If you attend an awards night or graduation ceremony in Pembina Hills, you may hear something you haven’t before: a simple three-sentence statement honouring First Nations, Métis and Inuit people and acknowledging “the land on which we gather” belongs to one of the three Numbered Treaties.
Pembina Hills trustees approved the acknowledgement statement at their Sept. 28 meeting. It will now be read at “major events” like the afore-mentioned awards nights, but also at the start of school board meetings and professional development days.
Notably, the numbered Treaty referenced in the statement will change depending on where it’s read. In Westlock, you’ll hear Treaty 6; in Swan Hills, you’ll hear Treaty 8.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report last winter talked about the need to create curriculum that recognized the horrific history and tragic legacy of residential schools.
In the wake of the commission’s findings, the provincial education system is making an effort to teach students about the culture, history and contributions of FNMI people.
Pembina Hills’ acknowledgement statement is just a little piece of those efforts, though it is definitely appreciated and commendable. The division also had Francis Alexis of the Alexis First Nation open their Aug. 30 professional development day, and a residential school survivor was also a speaker at the event.
And yet, there’s more to be done to recognize the legacy of residential schools. Do you recall hearing about any schools in or near Westlock dressing up for Orange Shirt Day — a national day to remember what happened to FNMI students at residential schools — on Sept. 30?
Of course, you may be reading all this and clucking your tongues at the “special recognition” paid to First Nations people.
In response, we point to the recent case of a young First Nations man shot on a Saskatchewan farm, and the deluge of hate-filled statements that filled social media in the wake of that shooting.
That is why we need to make a special effort to recognize the contributions of FNMI peoples — our fellow Canadians — who have endured so much tragedy.
