National Indigenous History Month

Overview

National Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated on June 21st each year, and while June is the national month of celebration, learning about First Nations, Métis and Inuit can happen throughout the year.

Canada’s Indigenous Peoples

Learning about the stories, cultures and perspectives of the First Peoples of Canada is an important and valued part of Alberta's curriculum.

Alberta's commitment (PDF, 28 KB) to include mandatory content in Alberta’s Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K to 12) curriculum was reaffirmed on March 27, 2014, at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) event in Edmonton. Alberta government commits to strengthened partnerships with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, organizations and people. Alberta is working toward practical solutions of reconciliation.

To honour these commitments, we continue to work with our education partners, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit stakeholders, to enhance curriculum to provide additional opportunities for students and teachers to learn about residential schools and their legacy, treaties and First Nations, Métis and Inuit experiences, perspectives and contributions in historical and contemporary contexts throughout the K to 12 programs of study.

A focus on Indigenous peoples' perspectives when learning about our country's origins and development is central to the K to 12 Social Studies Program of Studies (français) and the Aboriginal Studies 10-20-30 Programs of Study. Cree and Blackfoot language, culture and perspectives are explored in Cree Language and Culture Programs of Study and the Blackfoot Language and Culture Programs of Study.

Government of Canada – National Indigenous Peoples Day

Resources

Teachers, students and families can learn more about National Indigenous History Month and honour and celebrate the important contributions that First Nations, Métis and Inuit have made and continue to make in shaping our province, country and world.

Online resources

Alberta Education's Walking Together: First Nations, Métis and Inuit Perspectives in Curriculum is an online tool designed to inform educators about the beliefs, experiences and worldviews of First Nations, Métis and Inuit in our province and includes a resource, "Healing Historical Trauma," which provides historically accurate, first-hand accounts of residential school survivors.

LearnAlberta (français) offers many resources linked to First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives and experiences, including residential schools and treaties. Resources provided are correlated to various Alberta programs of study.

Guiding Voices: A Curriculum Development Tool for Inclusion of First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives is a holistic development and evaluation tool that was developed to ensure appropriateness, accuracy and authenticity of First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives and content in curriculum.

Deepen your understandings of First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives on literacy and numeracy through Empowering the Spirit, a resource made available through a partnership between Alberta Education and the Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortium. This rich resource includes videos and other source materials.

The Blackfoot Digital Library is an online resource site with information for anyone interested in learning about the Blackfoot people and their culture. The site contains images, audio, videos and documents collected over the past century.