Decolonizing Thanksgiving in the Classroom What do you think of when you hear the word, Thanksgiving? What is the “Myth of Thanksgiving”? The Myth of Thanksgiving is the story about how the holiday of Thanksgiving originated The “First Thanksgiving” probably never happened. People from diverse locations all claim the “First Thanksgiving” occurred in their home state (ex. Texas, Virginia) If it did take place, it was probably not a “celebration of giving thanks”, but more likely a harvest festival originated by aboriginal peoples The myth of the “benevolent Pilgrims”: in reality, colonizers required aid to survive from the aboriginal peoples of Canada What are the main issues taken with the popular myth? Incorrect details, ex: not all colonizers were Pilgrims or Puritans Colonizers included many different groups of European people, many seeking not religious freedom, but financial profit North America was not a “wild land” to be “discovered”; it already had a population and a name given to it by its indigenous people Mistreatment of Native Peoples not addressed by the myth Main Issues, continued “Let us recognize that accounts of the first Thanksgiving are mythological, and that the holiday is actually a grotesque celebration of our arrogant ethnocentrism built on genocide.” “Cultural historian Lewis Mumford declared, Wherever Western man went, slavery, land robbery, lawlessness, culture-wrecking, and the outright extermination of both wild beasts and tame men went with him. ” (both from “Genocide and the Thanksgiving Myth”) A Timeline of Canadian History from a First Nations Perspective The Center for First Nations Governance defines nine key periods of Canadian history, in terms of the rights of First Nations peoples to self-govern their communities. Aboriginal peoples are self-governing, with their own “cultures, economies, governments, and laws” Aboriginal peoples welcome European settlers and allow them to use their land for trading posts and settlements, but have no intention of relinquishing their sovereignty Treaties begin to be created between Aboriginal peoples and settlers. From 1754-1763, France and Britain fight a war over North American territories. The British Empire wins most territories, including all of French Canada (the extent of which has never been defined). The British Crown issues the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which issues rights and protection to Aboriginal lands, but also seeks to subsume them as subjects of the Crown. The BNA Act gives the Parliament of Canada exclusive jurisdiction over “Indians, and Lands reserved for the Indians”. The government of British Columbia pressures the federal government to put an end to treaty-making with First Nations peoples, which is written into the 1927 Amendment to the Indian Act. The Amendment also makes it illegal for First Nations to submit a legal claim to their own lands, and gave the Canadian government the legal authority to replace traditional Aboriginal forms of government with elected chiefs and band councils, with limited, delegated powers set out in the Act. Some First Nations continue self-governing, but covertly. Treaties devolve from “peace treaties” into treaties more concerned with acquisition of land by the British Crown. First Nations are still allowed the right to self-governance, but their relative independence begins to dwindle as the Crown assumes more and more control. In 1867, the British North American Act (now the Constitution Act) creates the Dominion of Canada. The Indian Act is created alongside the BNA act to address all issues concerning First Nations Peoples. Among other things, the Indian Act removes the First Nations right to self-governance and mandates the appointment of elected councils with limited power. 6. From 1927 to the 1969 White Paper: The Indian Act is once again amended in 1951 to give First Nations people back the right to make legal land claims. In 1960, Status Indians are given the right to vote. In 1969, the federal government issues the “White Paper”, repealing the Indian Act, abolishing the Department of Indian Affairs, and transferring responsibility for Aboriginal peoples to the provinces. The White Paper was explicitly intended to assimilate Aboriginal peoples into Canadian society in the name of “equality”. The White Paper was strongly opposed by many Indian nations, who responded with their own document, “Citizens Plus” (also known as the Red Paper). They demanded that their treaty rights and inherent Aboriginal rights be respected, and their cultures maintained. Opposition to the White Paper (which was eventually retracted) became a rallying point for uniting the Indian nations and asserting their rights in the 1970s. 7. From the White Paper to the Constitution Act, 1982: The Nisga’a Nation asserts their right to First Nations lands in the case Calder v. Attorney-General of British Columbia , decided by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1973. For the first time, the Court decided that Aboriginal title is a legal right to land that does not depend on the Royal Proclamation of 1763. After successful lobbying by Aboriginal leaders, section 35(1) is included in the Constitution Act, 1982, which reads: “The existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada are hereby recognized and affirmed.” This is a major legal accomplishment. 