Half of Albertans know little about Indian Residential Schools: Poll
About half of Albertans say they know little about Canada's residential schools system, while 20 per cent say they know nothing at all, according to a new national poll conducted by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CCRF), the Assembly of First Nations and Abacus Data, placing the Alberta government's draft K-6 curriculum under heightened scrutiny for its lack of meaningful Indigenous content.
“The most difficult thing to watch in our communities is the continuous effects of residential schools,” Blood Tribe councillor Iitoomsaokaa'sii Diandra Bruised Head said in a statement announcing the findings.
“It's isolating knowing that the majority of Albertans, for whatever reason, did not know of these horrible institutions. This lack of education has led to some extremely negative perceptions of First Nations people.”
The updated curriculum has come under sharp criticism from the Alberta Teachers Association and education experts for its Eurocentric perspective that forces children to learn about the fall of Rome and European artists, such as Picasso and Monet, while delaying instruction about residential schools, of which there was at least 25 in Alberta, until later grades, in addition to its reliance on outdated modes of learning.
The poll, which was conducted after the discovery of the remains of 215 children buried at the site of a Kamloops residential school, shows that while 70 per cent of Albertans were saddened by the discovery and about half were angered about it, 62 per cent were either shocked by the news or unaware of the extent of the horrors of residential schools.
While 80 per cent of southern Alberta residents believe not enough is being taught about residential schools in Alberta classrooms, just half of northwestern Albertans agree. And while almost 60 per cent of women believe the residential school system was an instrument of genocide, only half of men do.
CRRF board member and Metis activist Roy Pogorzelski says the data demonstrates the need to better equip the education system to teach Indigenous history as part of broader reconciliation efforts.
“This is a time for non-Indigenous people to act in meaningful allyship with Indigenous communities while we continue to work towards eliminating anti-Indigenous racism by breaking down racist systems and institutions that have been maintained in this country for generations,” Pogorzelski said.
Assembly of First Nations regional chief Marlene Poitras points out in a statement that Kenney's handpicked curriculum advisor Chris Champion's Dorcester Review publication has repeatedly engaged in genocide denial.
She called on the curriculum to be re-written to include education about the legacy of residential schools in kindergarten. “Alberta's children are bright and our educators are gifted. I have no doubt they can find creative and appropriate ways to teach this content to children at all levels of learning,” said Poitras, who also called for Champion to be fired.
“It's time for the provincial government to admit its wrongdoing in its drafting of this curriculum and in putting a racist like Chris Champion in a key drafting position. Alberta Education must take (its) social studies curriculum back to the drawing board and ensure they have scrubbed out those parts in which Champion had a hand in penning."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.