University of Regina Faculty of Education news magazine featuring the Governor General Award winning Project of Heart initiative.

1. Faculty of Education Summer 2011
Contents
Project of Heart tiles created by
SUNTEP students (see p. 6)
Faculty
of Education

2. Faculty of Education Education News Fall 2011/Winter 2012 Page 5
Ontario. Her work, “Project of ation for the past and contin-
Heart, is an innovative edu- ued oppression of Aboriginal
cational tool kit designed to people in Canada. Project of
engage students in a deeper Heart continues to be shared
exploration of Indigenous with elementary, secondary,
traditions in Canada and the and post-secondary schools
history of Indian residential in other regions of Canada. It
schools. Through introducing was showcased at the Truth
aspects of the medicine wheel, and Reconciliation Commis-
the kit facilitates a holistic sion’s first national event, held
journey for understanding in Winnipeg in June, 2010.”1
through the heart and spirit,
as well as the mind, with facts Sylvia received her award
and dates. during a 2-day Canada’s His-
tory Awards Event in Ottawa,
Sylvia Smith Indigenous concepts of edu- December 11 and 12, 2011.
cation and literacy, such as Dr. Marc Spooner, Sylvia’s
2011 Governor General’s Grandmother and Grandfa- thesis advisor, also attended
Awards for Excellence in ther teachings and reading the ceremony.
Teaching the environment, are fully
integrated into the curricu- 1
Faculty of Education, Univer- lum. Elders from First Nation,
sity of Regina, grad student, Métis, and Inuit communities
Sylvia Smith, is the winner of become regular participants
the 2011 Governor General’s in classroom presentations
History Award for Excellence and discussions. Students lead
in Teaching. many of the project outcomes,
demonstrating their learning
The Governor General’s through videos, multimedia
Awards for Excellence in presentations, and decorating
Teaching Canadian His- small wooden tiles. Each tile
tory were created in 1996, becomes a meaningful artifact,
by Canada’s National History representing one of the thou-
Society. Teachers, who excel sands of young lives lost due to
at bringing history to life for the effects of the Indian resi-
their students, are honoured dential schools system.
with this award.
A key objective of the program
Sylvia Smith is a teacher at is to encourage “ownership”
Elizabeth Wyn Wood Alterna- of this historic injustice by
tive High School in Ottawa, enacting gestures of reconcili-

3. Page 6
Hope, Humility, and Healing
Submitted by Christina Johns
SUNTEP Faculty
Armed with Sharpie markers, Indigenous children who died responsibility for the contin-
small wooden tiles, a legacy as a result of the residential ued oppression of Indigenous
to honour, and the “heart” to school experience.” After people in Canada, and be
make a difference, SUNTEP learning about the truths of inspired to take action. Smith
Regina students went to work Indian residential schools in also explains that the project
to preserve and reclaim the Social Studies class, Sylvia “commemorates the families
memory of the many Métis Smith’s students wanted to do and communities to whom
and First Nations children more to bring greater public those children belonged. It is
who attended and lost their awareness to the large number designed to bring awareness
lives in residential schools. of deaths that had occurred both to the settler community
All SUNTEP students par- in residential schools across of predominantly European
ticipated in the artistic social Canada. Along with their Canadians and communities
justice project entitled Project teacher’s help, they developed of new Canadians from other
of Heart over the past 2 se- a social justice project that is parts of the world.” Many
mesters. now growing in recognition students of all ages, all across
and has recently been awarded Canada have been involved
Project Coordinator Sylvia the Govenor General’s Award in the project, by decorating
Smith, a high school teacher for Excellence in Teaching. tiles, doing research, visiting
from Ottawa, describes Proj- with Elders and becoming
ect of Heart (P.O.H.) as a A key objective of P.O.H. is to more aware of the effects of
“hands-on, collaborative, encourage “ownership” of this residential schools on genera-
inter-generational, inter-insti- historic injustice by the non- tions of Indigenous people.
tutional artistic endeavour. Its Indigenous community. By do-
purpose is to commemorate ing so, non-Aboriginal Canadi- Project of Heart also seeks
the lives of the thousands of ans can then be moved to take to expand the opportunities

