Conversations about reconciliACTIONS
Photos : Shuana Niessen
There were three sections of Treaties in the Classroom ( ECCU 400 ) this semester and all three hosted events : Audrey Aamodt ’ s class organized the Roads to ReconciliACTION , which took place on March 26 , Evelyn Poitras ’ class held a Talking Circle on April 5 , and that evening Vivian Gauvin ’ s class held a “ Treaty Walk in the Village ” offcampus .
ROADS TO RECONCILIACTION
On March 26 , Education students from Audrey Aamodt ’ s ECCU 400 ) section overcame their own discomfort to engage in conversations with peers and profs in the hallways at the University of Regina about the many ways of taking action towards reconciliation . Aamodt says , “ Students decided to host these conversations in the halls of the University to remind themselves / us that they not only belong , and have a responsibility , to the more intimate Faculty of Education , but are also part of this larger learning community and beyond .”
Bert Fox High School students and their teacher Sheena Koops , as regular facilitators of the Blanket Exercise , travelled from Fort Qu ’ Appelle to join the conversations and raise awareness about the Kairos Blanket Exercise , an activity in which “ participants take on the roles of Indigenous peoples in Canada . Standing on blankets that represent the land , they walk through pre-contact , treaty-making , colonization and resistance ” ( https :// www . kairosblanketexercise . org / about /).
SUNTEP students and their instructors Brenna Pacholko and Russell Fayant visited the stations , offering “ critical and courageous conversations with students and myself ,” says Aamodt . “ We extend gratitude for their generosity , wisdom , and patience with us .”
At all the stations along the Roads to ReconciliACTION , visitors who took a selfie and posted it to social media with the hashtag # ReconciliAction were eligible to win a Roads to ReconciliAction t-shirt . Donations made are going to Justice for our Stolen Children .
Reflecting on what the students learned , Aamodt says , “ I think the most important overall learning that could potentially come out of this experience for us was that listening to and reflecting on critiques takes practice and is necessary . Treaty education , along with potentially associated reconciliation , decolonization , indigenization , and social justice efforts should always be submitted to critical reflection and none are without tension . So , we ask who benefited from this event and if it was truly ‘ action .’ Perhaps it didn ’ t amount to anything of significance , except to make us feel good . Then , we reminded one another about Pam Palmater ’ s claim that “ if it feels good , it ’ s not reconciliation ” ( Woodrow Lloyd Lecture , Feb . 15 , 2018 ).
As for her own learning , Aamodt adds , “ I have learned how I might better invite students to consider who might be the right people to talk about particular issues , some of the problems with being perceived as positioning ourselves ( settler-Canadians ) as experts about MMIW , residential school legacies and intergenerational trauma , FNMI identities-histories-cultures-communities , FNMI languages , reconciliation , decolonization , indigenization , and even treaties .”
What follows are student comments about what they were doing , what they thought about its importance , and how prepared they felt for treaty education in their future classrooms .
100 Years of Loss Exhibit : Jalyssa Woloshyn says , “ We are making people aware of the past and what has happened — and making sure we understand the past and are not turning a blind eye to it . At some points it is uncomfortable to be learning this , but if you are uncomfortable you ’ re learning more because you are embracing the stuff that you don ’ t know . I came into university knowing none of this . It ’ s not taught much , so getting this out here now for other people that aren ’ t in the Education Faculty is important .”
Taking Action Cookies ( and selfies ): This group of students offered cookies labeled
with one of the 150 Acts of Reconciliation intended to suggest reconciliatory actions , even small ones , such as learning the land acknowledgment . Zach Renwick said , “ It may just be one small thing you can do , but it builds towards having an understanding of where you stand in society . One person may look at this list and say , ‘ you know , I can do a couple of these things .’... We need to face these controversial topics , different ideologies , and I need to step out of my own comfort zone to talk about it .” ( See http :// activehistory . ca / 2017 / 08 / 150-actsof-reconciliation-for-the-last-150-days-ofcanadas-150 / )
Red Dress Exhibit : No more Stolen Sisters in Regina . Cassidy Hanna explains , “ This is an installation of the REDress Project started by Jamie Black ( See http :// www . theredressproject . org /). The red dresses symbolize each of the women from Regina that are missing or murdered . We have 16 missing or murdered women from Regina exhibited here , and only two have been resolved . So , we are trying to bring awareness of this and also to the MMIWG inquiry .” Logan Schmidt says , “ I started four years ago at the University , and I had no First Nations classes and no idea about any of this . My four-year degree has really opened my eyes to how many inequalities there are between First Nations and us settlers .” Tristan Badger says , “ Being First Nation , I ’ ve always been afraid to use my voice . So , this class has made me feel more empowered to use it , and not be afraid of being put down because of my colour . This class has made me be more activist for First Nations and Indigenous people .”
Linking relationships : ( L-R ) Chastity Peigan and Erin Schmidt were located in the busy Riddell Centre , so they chose an activity that would be quick and not hold people up . Passersby were invited to write their name or an action on a piece of construction paper that was then added as a link in the chain , a visual about ” building relationships or connecting with one another — just
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