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EDU 211 Midterm Paper

Madisyn Mackenzie

Red Deer College

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I am ashamed to say I have been a very judgemental person for basically the entirety of

my life thus far. Not an in intentionally cruel way, but in an uneducated, sheltered manner.

Within the last year I have completely altered my perspective on not only Aboriginal peoples,

but of all people. I have come to believe every single person is born fundamentally good. We are

however, products of our environment. Every individual is on their own journey, facing different

challenges, encountering different people, and coming from different backgrounds. All of which

make us uniquely different in every aspect and influence every choice we ever make. Coming

from the perspective that we are all inherently good, it causes one to try to understand human

actions instead of immediately judging. Unfortunately I believe a large majority of conflicts arise

not from a lack of compassion, but from a lack of understanding and education. Learning about

the Aboriginal culture at a deeper level has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding,

awareness, and appreciation for all human beings. I hope to take this appreciation and

understanding with me to my future classroom and share with my future students in hopes that

one day we will live in a world where racism and prejudice do not exist.

I am a female caucasian Canadian but also a friend, and teacher. In the beginning of the

course I heard the term white privilege and it resonated deeply with me because for the first time

I was truly able to grasp the term for its entirety. I have heard of white privilege before but it had

no meaning, possibly because I never imagined what life would be like for those who do not

have a life of white privilege. I was born white, I have never had to deal with issues so many

people have to face on a daily basis due to the colour of their skin or the country they were born

in. I have been privileged my whole life because of the colour of my skin. I will never be able to

truly understand how it feels to be oppressed because of race or culture but that does not mean I
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cannot empathize with those who are or who have been. I know it does not compare, but I relate

in a way because I am a woman. Due to my gender I have been subjected to behaviour that men

generally are not. I work at a golf course where some male members talk to me as if I am only an

object. I once got a job only to find out it was not because I was the best applicant but because

the owner liked the way I looked. I have been harassed and disrespected by males who will not

take “no” for an answer but will leave as soon as I mention there is another male involved. I am

aware these situations do not compare to those who deal with racism and prejudice on a daily

basis, I have never been oppressed. Some people may even say I am lucky to have these

problems, or maybe they are not even problems. Regardless, I do understand how it feels to be

stereotyped, disrespected, and judged for things out of my control such as how I look and what

gender I am.

I identify with a few collective groups such as a student, teacher, Canadian, and a

feminist. Feminism is an identity that I have newly identified myself with. I am embarrassed to

admit I never really identified as a feminist before because I did not know what it truly meant. I

really only saw the extreme feminists in the media who did not accurately represent what

feminism is, but rather made a negative reputation for feminists. When I understood feminism is

not about hating men but rather fighting for women to have the same rights as men I identified

myself as a feminist. I can relate this to my previous speculations of the Aboriginal culture. I

never tried to understand the Aboriginal culture, I only ever made judgements based on what the

was presented by the media, which were not always accurate representations. It is a basic human

need to belong to a group, to be connected and there is a certain strength that comes from being

part of a collective group. However it is important to keep your individual integrity when you
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identify with a group. Often times we do not question if what the collective is doing is morally

right because majority rules and we trust that majority is right. Which can be difficult to do

because it is very easy to feel inferior, especially as an individual, when there is a group that

appears to be superior. I feel proud to say I am a feminist and it allows me to identify with many

women who also have the same values.

My father's side of the family has been in Canada since 1905, which is the year my great

great grandfathers family made the journey from England to Saskatchewan. This is significant

because 1905 is the year Saskatchewan joined Confederation and many immigrants rushed to the

prairies to start new lives. In 1946 my great grandfather and grandmother both served overseas in

Holland and Italy during World War II. I have only recently found out about my families history,

and knowing my family is tied to such significant events brings a new appreciation for how far

our Nation has grown. As I was thinking about my own personal connection to historical

Canadian events that I have personally experienced, I immediately thought about Canada turning

150 years old last year. I am thankful and grateful to live in a peaceful country that my relatives

fought for.

As I think more deeply about Canada's past, I realize our country has come so far

regarding the respect and treatment of Aboriginal peoples but yet still has so far to go. Growing

up I was a bit naive to believe that Canada's dark history was of the distant past. I was taught

about the Indian residential schools, however I never grasped how terrible and corrupt they really

were until watching the film ​We Were Children​. After watching the film I was absolutely

shocked to discover the last Indian residential school in Canada was closed in 1996, because that

is the year I was born. It is atrocious that the last closing was only 22 years ago. Canada is
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growing and evolving but the pain our country has inflicted on the Aboriginal Culture is not just

a thing of the past but also of the present. As I have taken a variety of courses at Red Deer

College, I have a new understanding and appreciation for Aboriginal culture. I have learned

about the trauma, scars, and broken trust that the Aboriginal culture has and still does endure.

Due to my education I look at the Aboriginal culture through a new lense without any judgement

or stereotypes. I am able to understand, not because I have experienced the trauma they have but

because I am a human too.

We are all on our own path experiencing different challenges, encountering different

people and coming from different backgrounds. All of these factors shape who we are and

influence every decision we make. Although we are all different, I believe at the core all humans

are the same. I do not think humans lack compassion or empathy, but often lack to understand. I

believe every human is born good and wants to be connected. Learning about the Aboriginal

culture has allowed me to comprehend the importance on understanding versus judging. It has

also allowed me to gain a deeper understanding, awareness, and appreciation for all human

beings. As a future educator I am hopeful we will one day be able to live in world that is

completely accepting of others. I believe it is through education and understanding the world will

change.
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References

Sherman, J. (Writer). (2012). ​We were children = Nous nétions que des enfants​[Motion picture].

Montreal: National Film Board of Canada.