redhead Champagne said, adding that through its simplicity, it works with adults, too. For example, the Kapabamayak Achaak Healing Forest hosted an event on the morning of Sept. 30, when residential school survivor Gerry Shingoose, known by many as “Gramma Shingoose” in her community advocacy work, shared her story to a small crowd of varying ages around a sacred fire. It was closed with the Travelling Song, performed by Knowledge Keeper Heather Bjorklund, accompanied by her daughter and granddaughter. Although, the youngest spent much of the song hiding in her mother’s jacket to avoid the crowd. Redhead Champagne said it was an appropriate finish to the gathering, as it was an “act of intergenerational love.” The power to act Learning about reconciliation can be hands-on, too. While the forest is volunteer-operated, similar approaches emphasizing kinship and reconnection exist in a national institution such as the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Alongside free admission, the museum offered a new kid-centric activity for Orange Shirt Day, Canoes and Rapids, an Indigenous take on the classic Snakes and Ladders. Canoes and Rapids at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Photo: Emma Honeybun/APTN News. The game encouraged children and adults to roll a die and, in order to progress, answer a trivia question from museum staff, such as, “in the Seven Sacred Teachings, which animal represents humility?” and “How do you say ‘thank you’ in Michif?” Although the trivia involved is quite broad, it never touches on the subject of residential schools. According to Marilyn Dykstra, an Ininiew Knowledge Keeper who works at the museum, this is on purpose. The game board was created from scratch by a small team of museum staff and participants of a recent Cree cultural workshop, which Dykstra hosts at the museum for free on a monthly basis. It’s meant to flow like water, she explained, “the blood of Mother Earth … The only thing that makes water sick is making it stand still.” Dykstra said there are multiple ways to approach reconciliation, and she regards each as being equally important, but her idea for creating the game came from the notion to act. “It’s like water; it never stands still. We, as human beings, have to act,” she said, adding that this could involve speaking out, educating one’s self, and supporting survivors. “And young kids can learn about this as well,” she said. “It doesn’t need to be in a scary way. If the game was for adults, the questions we ask would be much different … We’re not talking about residential schools, we’re talking about it [reconciliation] in ways kids can digest.” The museum is also currently exhibiting the Witness Blanket, a travelling work of art containing hundreds of items from survivors, from cut braids to patches. The exhibit, as well as its website, contains resources for teachers who are preparing to cover residential schools on a level which covers the atrocities on a closer level. “You and your students may feel sadness, outrage, anger learning about residential schools,” the Witness Blanket teaching guide reads. “This is good: these emotions are essential as we build empathy and personal connections to lead to taking action.” The Witness Blanket. Photo: Emma Honeybun/APTN News. Similar to other disasters throughout history, there may be no concrete way to shield children from the emotions they may experience, according to the guide, but there are ways to help keep them safe. And according to these educators, much of that can begin with a focus on culture and universal experiences to connect people and cultures from a young age. Pointing to a hand-illustration of a canoe on the Canoes and Rapids board, Dykstra adds, “If we all get in the same boat, we can accomplish anything.” Continue Reading