“Education has gotten us into this mess, and education will get us out”
Hon. Justice Murray Sinclair, Truth & Reconciliation Commission Chair
A message from the AECEO
Whether in full-day kindergarten, early learning centres, before & after care, EarlyON, specialized programs, or home child care, early childhood educators are an integral part of children and families’ first contact with education. Early learning and child care spaces play a key role in shaping narratives within communities. As we change the ways children learn about the history of our country, it is fundamental that those involved in all levels of education understand not only the long lasting impacts of residential schools upon First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples, but also how welfare and education systems continue to disproportionately harm Indigenous communities to this day.
On Orange Shirt Day, the AECEO reiterates our commitment to the TRC’s Calls to Action and to our mission of supporting ECEs in the ongoing work of truth and reconciliation. In all our work, we must acknowledge that the systemic undervaluing of education and care is a legacy of the same colonial and patriarchal roots that allowed for inhumane policies like the residential school system. It is our responsibility to learn the truth about this land’s history and provide the healing necessary for generations past, present, and future. Only then can we create a kinder present and a more just future for all.
On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we invite you to join us in reflecting about our roles and responsibilities in this process.
Learn more:
- Resurgence of Our Knowledges, the Centre of Indigenous Professional Learning at the Ontario Aboriginal Head Start Association invites you to explore pathways towards creating high-quality, culturally safe spaces within child care and early years programs; with emphasis on how Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) worldview intersects with current practice. Click here to watch the videos on Understanding Allyship with Diane Longboat
- Wenesh Niin (Who Am I) - Laying the Foundation of Spirit Within the Child, by Jacinta and Yvette Manitowabi, published through the Northern Oral Language and Writing through Play (NOW Play) project.
- The Knowing (2024) is a four-part narrative docuseries that follows journalist Tanya Talaga and her family’s eight-decade long search for family matriarch Annie Carpenter, revealing a story deeply intertwined with Canada’s residential school system. Available on CBC Gem.
- Revisit the resource lists curated by the AECEO in 2022 and 2023.