Such an interesting topic because I’m an aboriginal from Canada and have been to Taiwan already in late 2019. I think there are very few aboriginals from both countries that have traveled to either side of the pond. I’ve been trying to find some others who have made it to Taiwan, so far no success.
Thank goodness I didn’t stay long on a dreadful reservation as I was given up for adoption at a really young age. I tell you, those reservations are pits of despair and so many problems can be found there (booze, drugs and violence). Oh yeah, the entitlement problem is alive and well, and so is racism towards other ethnic groups.
I don’t remember what my schooling was like on and off the reservation, but in my later years I’ve always heard conflicting things about the aboriginal kids and teens that have gone through school.
I’m moving to Taiwan next year under my company, so it will be a refreshing change of scenery and people.
I used to work for a First Nations reservation school board in Northern Ontario. What you said is exactly what I have seen in several of these kids. It was a very difficult place to work and even though I wanted to stay another year there, I couldn’t because they told me that my contract would not be extended exactly 10 days before it ended.
That sounds like band politics for you, such a shame. I’m still baffled by how much money has been poured into these places with little to show for it.
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I haven’t posted anything in this thread lately since the past 6 months. But I have to revive the discussion. Because you see, I never thought that I would be in a position at this very time right now to be a teacher wanted by 3 employers.
All these times I have worked in Taiwan, my 3 previous employers have never given me a chance to renew my contract after doing one year with them. And this fourth employer here in Taiwan is now giving me a chance to renew with them. I never thought that would happen.
However, I have also been offered 2 jobs back in Canada, one of them is a supply teaching position in Southern Ontario, and the other is teaching for an Indigenous school board in Northern Quebec.
This thread is about teaching Indigenous students. I never had the chance of teaching in a predominantly Indigenous community here in Taiwan, but I have been to about three predominantly Indigenous towns, and I have gone to church with Indigenous Taiwanese. But now, I have a job offer to move back to Canada and work for an Indigenous school board in Northern Quebec. (Funny I don’t even have to know French to have this job). The Indigenous community where I will have this job is farther away north of Toronto, 10-11hrs drive. This particular school board will take care of me more than the previous one I used to work for. They will send a truck to deliver my personal effects before I move up there, and they will provide me a place to live on that reserve. The place where they will provide me to live is furnished, and I will have to pay a cheap subsidized rent which includes utilities (along with internet I hope). Because of that, I will not be making any long 50km roundtrip commutes to work and back. I will be in walking distance to work. This reservation is more lonelier, but it’s no problem because it’s located on the road I can take to get to Montreal, I have kin that live in Montreal.
I will be assigned to teach grade 8 math and science in this reserve. Most of the assignment will be teaching math and four periods of science. But here is the strange thing, I am not a specialist in math or science, neither do I have additional qualifications in teaching those subjects. But the principal of that school told me that I will be working with a colleague so that should bring some ease to my mind. So I accepted the job. One thing I am sure about is
that grade 8 math there is not as advanced as grade 8 math here in Taiwan.
I have a choice in Canada for both that, and working as a supply teacher for a public school
board in southern Ontario. The supply teaching job will not guarantee me 5 days a week
for work compared to the job teaching Indigenous students in Northern Quebec.
With my experience teaching for the previous Indigenous community where I used to be, I
should be able to handle what’s coming to me. Where I was before, I dealt with a lot of kids
who were very disrespectful and have no discipline. That community is also infested with
drugs and crime and all sorts of problems related to the socio-economic conditions.
This community where I will be working will probably not be so bad because it’s father away
from the big cities, (the father the better so no gangs will go up there and take advantage). And because I will be living in that community I will be able to interact with the community members including the students I will be teaching. That should help with making positive relations with my students. If there are community events happening and they’re all in walking distance, I will go, even if I have to drive 100 km I will go. There is also more land-based culture there which helps a lot of these young people. One thing for sure is this, I still cannot escape from the fact that I will be dealing with some young people who still suffer from intergenerational trauma caused by the residential schools and the 60’s scoop. I hope that I will be able to do a better job this time reaching out to them so I can make a difference.
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