In the interest of reconciliation in education: inclusive indigenous content and modifications to the Ontario social studies and history curriculum from 1998 to 2023

Abstract

The Ontario Social Studies and History curriculum aids students in developing skills, knowledge, understanding, and attitudes that will benefit them in the classroom, their communities, and beyond. Nonetheless, there are disparities in what should be emphasized or included and which historical perspectives matter. Teachers have to deliver Indigenous content to students respectfully and thoroughly yet are provided with few tools and opportunities to do so. While the Ontario Social Studies and History curriculum includes Indigenous histories, its content is limited, and its use in the classroom solely depends on how knowledgeable and comfortable teachers are with the topic. Educators have expressed concern about teaching Indigenous topics while unprepared, under-resourced, and lacking sufficient time and support to convey the material to students effectively. While the Ontario Ministry of Education states it is doing all it can to create an inclusive curriculum covering Indigenous history, the depth of its Indigenous content has yet to be thoroughly examined. Using curriculum design theory and a two-eyed seeing approach, this research examines all elementary Social Studies and History curriculum documents from 1998 to 2023 and analyzes how the Ministry presents Indigenous content to teachers for use in the classroom. My findings show that while Indigenous content in the Social Studies curriculum has improved significantly between 1998 and 2023, gaps remain in key ideas and comprehensive content that would aid in student retention and understanding of Canadian and Indigenous history, as well as Indigenous experiences, perspectives, and subject matter. The curriculum does not adequately cover the impacts of residential schools, forced assimilation, segregation, and other atrocities against Indigenous and other minorities. Canadian history and Indigenous relationships are whitewashed, encouraging misrepresentation, omission, and marginalization while perpetuating biases and stereotypes, minimizing Indigenous voices and creating disparities in the knowledge of Indigenous history.