Shaping Canada: Shaping Metis History 1t1e16

Shaping Metis history By Paul Rajotte When learning Canadian history one can often wonder where the information they are reading has come from. Was it the exact words of those involved ed down from generation to generation or was it written by someone like a historian, someone who has thoroughly studied the subject for many years? The latter is the case in regards to the new grade eleven textbook that will be distributed to Winnipeg schools in September and used to teach students about western Canadian history. McGraw-Hill Ryerson is the company that published the new textbook Shaping Canada, Our History: From Our Beginnings to the Present. McGraw-Hill Ryerson gathered a group of writers to work alongside a designated group of consultants consisting of educational advisors, Aboriginal historians and Elders. Three of those consultants are of the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF). Elder George Ducharme, General Manager of the Louis Riel Institute Grant Anderson and the Coordinator of Metis Heritage and History Research Lawrence Barkwell were all involved to help shape the new textbook. "We were pleased with the outcome of the textbook," said Barkwell. "We wanted the information and pictures included to be relevant to the Metis people of today." A lot of significant information was updated in this textbook. "Some of the pictures in the old books didn't have the correct names to go along with the pictures," said Barkwell. "We've got some great pictures in this new book of Riel's government and of our new Manitoba Metis Government with President David Chartrand and the MMF Board of Directors." Even local Red River Cart maker Armand Jerome is shown leading the Red River Cart journey to Batoche. The most important aspect of the new textbook according to Barkwell is that

Metis History can now be told in a positive way. "There are certain stories that were in previous books that had some facts wrong," says Barkwell. Like the Battle of Seven Oaks. "The Metis never attacked first," he said. "They were protecting themselves, those are important corrections." The textbook includes many significant Metis issues throughout Canadian history like the negotiations to have the Metis included in the Constitution and the 'Reign of Terror'. "Some of these issues have never been in a history book before," said Barkwell. "We were trying to have the Metis portrayed in a good light, contrary to some other books." According to Barkwell high school textbooks usually have a shelf life of about ten years, which gives lots of Manitoba's youth the opportunity to learn new things about the Metis. "It covers Metis history from before Riel's provisional government to the modern day Metis and the MMF," he said. Shaping Canada will be accompanied by a 'Teacher's Guide' and an online learning guide as a resource for teachers and students. To order copies of the book the Manitoba Textbook Bureau at mtbb.mb.ca.