Aboriginal education spreading, Switzer says

Aboriginal education is spreading to beyond just single Native Studies courses, says Maurice Switzer, director of communications for the Union of Ontario Indians.

Switzer, who was speaking Friday at an aboriginal awareness summit held at Canadore College, says school boards are beginning to pick up the ball on the issue.

“I understand that the Rainbow District School Board is introducing a new curriculum which has aboriginal components in all subjects,” Switzer said.

“And I hear of other initiatives out west like in Alberta, where Native populations are higher. So by having the Native perspective taught this way, we can really share information in a way that’s going to have a more substantive effect. Summits like today are wonderful, but we can only reach so many people with these voluntary efforts.”

Stereotypical views
Friday’s summit is part of the Debwewin" (Ojibwe for 'truth') Three-City Anti-racism initiative, that’s being put on in North Bay, Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie.

Topics include sessions on Anishinabek culture and history, aboriginal coverage in the media, stereotypes, and treaty and treaty rights.

During one part of the summit, Switzer displayed a number of media and pop culture images of Natives and asked participants which of them reflect what an Indian is.

Among the images was one of Native leader Ovid Mercredi wearing a traditional head dress and the oft-printed photo from the Oka stand-off of a young Armed Forces soldier staring nervously at a masked Mohawk warrior wearing camouflage fatigues.

Switzer said images like those bolstered stereotypical views of Indians.

Surrender our tradition
At the same time, Switzer added, even Natives are sometimes feeding those stereotypes, “whether it’s our young people showing up for protests with masks and camouflage, or whether its Native leaders always wanting to wear the traditional Plains head dress.”

“We shouldn’t feel we have to surrender our tradition or look or sound or act like other people,” Switzer said, “and I think those things are changing.”