Thread by @balkissoon

A couple of years ago, I confirmed with my high school history teacher that we did not learn about residential schools, and then asked why. I never used the interview cause I switched jobs soon after and I've always regretted it. /1

https://twitter.com/TheProgress/status/1398370255458639875

I asked for a phone call but he would only email, and I made it clear that one teacher is not responsible for a school board's curriculum, but he was quite defensive. He said that the board at the time prioritized other parts of Canadian history, incl the two World Wars.

This is actually bunk, bc I was in a gifted program 🤓that gave teachers a lot of leeway. We spent an entire term of "Canadian" history on the *JFK assassination*.

I asked about that specifically and he said it was important to teach us that, I kid you not, *historical narratives are sometimes disputed*.

Why can't people just admit they made mistakes and apologize?

This conversation made me feel a bit better about all the things I didn't and don't know. But I'm still so embarrassed it took the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to really open my eyes.

And I'm very, very sorry about that. And my child will not grow up that way.

(I also confirmed that we did not learn about Black "Loyalists" or Japanese internment. The supposed reasons were also not good)

Canada has actively suppressed its history. The founding of this country was based on Indigenous genocide. If you weren't taught that, okay. But once you find out even a little bit, it all becomes your responsibility. It's my responsibility.

215 babies taken from their families. They died, and Canada tried to erase them. It's horrific. It's genocide.

We should have believed Indigenous people the first time they told us. And now we can't say we don't know.

I am so sorry.