In this activity, students explore how sites of conscience can be ways to honour and remember the truths about residential school histories in Canada. This lesson connects with broader themes of Truth and Reconciliation, the impacts of colonialism and residential schools, Indigenous rights, identity and histories. This lesson can be found in the Educator's Guide. |
- It is important to know your learners and know of the supports available in your school board to help support students through difficult and sensitive conversations. (e.g., Indigenous Lead, social workers, child and youth councillors, trauma-informed care, etc.)
- We suggest that you consider sending a letter home prior to discussing this content to inform families, specifically Indigenous families, about the content being taught as they may choose to have conversations with their children prior to these learning activities or opt out if they are not ready for these conversations to happen.
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- What are sites of conscience? How might these sites help individuals and communities remember and honour certain events/experiences? In what ways are sites of conscience different from other historical sites?
- Why might sites of conscience be important for the communities harmed and for those who caused the harm respectively?
- What criteria is used to determine a site of conscience? Use the article to support your ideas.
- How might we decide collectively which memories are important and/or historically significant? In what ways have ideas about the significance of certain memories changed over time? What has changed? What has stayed the same?
- Why is it important to avoid a “one size fits all” approach to sites of conscience, specifically former sites of residential schools in Canada? What harms might this cause?
- What role do galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) play in honouring sites of conscience and around Truth and Reconciliation? How have their roles changed over time?
- How might galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) move from a place of memory to a place of action? Using the prompts in the article, discuss the exhibits you have visited and the information provided. How are GLAM currently doing this work? How is their work related to the TRC’s Calls to Action? (Teacher’s note: you might need to review TRC’s Calls to Action content with students prior to engaging in the articles/discussion.)
- What might be your next steps in supporting memory work? How might you get there?
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Introduce the topic by starting a class discussion using the prompt highlighted in the article on page 19: “Is there a location near you that remembers a difficult but important event?” Have students brainstorm in pairs and then share their ideas with the class. Students may research locations if they are unfamiliar with local sites. If the school is in a small community without multiple sites to discuss, consider having a larger group discussion about a site in your local or surrounding community. Invite students to share their contributions using the guiding questions below: - What is the location? What event does the site you chose honour and/or remember?
- What might be the difference between honour and remembrance? How might you distinguish between these terms? Remembrance focuses more the memory of an important person, place or event while honour is how we express and recognize that memory.
- Which of the site(s) discussed have you visited? What can be learned by visiting these sites firsthand?
- Record student responses so they are visible (e.g., Google slides, white board, etc.) to revisit later in the class.
Next, introduce the article on page 18, “Sites of Memory and Conscience,” students will be reading. Educators are encouraged to ask students what they know about Truth and Reconciliation in Canada prior to reading the article so that they can make connections to these themes in the article specifically about how important sites are remembered in communities, particularly harmful and sensitive places like residential schools. Have students read through the article either independently or in pairs. After students have read the article, return to the student responses that were previously recorded and use the discussion questions below to deepen their understanding and make connections between the article and their communities/experiences. - What are sites of conscience? In what ways do these sites help us remember and honour certain events/experiences? How are they different from sites of memory or honour?
- Ask students if they would consider any of the sites they listed previously in their community to be sites of conscience based on the description provided in the article. Why or why not? Ask students to explain their thinking.
- Why might sites of conscience be important for the communities harmed? What about for those who caused the harm?
Next, as a class, consider the following questions to explore as a larger group: - What criteria are used to determine a site of conscience? Use the article to support your ideas. Are there any criteria that you would add?
- How might we decide collectively which memories are important and/or historically significant? In what ways have ideas about the significance of certain memories changed over time? What has changed? What has stayed the same?
- Why is it important to avoid a “one size fits all” approach to sites of conscience, specifically former sites of residential schools in Canada? What harms might this cause? For example, all residential school memorials and former school buildings are not treated the same across First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. The choice to tear down may be tied to government funding or lack thereof or completely out of the control of Survivors. Teacher note: consider having a discussion with your class about the significance of “nothing about us without us” as it relates working with, consulting, and foregrounding First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives when creating sites of conscience at former residential school sites.
- What role do galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) play in honouring sites of conscience and around Truth and Reconciliation? How have their roles changed over time?
- How might galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) move from a place of memory to a place of action? Using the prompts in the article, discuss the exhibits you have visited and the information provided. How are GLAM currently doing this work? How is their work related to the TRC’s Calls to Action? Teacher note: you can consider virtual visits to sites of conscience if a field is not possible.
- What might be your next steps in supporting memory work? How might you get there?
Bring the class back together to discuss their responses and help further develop students’ knowledge and understanding. Ask students to fill out an exit card/reflection about educational campaigns they would design to raise awareness around sites of conscience in their school. How might they connect this to learning to Truth and Reconciliation and the TRC’s Calls to Action? |
Encourage students to research how different sites of former residential schools are being remembered and honoured throughout Canada. Students might use the following inquiry question to guide their research: How are people honouring and remembering sites of former residential schools across Canada? What activities or initiatives are they implementing? Students can choose to research the closest school to them or a variety of locations to learn more about the diversity in and across First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities and experience. In groups, students should be encouraged to make connections between the article and their local communities by researching using the prompts provided in the article, accessing NCTR’s online interactive map and using the questions below as guide. Students can explore former residential schools further by researching using trustworthy sources from community organizations, CBC Indigenous, APTN or from specific First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities and using the residential school names listed on NCTR’s interactive map as a tool in their search. Students can use the guiding questions below to support their research: - Which former residential school did you choose to research?
- What is happening with this site? Is it still standing?
- Is there a memorial or site of conscience presently on site?
- Do Survivors and/or their families have access to their records at this former residential school?
- Are there processes in place to locate unmarked graves or proper burials of these children?
- Based on your research, in what ways do attempts to remember and honour residential school Survivors reflect community aspirations? In what ways do they not?
Students should compile their research and present their findings to their peers in a method of their choice (slideshow, short video, podcast, etc.) |
- Invite students to consider their role as a community member and active citizen and how they might support the aspirations of local Indigenous communities in sites of conscience/sites of memory, as part of citizens’ ongoing responsibility to Truth and Reconciliation and fulfilling the TRC’s Calls to Action. For example: fundraising for a memorial placard, amplifying Indigenous community members’ voices, support organizations that uncovered unmarked graves from residential schools across the country.
- Encourage students to connect their research to action and the guidelines within the TRC’s Calls to Action for all Canadians. Support students to understand that the purpose of their action is to work towards supporting what the community has outlined as their needs and next steps, not what they as individuals might want to do.
- Consider broadening and deepening students’ learning by planning an on-site or virtual excursion to a local gallery, library, archive or museum to have them investigate the representation and rematriation efforts as examples for supporting Indigenous community aspirations. Use the prompts provided in the article to guide their learning.
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