The goal of CAAS is to create changes in classroom teaching and education policy so that ALL students in Canadian classrooms are exposed to Aboriginal-perspective content as an integrated theme throughout all curriculum and subject areas in their elementary and secondary education.

The pedagogy we promote will strengthen both Canada and Aboriginal societies, as Peoples from the Four Directions (represented in the circle Kayla is holding to the right) learn how to work together in an honest, respectful, peaceful and trusting way on their mutual and distinct social goals.

The histories of settler and newcomer Canadian and First Peoples have been interwoven for several hundred years in most parts of the land now known as "Canada." In most cases, these connections have benefited Canadians and have caused great suffering among First Peoples.

The antiracist pedagogy we promote will benefit students of all heritages. Students will gain respect for other Peoples' worldviews and cultures through learning about First Peoples' cultures.

CAAS places high esteem on awareness, understanding and dialogue. These are the path towards learning to live together in a respectful manner that will begin to address the causes and impacts of the racism experienced by Aboriginal Peoples, including the policies of cultural eradication (e.g. The Indian Act and Residential Schools).

Teaching the truth about Aboriginal-Canadian relations will build the self-esteem, capabilities, and personal well-being of the estimated 65% of all students of Aboriginal heritage who attend Canadian provincial or territorial schools.

To accomplish its goals, CAAS helps teachers and others in the education community find ways to present and handle accurate Aboriginal-perspective curriculum and resources in an appropriate and confident manner. Our site presents a broad picture of why, what, and how, and here are some links to current news. Click on the titles below or scroll down for these items...

• CAAS' NATIONAL RESEARCH REPORT...

• RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS & ACTIVISTS
  

• JOIN OUR NETWORK...
  

• JOIN OUR ONLINE SHARING CIRCLE
  

• CAAS' NATIONAL RESEARCH REPORT... Learning About Walking in Beauty: Placing Aboriginal Perspectives in Canadian Classrooms... can be downloaded, or ordered, on the website of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. You will find links to our brief Highlights document, relevant press releases, and our full report (in several sections) on the main page: scroll down and look for details on the right-hand side. CRRF has been our primary funder and a great supporter. They have many other excellent resources on their site.

• RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS & ACTIVISTS were released by CAAS at the same time as our report. (There are many more "old" resources to be found through the buttons at the top-left). These materials offer tools for getting started on the huge task in front of us. The "Sharing Circles" provide a model for local networking, resource-sharing, consensus-building around specific policy changes in your locale, and professional development. "Unlearning-to-Learn" provides a hands-on approach for anti-stereotyping, decolonizing, participatory education that works from the level of Grade 4 students up to Professional Development situations with graduate students in education. The CAAS Learning Circle and related expectations provide a pedagogical framework which also elaborates our proposed curricular content. If you are just starting this learning journey, you may also be interested in our Basic Resource List. Presently only available in Word format, these documents can be accessed by clicking on their titles (above).
  
  
• STAY IN TOUCH with our hundreds of grassroots network members. Email us to get on the CAAS Group List
  
  
• JOIN OUR ONLINE SHARING CIRCLE and help us as we move into our next phase of work: CAAS Online Sharing Circle Using this kind of online journal effectively can be challenging, but let's give it a try!!
  
  

updated April 4, 2005 Robin Fielding, webmistress