Comprehensive curriculum first of its kind in Canada

Yellowknife (October 2, 2012) – A comprehensive curriculum on Residential Schools was launched today at the start of a three day information session for teachers from the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Launched by the Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment with the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Honourable Eva Aariak, Minister of Education with the Government of Nunavut at an opening ceremony, this curriculum is the first comprehensive teaching guide of its kind in Canada.   Marie Wilson, Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, was on hand to receive the first copy of the teacher’s guide and deliver the keynote address.

“A significant part of our history is in this curriculum,” said Minister Lafferty.  “The coursework and resources enclosed are the result of exhaustive research and provide a deeper understanding of the impacts of residential schools on the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.   This will give our students insight into the challenges faced by survivors, and a context for healing and reconciliation.”

With support from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Legacy of Hope Foundation, the Residential Schools curriculum is now a key section of the Northwest Territories Northern Studies course and the Nunavut Social Studies course.  It covers topics ranging from the history and legacy of residential schools, traditional education and learning, colonialism, assimilation, the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the Federal apology, the TRC and what reconciliation may look like.  It also includes literature and stories of former residential school students shared through audio and video clips, allowing students to learn of both the positive and negative impacts that school life had on individuals.

“I hope this resource enables and challenges students to think about the past and the impact of education on the future,” said Premier Eva Aariak. “This is the first time Nunavut and Northwest Territories have worked together on a project like this and this ground-breaking curriculum is the result of a strong partnership between our two territories.”

The curriculum was piloted in March of 2012 with a select number of schools across the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Contact: 

Jacqueline McKinnon
Manager, Public Affairs
Department of Education, Culture and Employment
Government of the Northwest Territories
P: 867.920.6222
E: jacqueline_mckinnon@gov.nt.ca

Catriona Macleod
Communications Manager
Department of Education
Government of Nunavut
P: 867.975.5624
E: cmacleod@gov.nu.ca

Residential School Curriculum Chronology

1991	Northern Studies becomes a mandatory high school course in the NWT focusing on issues, events and people of the North.
1999	Nunavut continues this course, while starting to work on a Nunavut approach to Social Studies.
2006	Nunavut decides against continuing to use Alberta Social Studies courses and starts developing its own curriculum for grades 7-12.
2007	Nunavut publishes Inuit Qaujimajatuqngit: Education Framework for Nunavut Curriculum, which supports the Nunavusiutit strand for heritage, history, geography, environmental science, civics, economics, current events and world events.
2008	Nunavut publishes Staking the Claim, which is the first grade 10 unit on Nunavut history.
2008	Nunavut develops a framework for this work.
2009	Nunavut starts a process of developing units bilingually, rather than translating them from one language to another. This has been done for: Rights, Responsibilities and Justice Governance and Leadership Residential School
2010	In the NWT, a process to revise the Northern Studies course was initiated, to address students’ superficial understanding of the North, and explore in depth the issues and events that have shaped and continue to shape people and events.
June 2011	Nunavut approaches the Legacy of Hope to see if they would support a joint project to create a Nunavut unit on residential schooling.
June 2011	Nunavut approaches the NWT to see if they want to join the northern residential school unit development process.
June 2011	The Ministers of Education in Nunavut and the NWT commit to a joint project to develop curriculum, learning resources and teacher in-services to explore issues related to the history and legacy of residential schools in Canada and the North.  They announce at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing in Inuvik.
September 2011	A partnership with the Nunavut and NWT Departments of Education and the Legacy of Hope Foundation was formed and development work began.
November 2011	Interviews with a wide range of former northern residential school students begin.
Fall-Spring 2011-12	Development of learning activities and teaching resources associated with these interviews undertaken.
November 2011	Development of a new NWT 5 credit Northern Studies 10 begins.
March 2012	Teachers in 8 NWT and NU communities pilot the residential schools teaching and learning materials.
May-September 2012	With feedback from pilot teachers, revision of the curriculum begins, and teaching and learning resources related to the modules are developed.
October 2012	In-service of residential school teaching and learning materials with NWT Northern Studies teachers and Nunavut Social Studies teachers. TRC, Healing Drum and Health Canada are involved in this in-service.
October 2012	Territory-wide implementation begins.

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