U & D

In case you missed it, Canada is offering reparations for boarding schooling and other abuses of the Native populations. Lucky for us, NPR was right on top of it. You can listen to the story, download a podcast, and post a Comment at their website: Marketplace: How far can money go toward healing?

That’s an interesting title for the Marketplace article, isn’t it?

When I follow state, federal and even news announcements about Native issues, many of the Non-Native commenters express anger. Many are lacking information that would have helped them to read or listen to the article with an open mind. It would be a worthwhile journey to show the story to your MS or HS students, read the comments, and perhaps add your own.

One question that comes up in Native comments on legislative issues and other blog posts: what about cross-nation (US-Canada) or cross-state borders? How about tribal members who have left tribal lands to live elsewhere? Or those who were born and still live off Native lands? Or those who live on both sides of a border?

These are not questions your students will wrestle with, for the most part. But raising them broadens the scope of what might seem to be a straightforward issue.

see also my previous post.