RECONCILIATION WORK IN THE CLASSROOM

I've always been struck by one particular statement made by Senator Murray Sinclair as part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: "Education is what got us here, and education is what will get us out." It crystalizes the role of education in undoing the harms of the past and present by teaching truth-that which must precede reconciliation. Perhaps this is why the words of Elder Mary Courchene were so impactful as I devoured this issue of The Manitoba Teacher: "Today's teachers have a powerful opportunity to champion the truth. They are positioned, perhaps better than anyone else, to create fundamental and enduring change". This responsibility is not lost on educators. Yet many teachers feel paralyzed by the task, having themselves been taught in an era characterized by misinformation, disinformation, and destructive and traumatizing narratives of Indigenous Peoples. Settler teachers are hungry to do this work in meaningful and non-performative ways.