The Lesser Blessed was another extremely touching and impactful movie we watched this year. I really felt that I was able to feel the pain that Larry was feeling as he came to the final breakdown facing his emotions and reality. Through all the emotions and difficult situations Larry was faced with, there were a few reoccurring themes that are extremely important to consider as a new teacher.
Firstly, I found that Larry’s experiences relate to the indigenous youth experiences we have examined in other forms of literature this year. There were moments that I felt Larry reminded me of Junior from Part-Time Indian (see earlier blog post). It seemed that many of the issues Larry faced were related to his integral battle with his own self-identity. He lives in a small community where he interacts daily with indigenous and non-indigenous people. Unlike Junior, who seems to feel a need to abandon the opposing identities as he enters or leaves his res, Larry is in a constant pull between these two cultures as there is no clear line between the lives of indigenous or white people in the community. Living in the North-West Territories, the community in which these young people live is extremely isolated from other communities, making the way of life very different from other areas in Canada. As Larry stated at the beginning of the movie, there isn’t much to do if you don’t like to drink or do drugs. This fact plays into a lot of the ways in which the characters conduct themselves, and also dramatically affects the ways certain people’s lives play out. It seems that some of the issues associated with living in an isolated community are similar to the issues that are prevalent in indigenous communities in general. Although I am aware that issues such as alcoholism are not solely isolated to indigenous communities, it is interesting to see how a combination of factors, including a lack of opportunity, difficult histories and hard daily life all affect a person’s general experience. Although it was interesting to see how Larry’s life is shaped by his identity as an indigenous person, it is clear that much of his story is not directly caused by this portion of his being. Of course, every part of who we are affects every decision and viewpoint that we have; and yet, I would argue that much of the struggles Larry faced in this movie were rooted in the pain he feels from his father’s abuse and the incident that killed his father and changed his life forever. I also find that the difficulties faced by Larry are in some ways multiplied because of the emotional changes and the need to deal with typical teen issues on top of the immense pain he already feels. It seems to be the same for all of the characters in the film. Each person, whether it be Juliet, Danny, or anyone else, seems to deal with common issues related to being a teenager and development, but they all also have their own personal experiences that contribute to their anger and downfall. This just goes to show that as a teacher, we need to consider the developmental process, collective histories of a community and individual experiences in order to be most understanding and empathetic toward all of our students.
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The documentary Bully Proof was extremely moving and eye-opening in terms of how I as a teacher should approach the sensitive topic of bullying in a classroom and school community. In watching the video and thinking back to my own experiences as a teenager, it is evident that all forms of bullying – verbal, physical, psychological and more – all drastically impact the lives of both the victim and the bully.
I was not surprised to hear that so many students admitted to getting bullied; if anything, I’m surprised not more people admitted this. It seems like the more attention we give to bullying, the more we come to realize how concerning and horrible it can be. Furthermore, we can see how prominent it is in all communities, but particularly in situations where there is a large group of youth, such as in schools. In many instances, youth are faced most with bullies, and being the bullies, because of their own problems and insecurities that go along with the sensitive stage of development students find themselves in. One of the main concerns that keep being repeated is how victims are affected in so many ways, and yet the one thing that would help them move out of their dark place is to be listened to. When looking at bullying, we need to constantly re-examine how we as teachers can continue to be strong allies for those affected. Sometimes, students may appear to be thriving, but in reality, they are merely trying to survive and make it through until grade 12. How can we as teachers make school not something that is dreaded, but rather a place where all people are celebrated? We must be understanding of all students, even when they let us down. We must be there for the ones who need us most, regardless of how they reach out to us. Those who are bullied are often silent, as are those who are the bullies. Anti-bullying initiatives are powerful and important to bring awareness to such a prominent yet silenced issue; however, in these initiatives, it is so important that we look at all sides of people affected by bullying and must ask ourselves what leads students to feel the need to pick on others in order to remove themselves from their own pain, or feel powerful in their own high school experience.The bullies are so often the ones who do not know another way to get our attention. We, then, need to give them our attention. In the end, building a trusting and open relationship with the students is one of the best ways we as teachers can prevent bullying. This way, students who are bullied can reach out more easily, and those who need support