Past
The above images represent a traumatic event in FNMI lives know as the Residential school system. This is system was very structured, cold, demoralizing, harsh and confining which is representative of the building. If you look at the children many have looks of fear and confusion on their faces.
This can be understood as colonization. This was a time in history that has been brought to the surface so that it can be acknowledged and how we can move forward as a nation to heal. The impacts of residential schools and Indian day schools has had a personal impact on my own up bringing. In the community of Wikwemikong Ontario on Manitoulin Island where I grew up, many attended residential schools. The world calls those who came back the survivors, because the governments attempt to "kill the Indian" did not succeed. They are survivors because despite being taking from their homes and forced to disconnection from a land, culture and community by the government and church they still held onto their language and spirit. These actions carried out by the government and church to Indigenous peoples in Canada is a result of colonialism.
We are currently on a path from colonialism to decolonization. I believe that reconciliation is large part of this path. In Canada colonialism is alive and well. In Canada’s north, governments offer support to industries that take over northern land for resource extraction and remove Indigenous peoples from it. I have seen and observed this on one of my teaching assignments in the community of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation where diamond mines have infiltrated the traditional hunting lands this community because of the discovery of diamonds in this territory.
Present
After teaching in various Indigenous communities I decided to move back home. The building below is a picture of our high school. Last year we celebrated our 20 Anniversary at the high school. Although this building is beautiful and my own brother worked on the logs portion of this structure the impact of colonialism is apparent in its design.
In our classrooms you can see that teaching approaches have changed. Students are more engaged and happy, however you can still see the obvious similarities.
Future
In my own journey to learn new approaches and techniques to bring back to my classroom there was a push to go back to and listen again to the stories and traditions that my grandparents and other elders taught me when I was younger. The moment I did this I began taking courses like FNMI additional qualifications, outdoor education and training in EDI. These took me further away from colonialism to decolonialism. Learning from the land, learning Anishnaabemowin, and connecting to community. When I think about it, I have taken back what was taken in the history of residential schools. I feel I am at the beginning of my journey and am grateful for higher learning and professional development opportunities that have helped me get to where I am today and have given me confidence.
So to answer my own question what is colonialism. Colonialism is a reminder of a time in history that we need to understand so we can develop strategies to ensure we teach and learn new ways to live and sustain a healthier way of life that allows balance.
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