Treaty 4: The Next Generation Project / La prochaine génération

Treaty 4: The next generation project (also known as Treaty4Project) is an educational project that allows students to explore the idea of treaty citizenship to better understand the role of their generation in Treaty 4 territory (Saskatchewan) today and in the future. It is our hope this project will reinforce inclusive viewpoints about Saskatchewan’s history and promote the development of student ideas and actions of what treaty citizenship could be.


jeudi 26 mars 2015

Is Multiculturalism a Myth?

We like to call Canada a multicultural country.  But is it really? 

Every spring, Regina has the opportunity to celebrate multiculturalism with the Mosaic Festival.  For that first weekend in June, everybody is encouraged to dress in their national clothes and attended a multicultural talent show where different groups perform cultural dances and songs.  Multiethnic food is available to purchase and visitors can enjoy eating bannock, samosas, doro wot (an Ethiopian chicken dish) and Ukrainian sausage with perogies. The festive atmosphere is present all weekend until Sunday morning when all of the colorful clothes, food, dances and songs suddenly disappear with the expectation of coming back the following year.  The Monday morning after Mosaic everything seems to be back to the usual routine.  There are no special dances, songs, clothes or food, only people dressed in similar clothing walking downtown, preoccupied by work.  I recall talking with my students about their experience and several of them mentioned that it was fun, but that now it was over.  When talking with friends, they declared that the celebration was well done, and that they were looking forward next year's festivities. Puzzled by these responses, I started wondering about the ideas associated with multiculturalism.  Don’t get me wrong, it is important to celebrate our differences through Mosaic Festival. However, I wonder why multiculturalism seems to be perceived essentially as a fun “thematic weekend”?  Is multiculturalism just a fairytale we tell ourselves?  When we say we promote rights and freedoms, what does that means? 

The way we see our world is shaped by the values that are produced and maintained by the institutions that govern our daily life.  For example, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees equal rights to all Canadian citizens.  This might encourage us to believe that discrimination based on race, skin colour, religion, sex, age and mental or physical disability are now over.  However, unfortunately, oppression still remains in our society through mass media, sports, movies and music videos.  We even see it reflected in the choices of children’s toys.  As a country that enjoys an international reputation of progress and equality, how can we explain this contradiction?

So, this is where my class started.  The Grade 12 French Immersion students from Campbell Collegiate notice these contradictions, and seek to understand them. As a teacher, I am glad to see their openness toward a more complex idea of Canada.

Naomi


vendredi 13 mars 2015

Another guest speaker has confirmed… Une autre confirmation...

"Do indigenous people have rights to minerals ?" - Dr. Andrew Miller will be with on April 28th

Dr. Andrew Miller sera avec les étudiants qui participeront à la conférence Treaty4Project le 28 Avril à First Nations University of Canada pour discuter des droits reliés à la propriété des minéraux en Saskatchewan.

jeudi 12 mars 2015

And now announcing… Il nous fait plaisir de vous annoncer...

James Daschuk (author of Clearing the Plains) has confirmed as guest speaker on April 28th.  Thanks Jim !

James Daschuk, l'auteur du livre Clearing the Plains (publié à l'automne 2015 en français sous le nom de Mortes Plaines : Maladies, famine organisée, ethnocide amérindien) nous a confirmé aujourd'hui sa participation à la conférence Treaty4Project.  Merci Jim !

The Governor General’s History Award for Scholarly Research: The Sir John A. Macdonald Prize 2014 Recipient.





vendredi 6 mars 2015

Treaty4Project teaching team

Treaty4Project is pleased to inform you that Scott Collegiate, Martin Collegiate, Balfour Collegiate have confirmed as participating schools.

Treaty4Project teaching team

Tamara Smith, Heather Findlay, Tiffany Agopsowicz, Tana Burrows, Naomi Fortier-Fréçon and Leia Laing