can receive it before taking their anger out on something or someone else. Having resources available to all students, not giving up on those who need us, and creating an environment that is inclusive and welcoming will help all students journey through adolescence more seamlessly. The Absolute True Story of a Part-Time Indian and Understanding the Indigenous Youth Experience11/12/2015 When asked the question of what books can teach us about the indigenous youth experience, my mind goes to a million different distinct moments from The Absolute Story of a Part-Time Indian. Unlike When Everything Feels Like the Movies (another teen novel I read this semester), I found my thoughts on this book are not focused around one specific, catastrophic event in the main character’s life. Although we were exposed to much of the young boy’s life in Feels Like the Movies, so much of what I think of is drawn to the specific, horrible tragedy at the end of the story. Although Junior, the main character in Part-Time Indian, also experienced many hardships in his life, I found it is an accumulation of daily experience that shapes his story. In some ways, I find this novel to be more difficult to write about because of all we have come to learn about Junior, but being able to reflect upon so many themes and moments in the story has helped me to better understand the general life experiences of indigenous youth.
First, I feel that teen fiction in general is a great resource that teachers should be aware of when interacting with youth, regardless of their culture of background. Teen fiction is a great outlet for teens since books provide the opportunity to explore detailed experiences of other people who may be going through relatable experiences. Books are also a wonderful way that youth can explore the realities of other youth, helping them better understand what life might be like for other people. Through literature, teens are also exposed to new and exciting experiences, ways of life, thought processes and coping strategies, which can help them better understand and deal with their own situations. For teachers, being able to get a glimpse into the life of a teen, including youth thought processes, experiences, histories and relationships helps them become more aware and understanding of personal situations. In reading Part-Time Indian, I found myself to not only better understand Junior as an individual, but I have also become more aware of differing life experiences all youth (particularly Indigenous youth) may be exposed to during their journey through adolescence. One of the most memorable moments was Junior’s explanation of what being poor is like, “You start believing you are poor because you are stupid and ugly. And then you start believing you are stupid and ugly because you’re Indian. And because you’re Indian you start believing that you’re destined to be poor…Poverty doesn’t give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor”. I found this moment to be very revealing and links many core concepts we have been focusing on throughout the term, particularly in terms of the Indigenous experience. In this moment, Junior is wisely able to reflect upon how his experiences are a product of the environment and relations between and within communities. I have heard many people over the years not fully understand why there is a focus on providing resources to Indigenous communities; yet, those same people refuse to accept or are ignorant to the long and often oppressive or difficult histories that have continued to shape how these communities function. In Junior’s situation, he is able to realize that growing up poor, with limited ability to experience any other reality, is what often leads the next generation to end up in the same situation. When faced with lowered opportunity and constant oppressive, racist tones underlying experiences and relationships with the greater community, it is hard to see how anyone would be able to escape such difficult situations, especially without support from others. I like to think of it as a race to success. Everyone has an opportunity to cross the finish line, but some people start much closer than others, depending on who they are, their personal situation or experiences. Along with this theme, I also found that Junior’s story demonstrated the importance of family and community support in a young person’s life and identity. This, I would argue, is true for all youth; anyone will have a more positive experience if they have a support system of loved ones to guide them and help them in their journey of adolescence. This, however, appeared to be particularly true in Part-Time Indian for a few reasons. Firstly, from what I have learned about Indigenous culture, community and family are at the core of all beliefs and practices. As for Junior, this can be seen during his grandmother’s funeral – everyone in the whole rez seemed to have made an appearance. Even in the face of heart ache, the community was able to lean on each other for support. Also, in Junior’s story, as important his immediate family was to him, much of his struggles came from tensions between what communities he belonged to. So much of his self-identity was reliant upon which group accepted him. In leaving the rez to attend school in the town, he automatically was unable to clearly identify where he belonged. The physical act of leaving the rez was seen as a symbolization of emotional departure from his community. Yet, Junior was unable to fully relate to or be accepted in his new school community. Junior describes himself as half white, half Indian – feeling unable to be accepted in either community, let alone both. He is unable to fully connect to any group because he is not able to fit his identity to a particular box hat is expected by him from the