Our intention was to expand on what two of our kids were learning as part of their Grade 3 curriculum. My concern is that their lessons focus too much on the past, a representation of aboriginal culture from the time of the early settlers. I don't doubt that the impressions they are getting are as politically correct as they are archeologically sound. The aboriginal people in their texts are certainly of the noble rather than cruel savage sort, and the detailed description of their ways of life - hunting, gathering, home life, family structure - all come from the archeological records. What is bothersome is that the cultural teaching appears very stunted. Ancient cultures are all around us, everyday, everywhere, in their latest form. Most of us wouldn't dispute that cultures are dynamic, fluid and changeable. The vicissitudes of culture is a reality that tends to be forgotten or not allowed when it comes to Native populations. Aboriginal cultures certainly have been decimated and damaged, and elements such as some songs, and customs may have been lost forever, but this would be more due to genocidal policies of religious institutions and governments rather than a failing of native people themselves. Taking a trip to the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ontario was going to be a way to expose our kids to contemporary aboriginal culture in a learning environment dedicated to just this kind of teaching. Unfortunately, the day we went, the first day I had free in a very long time, they were closed. Undaunted by this wee inconvenience, we decided instead to go to the Chiefwood Museum, but halfway there, we realized we would not be there in time to have much of a tour before their scheduled closing time. Hrumph.
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