Representation

Language

Expressions like "low man on the totem pole" misrepresent Indigenous people. It uses an Indigenous object and completely misuses it and disrespects it.

People call Indigenous people Indian despite being extremely racist. This is also terrible as many old laws refer to them as such.

It is incredible how this didn't stop centuries ago when they found out that Canada wasn't India but was instead a completely different part of the planet.

Sitting "Indian style" is now called "Chris cross apple sauce" due to the controversy it created

I remember first hearing the term above and I was shocked that people used to just say that. It really goes to show how my generation is much more aware of how these sayings

Media

Many old films have racist depictions of Indigenous culture (Pochohantas)

I remember seeing Peter Pan in Grade 2 or 3 and remember thinking that this was a terrible depiction of Indigenous people. It is a shame many people grew up with that perception.

Documentaries can educate people about Indigenous culture

Watching Skindigenous really educated me about the significance of tattoos in Indigenous traditions.

When I see films and shows about my culture (Judaism) it makes me feel represented and I'm sure that many Indigenous people can relate when seeing themselves on film.

TV shows like Reservation Dogs are trying to give audiences a better representation of Indigenous people

Novels

A lot more Indigenous books are accurately representing Indigenous culture

The book I read for this class, Moon of the Crusted Snow, tells about a lot of Indigenous problems.

Reading this book, I learned so much more about Indigenous culture than reading any history book.

I think it is good to have positive and accurate representation and books are a great medium. It allows you to have more detail and allows the reader to relate more.

History books tend to say that Christopher Columbus found America despite Indigenous people already living there.

Many other examples of history being told from a European perspective rather than an objective one.

Current Issues

Water Crisis (most people aren't aware)

I did a whole essay on the water crisis and a major issue is the lack of recent articles about it. Despite it still being a problem, people have just lost interest in it

Reconciliation (Making people aware)

Grade 11 English course is teaching the next generation about Indigenous culture

It is interesting to note that the government has only done a fraction of all the reconciliation acts. It is still one of the best steps taken for Canadian representation

Many stories hit the headlines

Last year there were a lot of reports about Indigenous graveyards found outside residential schools

Issues like the murdered and missing Indigenous women go unnoticed compared to other stories despite being very frequent.

Government should be pushing these issues into the mainstream media

More CBC articles should be made about Indigenous issues.