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Learning Through Cross-Cultural Experience : An Intern Reflects
The following contains excerpts from undergraduate student , Bryan Belous ’ s post-internship seminar paper entitled , “ Community Disconnect , Teen Gangs and Suicide : An Internship in an Aboriginal School ,” which he wrote for Professor Rick Seaman . In his abstract , Bryan writes , “ This narrative traces the thoughts of this male , non-Aboriginal mathematics intern who is immersed in the Aboriginal culture of Loge [ not its real name ], a small Canadian village located north of the 49 th parallel .” The excerpts focus on Bryan ’ s reflections regarding a mural in the school gymnasium which represents the history of Aboriginal education .
To begin with , Loge is a Dené community of around 2300 people of which approximately 97 % are Aboriginal [ First Nations and Métis ]. This fact interested me because most of what I knew about Aboriginal culture was based on the Aboriginal culture I had experienced growing up in a town located close to the 49 th parallel . My interactions with Aboriginal culture were primarily with people from Cree and Salteaux nations . I wondered what it meant to be Dené ....
Learning about the community and culture that my students came from was vital in my development as a teacher and as a person ...
One thing that sticks out most in my mind from internship is a mural . ... This mural , located across the gymnasium wall , instantly grabs my attention every time I look at it . Perhaps it is because of the inherent value of art to tell us something that words cannot . Maybe it is the fact that every time I look at it , some important truth or value pops out . Maybe it is the fact that it was created by students that attended LCS . It may be that the mural represents a story that the whole community of Loge , including the school , is inextricably bound to : a story about its past , present , and future ; a story that is personal and deep ; a story that is filled with emotions of joy , sadness , hurt , despair , ‘ unforgiveness ’, forgiveness , healing , and hope ; a story about the history of the community and about the history of the people that have lived there ; and , finally , a story that explains so much of what happens at the school , on a deep and profound level .
The following photographs are ones that I took of the mural on my last day in Loge . They serve to challenge me to be a better teacher as they remind me about the history of Aboriginal education in our province . I will attempt to explain what I think each section of the mural represents . The mural is called “ A History of Aboriginal Education …”
This first section of the mural ( above ) sets the stage for the rest of the story . The eagle on the left is a very important symbol in many Aboriginal cultures . According to my own research , the eagle is a sacred symbol that signifies being close to the Creator and transports prayers to the Creator for the people . I think it is important that the eagle comes first . To me , this signifies the people ’ s original relationship with the Creator . The second major symbol in this photo is the circle . There are four of these circles in the mural , each representing a different season . As far as I can tell , this one represents summer . I think the seasons are used in this mural to indicate time going by . Each season separates major events that happened in the history of Aboriginal education . After this first circle you can see the first sign of human life : a tipi ...
To me , this second section of the mural ( above ) signifies what we would view as “ traditional ” Aboriginal education : children being taught in traditional communities by parents , grandparents , aunts , uncles , elders , and the rest of the community . In this traditional view , students learn cultural values and skills that are necessary to survive in their particular society . All takes place outdoors , in the natural environment , signifying a connection with the land . Also , note the smiles on the faces of the children and their teachers . ... Near the bottom right corner of the yellow tipi , there is a scarylooking face ( with two “ sub-faces ”) next to what is presumably a bottle of alcohol . It does not take much effort to imagine what this small gesture represents : hurt , pain , addiction , destruction , and many other terrible things . This seems to be the beginning of the interaction with “ the white man .”
Another season goes by ( above ) and one can see a drastic change in scenery ( more like a lack of scenery ). Red bricks = school . This can only be the residential school era . One notices the cross on the church silhouette , as well as the crosses on the tipi silhouettes . The nun and priest look strikingly skeletonlike . To me , skeletons signify death , or dying , or a lack of life . I wonder what this says about the Aboriginal peoples ’ views of the residential school experience . [ Further ] observations ... students are no longer in the natural environment ... the ABC123 along with the chalkboard signifies a Western European education ... Students are no longer learning about their own culture , their society , and their traditional way of life . Rather , they are forced to learn the white man ’ s numbers , letters , and language .... notice the students ’ faces . The formerly smiling faces of the beautiful children are now just brown circles that all look the same . There is no longer any expression , emotion , individuality , or spirit . Their identities are gone . The students lost their faces . This speaks more to me about how the people feel about the residential school education than anything else . I wonder what they think about today ’ s education system . Are we erasing the faces of Aboriginal children in our schools ? What am I doing as a teacher to let Aboriginal students reclaim themselves ? These questions bother me . How does teaching math and science fit in with the Aboriginal worldview ? How is that worldview changing ?
Another season passes ( above ), entering what I see as the current state of Aboriginal education in our province . It is significant to note the technological advancements since
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