From the Desk Learning
Including pronouns in our everyday conversation is something that, once implemented, requires very little extra time and energy, but can mean so much to so many individuals.
express why pronouns should be included in email signatures, Zoom/GoogleMeet names, and other places in which a person’s name appears. According to Naomi and Taylor, this project involves the entire SCS community. “We not only want the input of students and staff in the beginning stages, to get a better idea of what changes should be made, but we also want schoolwide participation in the implementation and inclusion of pronouns. Pronoun use affects everyone, and there is no reason not to include the whole school community.” The Indigenous Affairs Circle’s “Anatomy of a Land Recognition” Project A territorial or land acknowledgement is an act of reconciliation that involves making a statement recognizing the traditional territory of the Indigenous Peoples who called the land home before the arrival of settlers, and inmany cases still do call it home. While a land acknowledgement goes some way in telling the truth as related to the land, it is not enough to reconcile with the Indigenous communities whose lands we inhabit. Land acknowledgements are just the first step to creating partnerships with, and learning from, Indigenous communities, and should be evolving documents that challenge the listener rather than lose their
meaning over time from repetition. In late 2021, the School worked to review and revise our land acknowledgement. As this work was underway, the IACwas eager to create an interactive piece to pair with the revised land acknowledgement. The committee is creating an online platform, with sections that describe the purpose of the land acknowledgement, provide context around its different sections, and link to external resources for SCS community members to learnmore. It also features a pronunciation guide. The interactive online sections and resources mean that the whole community will be able to engage with the content. The committee has spent a lot of time discussing the role of land acknowledgements, and has learnedmuch about the exclusion of Indigenous voices in the construction of treaties. As a result, rather than just information about the treaties signed, ARC chose to include Indigenous philosophies around the land and water. Says Indigenous Affairs Circle Head GabrielleMoreau ’22, “As aMétis youth, I believe that our use of this land comes with a responsibility to hear Indigenous stories and uplift Indigenous communities, and take care of and protect the land itself.”
29 Red Blazer Spring 2022 |
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