Penfold's Test Post

Jan 2020

I had to write this more formal type of blog for a course I took - here is an example of how it can look

Reclaiming Rita’s Talk

A member of the Order of Canada and the Queen’s Privy Council, 3 honorary Doctorate degrees, 7 published books and recipient of a National Achievement Award: Rita Joe of the Mi’kmaq nation sounds like the idyllic Canadian.  Her poems hardly describe an idyllic Canadian life, however.  By attending residential school in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, Rita lost her connection to her true identity.  Only in her later years through her writing was she able to reclaim her identity and culture, and motivate others to do the same.

Snatched Away – Residential School Experience

As the youngest of twelve children, Rita’s early life was focused on developing and balancing all aspects of oneself: the emotional, spiritual, physical and mental elements.  Love and pride for her family, culture and community was promoted.

Rita’s childhood was snatched away in more ways than one.  Orphaned at 10 and living in various foster homes, Rita went to residential school at age 12 where she said it “felt like a prison” and the children were “herded like cattle.”

Abused and brainwashed, Rita was forced to speak English and practice Christianity, forced to forget her language, culture and family, and thus her entire personal identity.  Children were forced to look the same, dress the same, act the same; some were given new names, some were given numbers. 

Like so many other children, when Rita left the school, her memories were still painful and deep.  To deal with the pain, Rita turned to writing; she began to relearn her language and wanted to share her love for her culture, nature and her people.  As Rita’s daughter explains it, she began a “war of words” against her oppressors.

By expressing her emotions through writing, Rita was actually able to gain some closure.  Others with similar experiences were not as lucky, falling victim to substance abuse, addiction, domestic violence and even suicide as they tried to deal with the horrors of their past.  Rita, however, was able to offer hope for the future for all.

Offer My Hand – Culturally Responsive Education

To support Indigenous youth today, the practices of Culturally Responsive Education should be followed.  By doing so, the connection between school, home and community can be strengthened, as Indigenous communities do not trust education (and rightly so), and it can also foster students’ personal identity and culture while attaining their educational goals.  Doing so will make learning more meaningful and relevant to Indigenous youth, and show non-Indigenous students the importance and validity of Indigenous culture and history.  Education has not valued these things and much embrace all aspects of Canada’s true history so all youth have equal opportunities and a strong sense of self.

Best Practices to become a Culturally Responsive Teacher:

·    Create and maintain a personal connection with each student (mutual respect)

·    Foster the development of an inclusive class community (follow 7 Grandfather Teachings)

·    Communicate regularly with parents about positive behaviour

·    Participate in professional development to learn about Indigenous culture and history

·    Adapt your lessons to incorporate new learning (one at a time)

·    Develop inquiry projects for students to research and learn from each other

·    Invite community members into the classroom

·    Connect curriculum to land-based education

·    Encourage exploration of personal identity

If Rita, along with the thousands of other First Nation, Métis and Inuit children who attended residential school, was able to be educated in a culturally responsive way, it is difficult to tell how her life and society would have developed.  After she was orphaned, Rita might have been able to live with extended family so her connection to her family and culture would not be broken.  She may have been able to learn from generations of others in her family and community, and been able to foster a positive sense of self in school, which would incorporate content that is personally relevant.  Her exploration of her own culture and personal identity would have been nurtured.

Would we have similar pieces of literature from her about this?  It is difficult to say.  Rita was able to break out of her past to share her story and re-discover herself, and, by offering her hand to do so, she was able to help so many others through their own struggles, and her work today continues to do just that.  Teachers today can use her poetry in the classroom to create a culturally responsive environment and teach all students the truth of Canadian history, as well as the validity and significance of Indigenous culture.

Teach You About Me – The Future

To move forward, all Canadians need to learn from and with Indigenous peoples.  Indigenous youth must be provided opportunities to discover themselves and their culture.  By doing so, they can gain the strength to climb new heights. 

All Canadians coming together will only strengthen each individual, each community, each nation (including Canada) and Mother Earth.  By following in Rita Joe’s example, Canadians can move forward together to make the world a better place.

While we cannot change the past to make Rita Joe or other residential school victims and survivors’ education experiences positive, we can move forward together to ensure all Indigenous youth can reclaim what has been lost and strengthen themselves and their nations.

References

Filce, Michelle (2017).  Rita Joe.  Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/rita-joe

Rita Joe (C.M.).  (n.d.).  Retrieved from https://nac-cna.ca/en/bio/rita-joe

Sheldon, Mia.  (2016 Mar. 3).  Rita Joe: Turning a painful past into poetry.  Global News.  Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/2555299/rita-joe-turning-a-painful-past-into-poetry/

Tutton, Michael.  (2018 Oct. 26).  New Halifax ferry named after Mi’kmaq poet Rita Joe.  Global News.  Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/4599585/halifax-ferry-rita-joe/

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