outside world. Although he was able to make some friends and excel in things like basketball, I had the sense that he still felt like an outsider in his own skin. As a teacher, reading about Junior’s experience has allowed me to think more deeply about how a student coming from any other community, but particularly an Indigenous community, would feel entering a new school with new faces and experiences that differ so much from those that they are used to. How must students feel when they enter into a completely foreign world, even if this world is only a town away from home? What about students who, unlike Junior, did not choose to leave their communities to enter into a settler’s school? How does the overall atmosphere and structure of a school, not just the people and opinions within the walls, shape a student’s experience in education? As a teacher, having a glimpse into Junior’s experience has really helped me understand what considerations we are required to make when dealing with youth in varying situations with varied cultures and histories. From reading about Junior’s interactions with his teachers at the new school, it is clear that many people can face an array of issues, emotions and struggles behind closed doors. When a student enters the classroom, we have no idea what they experienced just moments before. Student experiences could range from having a rough day, to having relationship problems, to dealing with a death in the family, to much more. In Part-Tine Indian specifically, many of the problems that have effected Junior’s life are presented in a way that indicates these issues may be more prevalent in Indigenous communities (like that of poverty or alcoholism), but may also be happening in the life of any student. The struggles Junior has had to deal with are his own and are shaped by his identity, but are transferrable in some ways to all youth. One of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much was that I found that even in my experiences, which are very different from that of Junior’s, I was able to relate to some of his struggles in my own way. In a sense, the Indigenous youth experience is better understood by reading this book, and yet I think that I have a better understanding in youth experiences in general. As previously mentioned, while reading I couldn’t help make connections between the books Feels like the Movies and Part-Time Indian. One thing I really liked being exposed to and that was prevalent in both books was the main character having a particular outlet they used to escape, dream and cope. Whether it be dreaming of Hollywood or making cartoons, the teens in both situations used a creative outlet as a safety net, an outlet from life and a form of expression to face the pain they feel (which is often derived from not belonging or discrimination). The final moment in Part-Time Indian I will discuss was when the billionaire showed up at the grandmother’s funeral. Although I laughed out loud alongside Junior’s family at the ridiculousness of this moment, I feel that having a settler figure come in at this moment was an interesting juxtaposition between Indigenous and settler understandings, experiences and cultures. As much as the white man felt he was being appreciative of the grandmother’s legacy, in his ignorance he was able to appropriate a component of a community in a sensitive time. He was able to demonstrate that he felt he was able to take ownership of a part of a culture because he liked certain aspects about it, even though he didn’t really understanding it. He learned that we could not just swoop in and take ownership or make himself an ‘honorary Indians’ simply because he found the dress pretty or interesting. The same concept should be applied to all forms of appropriation, but also applies when realizing the importance of collaboration with other communities to work toward the common goal of truth, reconciliation and decolonization. As teachers, we have a strong obligation to properly represent Indigenous culture, being a key component in truth and reconciliation; however, we also have to realize where our place is and when it is time to leave certain pieces of culture to the owners of that culture. We need to find a way to appreciate and understand without over-stepping our position. There is only so much we can get from sitting in a room with a group of non-native people talking about native issues. We must extend our understanding through including Indigenous people in the conversation. The readings and video for this week, especially the film We Were Children, were extremely touching and made me feel deeply emotional. I found great sadness finally facing the truth of the horrific cultural genocide of residential school that will always be a part of Canadian history. In the film, we were exposed to the stories of two survivors of residential schooling in western Canada. Each person underwent different struggles through their experiences, but they also both shared many horrible memories of events that seemed to be common amongst most of the schools at the time. While watching the film, I was brought to tears when I realized how horrific these institutions were and also for the guilt I felt as a white Christian Canadian. Although it was not me who created the awful circumstances First Nations peoples were faced with, I am a part of the culture that has allowed this to happen and, in some ways just as shameful, I continue to be a part of a nation that has dismissed the dark histories that are a part of our country. When I think of how I felt during the film, all I can think to say is “I am sorry”. I don’t know how much help that is to anyone, and I now that can never make up for what First Nations people had to and continue to endure, but sometimes I feel that is all I can say.
