Actions and Commitments

Call to Action # 63: Education for Reconciliation (62-65)

Yukon School Boards Association – 29 School Boards

April 1, 2018

Education Agreements: Six Yukon First Nations have entered into education agreements with Government of Yukon.

Curriculum Development for mandatory Indigenous History and Culture: The actions the Department of Education in Yukon is taking in changing curriculum to include mandatory education on FNMI histories and cultures, particularly in response to the report of the TRC is the mandatory implementation of the Grade 10 Indian Residential School Unit. All students enrolled in Social Studies 10 are required to take part in the IRS Unit. It is also mandatory that all teachers teaching the unit participate in a two-day training session facilitated by First Nations Programs and Partnerships prior to teaching the IRS Unit. In the New Year we will have a group of teachers and department personnel working with our Curriculum Working Group (Elders we collaborate with as we work towards Yukon First Nations content in curricula) to create a Science First Peoples Unit for grade 5 to 8 students.

Teacher Education Programs: All teachers new to teaching in Yukon are encouraged to participate in a one-day in-service that focuses on Yukon First Nations history and cultures. New teachers participate in a Blanket Exercise and they learn about traditional territories, cultures, and languages. There are discussions regarding protocol and resource people teachers can connect with in the communities. The one-day session is facilitated by First Nations Programs and Partnerships.