I found Kevin Arnett to be a very powerful and strong person from the film Unrepentant. While watching the movie, I was overwhelmed with sadness by the things that have occurred and kept secret over so many years. As a Canadian, I felt ashamed that so many horrible acts are a part of our past and continue to go unrecognized. I am happy some progress has been made through the truth and reconciliation act, but I can blatantly see that so much more has to be done and yet, there will never be enough done to correct the mistakes of our past.
I think the fact that Christian institutions were behind all of the agony caused in residential schools helps uncover the reality that religious institution are not innocent, no matter how much we wish they were. I think Westernized communities like to think of Christianity as a peaceful religion, often viewing other faiths as harsh or cruel; however, as a Christian, and especially as an educator, I think it is necessary to continuously re-evaluate ourselves and the role we have played in contributing to some terrible histories and realities people are faced with, particularly in the aboriginal community. If I was Kevin Arnett, I hope that I would fight for the same cause with such passion for the truth. However, I think I would go about it in slightly different ways, particularly if the issues were discussed in the setting of the classroom instead of a church. Firstly, I think, as a white woman, it is my time to simply sit and thoroughly listen to the experiences of First Nations Peoples. Of course, I do think Kevin’s work as an ally to First Nations peoples is important and in some ways necessary, but I also think that there is a time for white people to just stop and listen to others, without being at the forefront of change for that particular group. I think the film was extremely powerful, but I find it would have been even more important and powerful if the main focus was not on a white man, but rather on the First nation peoples themselves. Also, if I was in a classroom faced with these issues, I think I would try to work more within the system to generate change. I think the fact that Kevin was able to stick to the truth, regardless of personal consequences, was admirable; however, as a teacher, a major influence in children’s lives, I feel I could make more of an impact if issues and truths were discussed directly in the classroom through an open and understanding dialogue between all members of the class. I hope that if these issues are presented in my classroom I would not shy away from discussion, as exposing our past and being honest is the only way to make progress toward the reconciliation that is so crucial.
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November 2015
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