The Department of Education of Newfound and Labrador ordered its schools to destroy thousands of books bought two years ago because they contained “inaccurate information” about the territories, culture and history of the indigenous peoples of the province.
On February 3, school administrators were told to crush about 8,600 textbooks, bought for $ 202,140 in January 2023, a decision taken after the government indigenous education advice reported that the books “did not precisely reflect the cultural reality in Terranova and Labrador,” according to the spokesman for the Lynn Robinson Department.
On Wednesday, the department listed the numerous problems identified with four books in the Passe à l’Action pour la Réconciliation Series used by French immersion students of Grade 7 and 8.
In a statement, he said that textbooks indicate that the history of the creation of the island of Turtles is used by all indigenous peoples, which is not the case. He also said that books include “stereotyped” descriptions of indigenous life styles, citing as an example: “Eastern peoples seek caribús and western fish.”
“Some indigenous peoples of Terranova and Labrador did not see [an] The precise representation of who they are and their related territories, “reads the statement, and adds that books include” inaccurate statements that no indigenous people pay taxes, all receive free postsecundaria education, etc. “
According to the department, textbooks also affirm that the elderly are the oldest members of the indigenous communities and that all indigenous groups have clan systems, which is not necessarily true for the Inuites and the first nations in Terranova and Labrador.
In addition, the department said that although the books mention the apology of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper to the victims of the Residential School in 2008, they do not mention the apology of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the survivors of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2017.
The Minister of Provincial Education, Krista Lynn Howell, rejected an interview on Thursday.
‘Did anyone read them?’
“How did they end up spending this amount of money in a resource just to realize a year and a half later, there was inaccurate information? … did anyone read them?” said NDP leader Jim Dinn.
“The department says that it is routine for them to get rid of outdated and inaccurate information, but here is my question: these books are relatively new, they were introduced in September 2023 ….
Radio-Canada obtained a copy of one of the textbooks, a 40-page book Passe à l’Action pour la Réconciliation – des Communtautés unieswhose last page shows that the book advice and review committees did not include representatives of Terranova and Labrador.
In January, DINN shared with Radio-Canada a filtered memorandum sent to the schools in English of the province that indicate to the directors to “destroy” textbooks of the text Passe à l’Action pour la Réconciliation series.
“We are perpetuating stereotypes, when the whole purpose of indigenous education is to break those stereotypes,” Dinn said. “This is not useful.”
The department said that the schools were asked to destroy the books “so that they would not remain in circulation and risk perpetuating inaccurate information.”
“It is a common practice to ask schools to eliminate the eliminated resources that are outdated or that are no longer adequate/approved. They would usually be crushed,” he said.
The books have not yet been replaced. The department said he is working with the Indigenous Advisory Committee to evaluate the available educational resources.
Download ours Free CBC news application To register with thrust alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click Here to visit our destination page.
