How a giant floor map is helping students confront Canada's colonial history
CBC
When Indigenous researcher John Doran first unrolled the map on the floor of McDougall Hall at the University of P.E.I., he couldn't believe his eyes.
It was huge. It can cover about half the floor of a school gym, measuring 11 by eight metres.
He walked around the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada Floor Map, trying to take it all in. The name of Prince Edward Island is nowhere to be found, nor are the names of any other provinces. There are no provincial boundaries.
Instead, there are the names of hundreds of First Nations communities, the languages spoken, the treaties. Red dotted lines outlined unsettled territory.
Around the edges is a timeline of events in Indigenous histories from around 2000 BC to 2017.
Doran, an assistant professor of Indigenous education at UPEI and a Sixties Scoop survivor, was surprised by the sheer amount of information.
"I feel just incredible and happy that there's something like this. When I was growing up, there wouldn't have been," he said.
"It's so all encompassing. For instance, around the edges, you see things that were markers in Indigenous histories. On the map, there are things like the land claims, the residential schools, First Nations communities and reserves. It gives children, or I hope anyone who sees it, an idea of just how big everything is."
Created by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, the map was developed in collaboration with Indigenous educators and consultants.
It arrived in P.E.I. in June, but remained unopened until Oct. 15, when it was brought to Doran from the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning.
And he was thrilled.
The map can raise awareness about Indigenous histories and cultures, but in a fun way, since people can walk around on it and discover things, Doran said.
"It's a sneaky way of learning. It's not like looking at an atlas in a book. I mean that's great, but this creates a different sensation."
He brought his students to the unveiling of the map. The students in the bachelor of education program are doing Indigenous specialization with him.
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