╌>

Ontario school district pulls Indigenous author's book for being too Indigenous - Walking Eagle News

  
Via:  Kavika  •  2 years ago  •  21 comments

By:   Walking Eagle News

Ontario school district pulls Indigenous author's book for being too Indigenous - Walking Eagle News
An Ontario school district has pulled a Indigenous author's book from library shelves and warned teachers not to use it because it's simply too Indigenous. School district officials sai…

Sponsored by group SiNNERs and ButtHeads

SiNNERs and ButtHeads

THIS IS SATIRE


S E E D E D   C O N T E N T



April 20, 2022

An Ontario school district has pulled an Indigenous author's book from library shelves and warned teachers not to use it because it's simply too Indigenous.

School district officials said the fantasy novel The Great Bear, written by Cree writer David A. Robertson, has been found to contain 347% more Indigeneity than recommended levels.

"These Indigenous levels are off the charts!" a spokesperson for Durham District School Board said, clutching an Indigi-O-Meter. "It's too Indigenous for the children!"

Long-term exposure to Indigenous literature has been known to lead to children having knowledge of Indigenous stories, and in some cases speaking Indigenous languages.

It's not the first time a public agency has banned Indigenous books and knowledge. In 2017, Saskatchewan parents were outraged when the new Indigenous curriculum turned their kids into First Nation, Metis, and Inuit Peoples.

THIS IS SATIRE


Tags

jrGroupDiscuss - desc
[]
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
1  seeder  Kavika     2 years ago

Damn those history books. 

She is indigenous and beautiful.

512

He is not.

512

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
1.1  devangelical  replied to  Kavika @1    2 years ago

wtf?

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
1.1.1  seeder  Kavika   replied to  devangelical @1.1    2 years ago

It's satire, devan. I don't know why it wasn't listed that way.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
1.1.2  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  Kavika @1.1.1    2 years ago

Groups don't have the same access as direct Home (Front) Page articles to categorize the content of an article/seed.

I'm glad it's satire.  Being from Ontario I got really upset when I first saw the title.

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
1.1.3  seeder  Kavika   replied to  Buzz of the Orient @1.1.2    2 years ago

Ah, thanks Buzz.

 
 
 
Thomas
Senior Guide
2  Thomas    2 years ago

The Indig-o-meter.   

jrSmiley_10_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
2.1  seeder  Kavika   replied to  Thomas @2    2 years ago

Yea, they will be a hot item on Amazon. LOL

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
2.1.1  Split Personality  replied to  Kavika @2.1    2 years ago

Like cheap wrist blood pressure cuffs - those things are never accurate, lol !

 
 
 
Raven Wing
Professor Guide
2.1.2  Raven Wing  replied to  Split Personality @2.1.1    2 years ago

I have an Omron wrist blood pressure cuff, and I have checked is accuracy with three different doctors using a sleeve and bulb and wrist units to test the Omron accuracy. And it is accurate with the sleeve and bulb unit and the wrist unit. And it did not cost me that much. 

So perhaps the accuracy has to do with the brand of wrist cuff unit one buys. 

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
2.1.3  Split Personality  replied to  Raven Wing @2.1.2    2 years ago

I have a big Omron, optional battery, wireless, doctor ordered and made me swear to never report numbers to him unless the unit was plugged in.

The docs & nurses took my wrist cuff and threw it away, lol.

 
 
 
Raven Wing
Professor Guide
2.1.4  Raven Wing  replied to  Split Personality @2.1.3    2 years ago

That is why they make various types and brands of blood pressure units. Glad you have one that is accurate and meets your needs. But, they are not all the same.

The Omron was suggested by two of my doctors, so I feel it is a good brand. And several of my doctors offices use the Omron cuff units as well. 

As the saying goes, "Different strokes for different folks", or something like that. jrSmiley_4_smiley_image.png  

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
3  Tacos!    2 years ago

If they don’t keep these books out of the schools, kids will think it’s ok to be indigenous. Stop the grooming!

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
3.1  seeder  Kavika   replied to  Tacos! @3    2 years ago
If they don’t keep these books out of the schools, kids will think it’s ok to be indigenous. Stop the grooming!

Exactly, it never ends, our schools have become grooming sites.

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
3.2  Split Personality  replied to  Tacos! @3    2 years ago

Jeez, every Irish Catholic boy I grew up with thought they were indigenous, lol.

 
 
 
Transyferous Rex
Freshman Quiet
4  Transyferous Rex    2 years ago
has been found to contain 347% more Indigeneity than recommended levels.