I also found it eye opening and important that in the film, the life of the survivors after their experience in residential schooling was discussed. As someone who admittedly grew up knowing very little about Indigenous people and culture, I have heard many ignorant comments and stereotypes about First Nations people, and, in my own ignorance, had no idea of where these stereotypes were derived. First Nations people continue to struggle and receive less support in many areas differently from the rest of Canadians. Whether it is health care, education, income, or the very prominent topic of missing and murdered Indigenous women, there are clear gaps that often do not receive the attention that is deserved. In watching the film, I have come to better understand how the negative history and hardships First Nations communities have be subjected to continue to have an effect on opportunity, livelihood and support systems for people of these communities. With the deep sadness I feel, I also have a sense of hope. I feel proud to be part of a generation of educators whom have made truth and reconciliation with First Nation peoples a priority in this country. Although there are miles and miles to go, I feel as if we are finally on the right track. Every time I watch the news and see a reporter interviewing a member of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, or see First Nation culture be shown in the main stream, I feel a sense of hope. I am happy that not only am I more educated on the true history of First Nations in Canada, but I am also happy that I am able to recognize that progress is being made on a national level. I think it is important to remember that reconciliation will take time and that the past will not and should not ever be forgotten. Awareness, time, sensitivity and, above all, the truth are what is required for healing to begin and for reconciliation to become a reality in Canada. I have also come to learn that education is an extremely important way to ensure that we continue united on the road to reconciliation. The only way the truth can be told is for it to be taught; we must incorporate the whole history of our nation and all of the cultures and people in it. I think that this means to reflect and accept the bad times of the past, but also to highlight and celebrate the amazing diversity and array of cultures that shape this land, particularly that of the people whose land we have all come to call home. In reviewing the website We are the Children, I have been able to get a sense of the amazing amount of resources for students of all ages to become more aware of what has happened over time in Canada, how the past has come to shape the way people are able to live and interact today, and how we can all work toward becoming a reconciled union of communities. In chapter 4 of the book To Teach by Ayers, the topic of building bridges is discussed and can be applied to the important topic of building bridges between First Nations and non- First Nations Canadians. In this book, it is shown that building bridges from childhood to adulthood in mot always clear or easy, and may be a long or uneasy process. Understanding and supporting this process is extremely important as a teacher, being a main advocate and supporter of students’ academic and personal journeys. This process of development, however, is not always individual (that is, it is not always about a personal growth from childhood to adulthood). Regardless of whether gaps are between life stages of an individual, between two people, or between two groups, all bridge building requires time, understanding and constructive dialogue. Also, it is important to remember that these bridges are not built easily and in one day. As mentioned, they require helping and supportive hands, and for participants to be willing to let go of preconceived notions and perceptions and to become totally open to different truths, viewpoints and questions. Ayers also mentions through example how it is the work of ordinary people that often allows change to be brought; “Each person is an expert in their own experience”. This idea brought me back to the issue of truth and reconciliation, allowing me to better solidify that I as a teacher can make a difference by helping reveal the truth and build bridges in our community and our nation. Regardless of policy, law or institution, it is our individual duty as Canadians to do our part in helping make reconciliation a reality. |
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January 2017
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