Greetings and Welcome Back!

PART 2:
This segment of our newsletter presents opinions and information on resources, perspectives and bias from around our network.

REFLECTIONS ON THE CBC PEOPLE'S HISTORY SERIES
"When I was asked for a short piece on the CBC series for the newsletter, I wasn't sure where to begin. The fact is that I could only stomach one episode [the first one], so can hardly be considered a valid critic. Or can I?

"That one episode was another 120 minutes of perpetuating the damage out there to this society of television addicts. As much as I was angered by the images and messages portrayed of aboriginal peoples, I was aware that the majority of viewers were lapping it up, relieved to have their racist perspectives validated and their occasional guilt absolved. I am gravely concerned that systemic racism is not only alive, well and flourishing through the CBC (and who knows what other agencies were involved in presenting these messages, and for what damaging purposes), and I am also worried that this has the edge of continuing the repression of power dominance and all its destructive fall-out.

"Sunday, December 10th, was International Human Rights Day. As an educator, I prepared the children to lead the school in an assembly that highlighted the basic rights of people throughout the world. I was feeling particularly disheartened this year, when I know that the rights of the First Nations People of this land continue to be blatantly denied. I feel discouraged since many of my colleagues, who are going along with this assembly, are also the very individuals who recommended that I watch the "wonderful new CBC version of Canada's history". In spite of expressing my take on the series, I was readily dismissed as being too biased and of not seeing the progress that had been made, compared to the "history" as presented when we were in school. These people will sit through another assembly, glibly oblivious to the fact that, in Canada, the human rights of aboriginal people are so shamefully violated.

"So if I, as a white person, am feeling saddened and disheartened, what of my brothers and sisters of aboriginal heritage? What of the elders who have lived through years of abuse and disrespect? "What of the children who feel trapped and depressed in this marginalized society? I am ending this short piece because the same feelings of frustration and overwhelming sadness have welled up in me again, and I don't know what else to say."

Respectfully and in solidarity,
Carol (a classroom teacher in the CAAS network)

(Please send us your comments on Carol's letter. Many of our members
watched a number of episodes and we have had considerable discussion
on the series in our network.)

FINDING & EVALUATING RESOURCES
On our site, under MAKING CONNECTIONS, you will find a beginning list of resources, including some bibliographies and quite a some very useful links to other websites where you will find curriculum and general resources. Please take a look.

One of the most exciting resources we can bring to your attention is an excellent, comprehensive bibliography, published by the Manitoba Ministry of Education and Training (MET). Entitled Aboriginal Peoples: Resources Pertaining to First Nations, Inuit and Metis, it runs to 235 pages in print form! This resource guide is both annotated and coded, for the ease of teachers, with designations such as: TR (teacher reference), and curricula for EY (early years), MY (middle years) and SY (senior years). Found on the MET site at:
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/metks4/instruct/iru/pubs/bibs/ae-index.html
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access it, but the MET site helps you download this software.

The MET bibliography begins with terrific advice on "identifying bias", which is vitally important as you sift through the resources you find in your library, in their bibliography, on the internet, on our site, or anywhere...

CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFYING BIAS
When analyzing the content of instructional material, the following criteria may be employed to identify forms of bias:

1) BIAS BY OMISSION: selecting information that reflects credit on only one group, frequently the writer's group.

2) BIAS BY DEFAMATION: calling attention to the faults and ignoring the virtues of an individual or group.

3) BIAS BY DISPARAGEMENT: denying or belittling the contributions of an identifiable group of people in the Canadian culture.

4) BIAS BY CUMULATIVE IMPLICATION: constantly creating the impression that only one group is responsible for positive development.

5) BIAS BY (LACK OF) VALIDITY: failing to ensure that information about issues is always accurate and unambiguous.

6) BIAS BY INERTIA: perpetuation of myths and half-truths by failure to keep abreast of historical scholarship.

7) BIAS BY OBLITERATION: ignoring significant aspects of the history of a cultural or minority group in Canada.

8) BIAS BY DISEMBODIMENT: referring in a casual and depersonalized way to the historical role of identifiable cultural and minority groups.

9) BIAS BY (LACK OF) CONCRETENESS: dealing with a cultural group in platitudes and generalizations (applying the shortcomings of one individual to a whole group). To be concrete, the material must be factual, objective, and realistic.

10) BIAS BY (LACK OF) COMPREHENSIVENESS: failing to mention all relevant facts that may help the student to form an opinion.

(Reproduced from the introduction of the MET's resource guide Aboriginal Peoples: Resources..., referenced above. MET adapted this from The Shocking Truth About Indians in Textbooks, Manitoba Indian Brotherhood and Cultural Education Center, 1974.)

INCLUDED WITH THE PRINT VERSION OF YOUR CAAS NEWSLETTER...
We have circulated an order form for materials now available from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). Those receiving this Newsletter electronically can view the materials and get information at: http://www.inac.gc.ca or learningcircle@inac.gc.ca

Historically, INAC has been reluctant to become involved in the task of developing curriculum materials. Recently however, INAC ventured into this unique educational field and has produced useful materials that are now nationally available. Among the INAC materials are information worksheets, bookmarks, postcards, posters and three units that can be implemented in your classroom. These materials are written and produced by the federal department, and reflect the point of view of the government that produced them. The information is helpful and useful, but when using this material teachers are encouraged to consider the point of view reflected throughout. CAAS encourages the development and sharing of all resource material written to celebrate and acknowledge Aboriginal People. We also encourage practitioners to read, reflect and question all materials before using them in your classroom. This is important no matter what the source.

(Comments by David Anderson, CAAS' Academic Advisory Group)

NIINAWINT ANISHNAWBEK "TRADITIONS & US" PROGRAM
The Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Commitee is pleased to launch the Niinawint Anishnawbek program. In this northern Ontario community of approximately 5,000, where 50% of the population is Aboriginal, students will be given new opportunities to explore the rich history and culture of the local First Nations. Concerned with gaps in school curricula, the committee is developing this program which will bring local historians, story tellers, elders, and artists into the classroom for a first-hand look at the history and accomplishments of the First Nations of the area.

This project will involve students in five schools, from junior kindergarten to grade 12. Funding is supplied by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Public Education Initiatives) and the United Church Healing Fund. (School Program Coordinator Ellen Stewart submitted this. She would be pleased to hear from anyone who has developed similar programs or has relevant resource materials. Contact Ellen at (807) 737-1501 or slarc@sl.lakeheadu)