VISUAL ESSAY

EDUC 530 S16 – Dr. Pratt

Sandy Pryor
00305108
October 15, 2017
 I took my two little boys out for a drive to go skip rocks at the river, and we ended up going

down a beautiful treelined road that we’ve never travelled before. Although I already picked out

my picture that I was going to use for my visual essay, this drive spoke to me and made me think

of my learning experience within Indigenous Education.

The road in this picture symbolizes several things for me. First, it is a metaphor of the long road

of reconciliation for the Indigenous people of Canada. It’s a road worth taking in order to be a

part of the healing process and culture revitalization. The fixed cracks in the road (big black

mark) symbolizes the damage that has been done to the Indigenous community; although repairs

have taken place, the effects can still be seen. The beauty of nature and the calmness that is

displayed reminds me of the values deeply rooted in the Aboriginal culture. The ups and downs

in the road also symbolizes Canada’s troubled past.

I entered this class prepared to learn more about the inequality of Aboriginal peoples and how to

combat racism in the classroom. I felt confident with my social justice awareness as well as my

positionality and the privileges that I have been given. I was not prepared to discover the harsh

realities of Canada’s early history, as Schissel and Wotherspoon (2003) described as a “history

of cultural genocide” (p.35). Although I have a Canadian history degree from 20 years ago, my

Indigenous knowledge was very limited. It sadness me to think that they history that has been

taught in schools only focused on the arrival of the Europeans and the earlier period has been

ignored. I do not remember hearing about how the Indigenous people helped the European

explorers with food, transportation and clothing when they first came to Canada. Without their

co-operation, the European exploration would not have been possible (Dickason, 2009, p.3).

I’ve only learned about residential schools in the last few years. Listening to the first-hand

accounts of what happened to those dear children was very emotional; I can’t believe this
horrific treatment went on for four decades. How terrified those children must have been being

taken away from their families and everything they’ve known. Not only were these children

forbidden to speak their language, it was practically beaten out of them (St. Denis, 2007,

p.1073). The one thing that I can’t understand is how many adults stood by and let the abuse

happen. As Schissel and Wotherspoon (2003) questioned, “how a so-called civilized society,

especially one that had been assumed to be highly moral and virtuous, could treat children as if

they were unworthy of human rights” (p.50). Once these children were free to go home, they

were also met with a confusing time because things were so different for them. Where do they

belong? How do they cope with what they’ve been through? How do they move forward? I now

have a better understanding of the struggles an entire generation of Aboriginal people have

faced. It has made me even more companionate and determine to make a change for the

betterment of Indigenous students. Within the photo above, I feel this challenging period is best

represented in the rigid white lines on the side of the road.

Although I don’t think my heart can take any more stories from residential schools, I believe it is

important that all Canadians are aware of what has taken place and to also show the strength and

resiliency of the survivors. We need to validate and acknowledge the past to initiate the healing

process. I’m trying to change my sadness and anger into hope. Hope for a better future. I want

to be a part of the revitalization of the Indigenous culture. I want my students to know the full

Canadian history, even the sad chapters. I also want to bring the Aboriginal ways of knowing

into the classroom and to make sure every student feels valued, welcomed and appreciated.

Lastly, the road in this picture is also a metaphor for the journey that I am taking to obtain my

Education degree. There are highs and lows, hills and valleys but I am trying to learn as much as
I can to be the educator that I would want my own children to have. Thank-you for being a part

of my learning experience and making me a better teacher and person.

References
Dickason, O. with McNab, D. (2009), Introduction. In Canada’s First Nations: A History of
Founding Peoples from Earliest Times. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Retrieved
from https://d2l.ucalgary.ca/d2l/le/content/193794/viewContent/2668149/View

Schissel, B. & Wotherspoon, T. (2003). Chapter 3: The Legacy of Residential Schools. In The
Legacy of School for Aboriginal People. Don Mills, ON: Oxford. Retrieved
from http://deslibris.ca.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/ID/432095

St. Denis, V. (2007). Aboriginal education and anti-racist education: Building alliances across
cultural and racial identity. Canadian Journal of Education, 30(4), 1068-1092.