Abstract:
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC, 2015) released in
June 2015 marked a pivotal moment in the history of education in Canada. The
report included 94 calls ‘Calls to action’ that stressed the importance of addressing
the many injustices committed against Indigenous1 peoples attending residential
schools between 1876 and 1996. In these calls the need for federal, provincial, territorial
and Aboriginal governments to play a key role in developing education for
reconciliation was highlighted. In particular, Call 62i recommended that educators
work to develop ‘age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and
Aboriginal peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory
education requirement for Kindergarten to Grade Twelve students’ (p. 11).
Similarly, Call 62ii states that the provincial and territorial governments, who are
responsible for education, need to ‘provide the necessary funding to postsecondary
institutions to educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge
and teaching methods into classrooms’ (p.11). This chapter will describe how three instructors, working in two post-secondary Canadian institutions, have
worked to introduce required courses in Indigenous education with an aim towards
shifting the minds and hearts of pre-service teachers in becoming more culturally
aware, responsive, and inclusive to the learning aspirations and experiences of
Indigenous peoples in Canada.