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William Romero-Muskus

October 3rd, 2022

Workshop 3

1. Free-Write

a) Today, I learned further about the importance of the National Day of Truth and

Reconciliation as I participated in the 4th annual “We Will Walk Together/Skàtne

Entewathahìta” ceremony. Being present at this event at this time in history was

especially important for my professional development, as I aim to teach ESL classes

in Montreal, where students will come from various cultural backgrounds. It is,

therefore, necessary to recognize and support Indigenous communities and their

history on this land for future generations. Indeed, I believe that teaching students

about Indigenous history and issues is essential to make students aware of what really

happened in our country's past. This information fair hosted by the education faculty

took a moment to honour Indigenous communities and featured two heartfelt singing

and drumming performances. Attendees of the event were then invited to engage with

the panels. One, in particular, was about a mentoring program that was provided to

Indigenous people.

b) Last Friday, I attended McGill’s Pow-wow. This was a beautiful experience that I had

the chance to live with my university cohort. This gathering celebrated Indigenous

cultures through its incorporation of dancing and singing. Opportunities to connect

with the people attending and to learn about Indigenous cultures were offered. One

thing I learned was that everybody is welcome to attend public Pow-wows. Moments

to dance on stage were even offered to the individuals attending.

c) I felt deeply sympathetic and regretful about how cruelly Indigenous people were

treated in the videos shown in class. Indeed, I found it revolting. These issues must
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not be forgotten or thought of as resolved because they are still relevant and ongoing

today. Constant acknowledgement and consistent action are necessary to strive toward

reconciliation.

2. Sharing Time

3. Brainstorm - Teacher’s Point of View

a) Settlers (non-Indigenous people) are still benefitting from the pain caused to

Indigenous people by living on the land. Regardless, many Indigenous people

continue to be kind and welcoming to their surroundings inviting non-Indigenous

people into their cultures and customs, such as in events like public Pow-wows.

Unfortunately, not all non-Indigenous people reciprocate this kindness and often

forget and dismiss them in social and political matters. This leads the relationship

between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to be a difficult one.

b) I still need to find out how I can incorporate reconciliation into my lessons. I might do

this by acknowledging and incorporating important Indigenous history, events, frames

of mind, and approaches to learning in the classroom.

4. Brainstorm - Students’ Point of View

a) The Quebec school-age students know a fair amount about the history of European

settlers’ interactions with Indigenous peoples. When my cooperating teacher and I

asked students what the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation was, a good

amount of students raised their hands to respond and gave correct answers explaining

these interactions.

b) Following Orange Shirt Day, students now know that by acknowledging Canada’s

history with Indigenous people, giving importance to Indigenous issues, and being

empathetic as well as an ally, Indigenous people can live more harmoniously with

settlers in the future.

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c) In my opinion, Indigenous stories, history, frames of mind, and approaches to learning

still need to be learned by students.

d) As a teacher, I can help students by encouraging their interests, implementing

Indigenous-related topics into lessons, recommending them resources to consult, and

involving myself on the path to discovery.