4. Faculty of Education Education News Fall 2011/Winter 2012 Page 7
available for the wisdom of spirit, SUNTEP students dec- cal thinking and can also work
Aboriginal Elders to be heard orated 10-12 tiles each (400 towards healing. Drawing
within mainstream, educa- in total), with imagery, words on tiles will, of course, never
tional/religious institutions. By and symbols created in memo- erase the horrors of residential
joining with other groups who riam to the Aboriginal culture, schools or reverse the damage
are making a space for Indig- language, and self-esteem done to families and commu-
enous knowledge, institutions stripped away by assimilation nities, but it can bring about
can help to change attitudes and racism embodied at resi- hope; hope that we can some-
and behaviours—hearts and dential schools. Through their day eradicate the perils of
minds—as Elders give voice to art, SUNTEP commemorated hatred, racism, and ethnocen-
the traditions that were sup- Ile-a-la-Crosse, a Northern trism. Sylvia and her students
pressed by residential school- Saskatchewan community had the vision to bridge the
ing. with a high Métis population. emotional and spiritual power
As evidence of the project’s of art to bring about healing
During their involvement in lasting impact, as the social to communities who are still
this unique social justice proj- justice activism component of in crisis despite governmental
ect, SUNTEP students shared the project, SUNTEP students “apologies.” This art project is
stories of people and relatives have developed lesson and a demonstration of the resil-
they knew who attended the unit plans to use in their field iency of Aboriginal people and
residential school. Some were placements so Project of Heart their resistance to the cultural
stories of pain, some were will continue to be shared and collision between Canada’s
stories of relationships that honoured. Aboriginal peoples and Euro-
developed while in residential pean colonizers. We are still
school and some were humor- The project’s goal is to have valiantly fighting to reverse
ous anecdotes passed down 50,000 decorated tiles, each the devastating impact that
from grandparents and great- one representing a life lost in years of oppression has had on
grandparents. Through the the many residential schools Canada’s Aboriginal cultures
sharing of stories, we gathered across Canada. Although the and traditions. We hope that
together as students, teachers, future and final resting place the inter-generational damage
artists, and activists to remem- of the tiles is still uncertain, will not be forgotten but used
ber the forgotten and piece there is a possibility of an as a reminder that this cultural
together this influential, yet installation of the tiles as a genocide must never happen
poignant part of Canadian his- part of the new Canadian again!
tory. Being able to talk about Museum for Human Rights in
the residential school experi- Winnipeg. This is only a small You can check out the SUN-
ence has been painful to some gesture of reconciliation for TEP Regina’s tiles and more
students, but in some ways it the past and continued about the program at
started a healing process aided oppression of Aboriginal projectofheart.ca.
by research, the sharing of the people in Canada.
experience with family mem-
bers, the smudging of the tiles Art has the power to bring
and visits with an Elder/resi- together people from all ages
dential school survivor. and all walks of life. It can
On this journey for under- bring about awareness and
standing through heart and understanding, promote criti-

5. Faculty of Education Summer 2011
Talkin’ About School and Society is a public forum hosted by the Faculty of
Education which brings Faculty of Education professors and guest speakers together
with interested participants to discuss relevant topics in education. The lectures and
disscussions are organized by Drs. Mark Spooner and Patrick Lewis.
Critical Pedagogy: Dr. Michael Apple presented a public lecture on campus,
Monday, September 26th, 2011 in the Education Auditorium. Professor Apple also
participated, together with Dr. Paul Orlowksi, in the Talkin' About School and Society
evening session at La Bodega Restaurant. Dr. Apple is a critical theorist in education
and an author of several books and scholarly articles.
Politics, Sexuality, and Education: Dr. James
McNinch, Dean, Faculty of Education; Krista
Baliko, Co-Instructor of Schooling and Sexual
Identities course, Faculty of Education; and Dr.
Brenda Anderson, Assistant Professor, Women’s &
Gender Studies, Religious Studies, Luther College,
U of R were the presenters/provocateurs for this
evening session on Monday, November 21st, 2011.
Environmental Education: Where are we?:
Dr. Marcia McKenzie, Faculty of Education,
University of Saskatchewan; Dr. Herman Michell, Executive Director, NORTEP-
NORPAC; and Dr. David Greenwood, Canada Research Chair in Environmental
Education, Lakehead University (joining the session through Skype) were the
presenters/provocateurs for the January 30th, 2012 session.
Burn All the Schools: Is School Reform Possible?
Dr, Vianne Timmons, President, U of R; Dr. Jennifer Tupper, Associate Dean,
Faculty of Education, U of R; and Dr. Patrick Lewis, Faculty of Education, U of R
were the presenters/provocateurs for the March 26th, 2012 session.
A publication of the Faculty of Education, University of Regina, Regina, SK
Managing Editor, Layout & Design: Shuana Niessen (shuana.niessen@uregina.ca)
Editorial Board: Dr. James McNinch, Dr. Val Mulholland, & Dr. Carol Fulton