“In Canada, half of all First Nations children live in poverty, the life expectancy of First Nations people is five to seven years less than that of other Canadians, and the practice of placing Indigenous children in foster care remains a significant issue. Secondary school graduation rates for First Nations youth living on reserve are at 35%, compared to 85% for non-Indigenous kids. The TB rate is still 31% higher in Indigenous communities, and suicide rates are five to seven times the national average. Indigenous peoples are overrepresented in the prison system – similarly high in Australia and the United States of America” (p. 162 Talaga).
I learned a lot from reading this book and encourage you to pick it up. It was, admittedly very shocking to learn some of the things I learned (see quote above) but it is good sometimes to be shocked.
Last post Jan. 30 I shared my objectives as an educator. I repeat them here to demonstrate the alignment with various social issues and interests and because a reminder is sometimes important for solidification of our commitment. Reconciliation work is not easy and, therefore, it constitutes an on-going journey of co-learning in order to develop profound collaborative understandings and capabilities. I invite you to join me in this work. I strive to:
1. teach in a way that is interactive, joyful, engaging, challenging, inclusive and compassionate;
2. sensitize students of leadership and education to inequities in society;
3. affirm what is good in society;
4. energize and develop with students a critical consciousness and dispositions that will compel us to
5. be hope-filled agents of healing and justice in a globalized, pluralistic world.