I didn't see in the article what the recommended daily dosage level of Indigeneity is. I might be getting overexposed where I am. Other than finding beautiful women beautiful, what are the other signs to look for?

As an aside...is the underlying story satire?

https://www.thestar.com/local-oshawa/news/2022/04/18/ddsb-responds-to-criticism-after-book-by-indigenous-author-pulled-from-school-library-shelves.html#:~:text=It%20recently%20came%20to%20light%20that%20the%20board,of%20the%20Governor%20General’s%20Literary%20Award.%20Skip%20Advertisement

Clicked the link to read more, and, as I tend to do, clicked the linked article in the linked article. Seems this was really removed by the school.

Thread

See new Tweets

Conversation

cl9MxMWI_x96.jpg
David A. Robertson
@DaveAlexRoberts
·
Apr 17 This is not just about The Great Bear. This is about education leadership acting as gatekeepers that decide what teachers can teach, and what students can learn. It’s appalling, and I’ll keep fighting for my book and others. One of many messages I’m getting from DDSB teachers: 
cl9MxMWI_x96.jpg
David A. Robertson
@DaveAlexRoberts
·
I’m a high school English teacher with the DDSB. Unfortunately, the fact that your book has been pulled does not come as a surprise given what the board has been doing with all Indigenous literature we are trying to teach. 
cl9MxMWI_x96.jpg
David A. Robertson
@DaveAlexRoberts
·
Apr 1 You may be interested to know that as we plan to implement the “Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices” course in place of our traditional grade 11 English course next year, we are given an “approved list” of Indigenous literature to choose from. 
cl9MxMWI_x96.jpg
David A. Robertson
@DaveAlexRoberts
·
Apr And, if we would like to pick a book that is not on the list, it must go through a “review process” to be approved or rejected. We are limited in the Indigenous voices and stories that we are allowed to teach in this new course. 
cl9MxMWI_x96.jpg
David A. Robertson
@DaveAlexRoberts
·
I am getting several similar messages of requests to read the book in class or stock it in classroom libraries. These requests are being denied. More books are on the chopping block. /5
cl9MxMWI_x96.jpg
David A. Robertson
@DaveAlexRoberts: 
Gatekeepers can pick off, confiscate, and “review/ban/not recommend” books at their discretion. And teachers are afraid to speak out. Keep messaging me, and I’ll keep fighting. Anybody is welcome to join, and fight for teachers right to teach, and kids right to learn. /6
 
 
 
evilone
Professor Guide
5  evilone    2 years ago

It's too late for me, but the rest of you white people should run. Run away!

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
5.1  seeder  Kavika   replied to  evilone @5    2 years ago
It's too late for me, but the rest of you white people should run. Run away!

Remember your an nitaawigi'aagan Anishinaabe.

 
 
 
evilone
Professor Guide
5.1.1  evilone  replied to  Kavika @5.1    2 years ago

jrSmiley_36_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
6  seeder  Kavika     2 years ago
I didn't see in the article what the recommended daily dosage level of Indigeneity is. I might be getting overexposed where I am. Other than finding beautiful women beautiful, what are the other signs to look for?

Tipi crawling, 49ing, snagging for starters. 

Yes, it is a true story, sadly. Not the first and certainly not the last. 

One that was quite interesting was Sherman Alexie's book, ''The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian.''

After it was banned in some school districts it sold thousands of additional copies. 

 
 
 
Transyferous Rex
Freshman Quiet
6.1  Transyferous Rex  replied to  Kavika @6    2 years ago

That's what I feared.

I'm not saying it's right, but at least there were some objective reasons given for the ban of Alexie's book. Robertson's book allegedly did not comply with the district's policy of promoting indigenous people, heritage, culture, etc. I find that extremely hard to believe. Sounds, to me, like the district's policy is nothing but lip service. 

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
6.1.1  seeder  Kavika   replied to  Transyferous Rex @6.1    2 years ago
I'm not saying it's right, but at least there were some objective reasons given for the ban of Alexie's book.

The problem was that it was real and most school boards couldn't deal with that. 

Robertson's book allegedly did not comply with the district's policy of promoting indigenous people, heritage, culture, etc. I find that extremely hard to believe. Sounds, to me, like the district's policy is nothing but lip service. 

 I find it strange as well, to say the least. the author being Cree. So I suppose the district knows indigenous people better than the real thing.

 
 

Who is online

devangelical
Hal A. Lujah
bugsy
Greg Jones
Sparty On


96 visitors