My review of: “Where do I belong?”, Canadian Curriculum as Passport Home By Cynthia Chambers
As I navigate through the reading, I was quite amazed by how abundant Cynthia Chambers’ life was due to all the experience she has had. This provides her with plenty of issues to write on. As I kept reading, I could somehow find similarities between Cynthia and myself. I am nearing my forties, and I have already lived in four countries on three continents. I am now at a stage where I am desperately looking for that sense of belonging too. Through the article, we travel with Cynthia, as she searches for “where she belonged,” she is longing to find a place that she can call home. But then as I kept reading, it dawned on me that ‘Home’ is where you feel like yourself, where your heart is, a happy place where your loved ones are, somewhere where you are loved, respected, and cared for.
I was also surprised and perplexed with the close relationship Cynthia has with people of the north and the aboriginal people.
Chambers also says that the formation of borders and our history with them affect the past and current identity of Canadians. She encourages teachers to use place to carry out a much needed “lesson” on the foundation of Canadian society. She helped me to reflect on my learning and teaching practice. Am I using the curriculum correctly? What does the curriculum teach about belonging and place?
As part of the Urban cohort, is the curriculum guiding me to teach those who live in the urban areas to have “tolerance and compassion for, those places and those people, who are not as hip, global or cosmopolitan as themselves, those citizens who live in the North, in the rural areas, in the small struggling towns and cities on the prairies, on reserves, in northern parts of all the provinces, in eastern Quebec and in the Maritimes? Those citizens who are entitled to carry a Canadian passport but who may have trouble getting, or affording, one?” (Chambers 2006, Page 14)
Being educators, we should also include the curriculum of place into our teaching practice, maybe find assignments that make students reconnect with the land. We should provide students with opportunities and contexts to practice these skills.
References
Chambers, C. (2006). “Where do I belong?” Canadian Curriculum as Passport Home, Journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies, 2, pp. 1-18.
I was also surprised and perplexed with the close relationship Cynthia has with people of the north and the aboriginal people.
Chambers also says that the formation of borders and our history with them affect the past and current identity of Canadians. She encourages teachers to use place to carry out a much needed “lesson” on the foundation of Canadian society. She helped me to reflect on my learning and teaching practice. Am I using the curriculum correctly? What does the curriculum teach about belonging and place?
As part of the Urban cohort, is the curriculum guiding me to teach those who live in the urban areas to have “tolerance and compassion for, those places and those people, who are not as hip, global or cosmopolitan as themselves, those citizens who live in the North, in the rural areas, in the small struggling towns and cities on the prairies, on reserves, in northern parts of all the provinces, in eastern Quebec and in the Maritimes? Those citizens who are entitled to carry a Canadian passport but who may have trouble getting, or affording, one?” (Chambers 2006, Page 14)
Being educators, we should also include the curriculum of place into our teaching practice, maybe find assignments that make students reconnect with the land. We should provide students with opportunities and contexts to practice these skills.
References
Chambers, C. (2006). “Where do I belong?” Canadian Curriculum as Passport Home, Journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies, 2, pp. 1-18.
My thoughts on: The Indigenous Walk on October 29th, 2019
“We pay respect to the Algonquin people, who are the traditional guardians of this land. We acknowledge their longstanding relationship with this territory, which remains unceded. We pay respect to all Indigenous people in this region, from all nations across Canada, who call Ottawa home. We acknowledge the traditional knowledge keepers, both young and old. And we honor their courageous leaders: past, present, and future.’’ {1}
I am relatively new to Canada and even newer to Ottawa.
I was born and brought up in Mauritius, and before coming to Canada, I had only heard about or seen indigenous people in movies. In the last five years, though, I have learned and understood more about the indigenous people than I had in my entire life. And the more I read or hear, the more I find it hard to believe all the atrocities that have been endured by them.
We share one thing in common, though – Colonization!
At one point in history, India was colonized by the British, and my forefathers were taken from India and brought to the island of Mauritius (which was also colonized by the British) as indentured labourers. Though I have not been directly exposed to colonization and settlers, I had heard stories and watched movies about when India was colonized and some of the atrocities that took place.
This Indigenous walk through Ottawa was a fantastic experience for me; it was a distinctive way for an educator who was educated abroad to see Ottawa. I feel that educators or aspiring educators who were born and bred in Canada do not seem to know a lot about indigenous beliefs, practices and education. Therefore, it was very educational for us to see this city in a different light and to learn about its history. I understand more why it is so important to acknowledge that we are on unceded Anishinaabe territory, I learned more about the oppression and cultural genocide the Indigenous people of Canada endured, and how money and greed can be linked to the indigenous loss of land, life, and culture. But one of the most important take-away from that walk was how important it is to be precise when pronouncing words belonging to the indigenous languages. It is, after all, a sign of respect to do so. I also believe that just as the English language and the French language are present on posters, signs, and so on, the indigenous languages most prevalent in a particular region should also appear on those. It is only fair to do so!
Canada’s colonial past has influenced the current identity of the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples. We cannot also deny the fact that ‘The Indian Act,’ for example, was created to regulate the identity of Indigenous peoples.
This walk was simply eye-opening and thought-provoking!
{1} Recognition of Indigenous People par Indigenous Affirmation on https://arts.uottawa.ca/canada/en
I am relatively new to Canada and even newer to Ottawa.
I was born and brought up in Mauritius, and before coming to Canada, I had only heard about or seen indigenous people in movies. In the last five years, though, I have learned and understood more about the indigenous people than I had in my entire life. And the more I read or hear, the more I find it hard to believe all the atrocities that have been endured by them.
We share one thing in common, though – Colonization!
At one point in history, India was colonized by the British, and my forefathers were taken from India and brought to the island of Mauritius (which was also colonized by the British) as indentured labourers. Though I have not been directly exposed to colonization and settlers, I had heard stories and watched movies about when India was colonized and some of the atrocities that took place.
This Indigenous walk through Ottawa was a fantastic experience for me; it was a distinctive way for an educator who was educated abroad to see Ottawa. I feel that educators or aspiring educators who were born and bred in Canada do not seem to know a lot about indigenous beliefs, practices and education. Therefore, it was very educational for us to see this city in a different light and to learn about its history. I understand more why it is so important to acknowledge that we are on unceded Anishinaabe territory, I learned more about the oppression and cultural genocide the Indigenous people of Canada endured, and how money and greed can be linked to the indigenous loss of land, life, and culture. But one of the most important take-away from that walk was how important it is to be precise when pronouncing words belonging to the indigenous languages. It is, after all, a sign of respect to do so. I also believe that just as the English language and the French language are present on posters, signs, and so on, the indigenous languages most prevalent in a particular region should also appear on those. It is only fair to do so!
Canada’s colonial past has influenced the current identity of the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples. We cannot also deny the fact that ‘The Indian Act,’ for example, was created to regulate the identity of Indigenous peoples.
This walk was simply eye-opening and thought-provoking!
{1} Recognition of Indigenous People par Indigenous Affirmation on https://arts.uottawa.ca/canada/en
So? Do we need to go?
|
|