First Voices: New Grade 11 English courses can support reconciliation and resurgence by centring Indigenous literature – National Post

Feb 08, 2023

Last week, trustees from the Toronto District School Board voted in favour of replacing the mandatory Grade 11 English course with a course about understanding contemporary First Nations, Metis and Inuit Voices called First Voices.

This comes as welcome news. Since Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its final report in 2015 and called for reconciliation education, the Ontario government has been lagging on prioritizing this.

As an Indigenous scholar who belongs to the Kanien’keha:ka Nation, and teaches courses on Indigenous literatures, I am delighted students will be exposed to texts that are unapologetically Indigenous and carry readers forward on a powerful journey of both reconciliation and resurgence.

I also know that for these new courses to be successful, commitments to funding and resourcing teacher training and professional development are a must.

Read More: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/first-voices-new-grade-11-english-courses-can-support-reconciliation-and-resurgence-by-centring-indigenous-literature