8. From the Constitution Act, 1982, to the Charlottetown Accord, 1992: The rights guaranteed by section 35(1) of the Constitution Act are highly debated. First Nations groups attend a series of meetings with the Prime Minister that do not result in any changes to the legal system. In 1990, the Supreme Court handed down its first decision involving sections 35(1) rights, specifically the right to fish for food, ceremonial, and societal purposes. The Court decided that any Aboriginal rights that had not been extinguished before section 35(1) came into force on April 17, 1982, were affirmed, and could only be infringed upon by legislation that respected the Crown’s own legal and ethical obligations. Respect for these obligations requires that: 1. The Crown impair Aboriginal rights no more than necessary when pursuing its own objectives, 2. Pay compensation in appropriate circumstances, and 3. Consult with the Aboriginal people whose rights are at stake. This test for justifiable infringement is known as the “Sparrow test”. 9. From the Charlottetown Accord to the Present: The latest period in the development of Aboriginal rights consists mainly of court decisions and negotiated agreements. In 1996, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples released its monumental Report, the most in-depth study of Aboriginal issues ever undertaken. But while the Report has been cited several times by the Supreme Court, it does not appear to have had much of an impact on government policy. One year later, in 1997, the landmark Delgamuukw v. British Columbia decision laid down fundamental principles regarding Aboriginal rights. Among other findings, the court stated that aboriginal title is a property right, entitling the holders to exclusive possession and use of land and its resources. Why Does the Myth of Thanksgiving Continue? Eurocentric view of history, perpetrated by the educational systems, society, and culture founded by European settlers Educational curriculum often begins with the “discovery” of Canada. For example: the BBC News “Timeline of Canadian History” begins with: “1497 - Italian-born navigator John Cabot reaches the coasts of Newfoundland and Cape Breton.” (as if the history of Canada began with European colonization) Why Should We Work to Decolonize Thanksgiving? 1. Pre-Contact: 2. From European Contact to Peace and Friendship Treaties 3. From Early Treaty Relations to 1763 4. From the Royal Proclamation of 1763 to Confederation in 1867 5. From Confederation to the 1927 Amendment to the Indian Act: Positive focus (negativity is difficult for younger students to process) Focus on the celebration of individuals and their cultures (through the creation and appreciation of art, storytelling, and other means) Focus on concepts of thankfulness rather than the telling of the myth of Thanksgiving Teaching positivity to replace false history Students will probably have difficulty understanding complex concepts behind Aboriginal perspectives and the history of colonization Students can be expected to understand more of the history behind the colonization of Canada Replacing Euro-centric discovery of Canada historical model with a model that includes multiple cultural perspectives of history Students will still have difficulty processing complex concepts such as decolonization and euro-centric views of history Focus on positively teaching the truth, rather than the negative deconstruction of the Thanksgiving Myth Teaching the truth with POSITIVITY; rather than teaching students to deconstruct incorrect views with NEGATIVITY. Negativity is more difficult for students to process. Example: Students may misunderstand and summarize the idea of the negative connotations of the Thanksgiving Myth with European settlers were bad people. Teaching the positive connotations of including all culturally relevant perspectives will help students understand and empathize with different cultures. Instead of teaching: The Thanksgiving Myth is Wrong, teach What are all of the relevant perspectives involved in Thanksgiving? A Practical Perspective: How Does This Work in the Classroom? Example: Giving Thanks, A Native American Good Morning Message To include all culturally relevant perspectives in our teaching, therefore validating the experiences of all of our students To acknowledge the historical mistreatment of the First Nations of Canada, and create communities that work together to achieve social justice To motivate our students to look at the subject of history through a critical lens Because of our responsibilities as teachers to use correct information 1:20-5:29 1. What have you experienced in your own education? What were you taught about Thanksgiving? In retrospect, how would you change that? 2. In which subjects can we work to decolonize the idea of Thanksgiving? (Ex: Art, History) 3. How can we make this an interdisciplinary topic? (How to integrate this idea across subjects and classes)? Discussion Questions: Example: Giving Thanks, A Native American Good Morning Message Messages of thankfulness fit well with Thanksgiving holiday traditions Appreciation of nature Appreciation of new cultural perspective Combination of oral storytelling and visual art vimeo/6366944 ...What does this have to do with teachers? How Do We Decolonize Thanksgiving in the Classroom? For Elementary School: For Secondary (Middle/High) School: Most importantly: Decolonizing Thanksgiving Thanksgiving: the fourth Thursday in November in the U.S. or the second Monday in October in Canada celebrated as a legal holiday for people to be thankful for what they have. Colonize: to create a colony in or on (a place) : to take control of (an area) and send people to live there Decolonizing: to free from colonial status (all from merriam-webster) Experience/Mini lesson in a Kindergarten classroom Interviewed a Grade 6th teacher Consulted Crystal Rattai (presently doing Masters in De-colonization) prezi/lg1tyop558ep/decolonizing-thanksgiving-in-the-classroom/
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 08:35:37 +0000
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