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Students collaborate with Miawpukek First Nation and the Heritage Committee of Gambo
18 Plays2 months ago
Jo Anne Broders (Smallwood Academy, Gambo, Newfoundland and Labrador)
Recipient of the 2024 Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching
For more information about the award visit CanadasHistory.ca/TeachingAward
This emotionally powerful project remembers the Mi’kmaq people and their valued contributions to local history in Gambo, Newfoundland and Labrador. Jo Anne Broders’s grade 8 class collaborated with Chief Mi’sel Joe of the Miawpukek First Nation, and Fred Jeans of the Heritage Committee of Gambo, to make visible and commemorate the history of thirteen people buried at a Mi’kmaq cemetery. Before the project, no markers visibly detailed who was buried there and when they may have died. Students did a lot of investigating about the Mi’kmaq history in their community, creating family trees, poetry, wall art, essays, and display boards to share what they learned. After the project’s completion, and because of the collaboration, signs were erected providing a history of Madeline Joe and her extended family, including names, pictures, dates of birth, and dates of deaths. To conclude students' learning, a community service was also held honouring the Mi’kmaq people that rested there.
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Transcript
Introduction & Guest Introduction
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to another episode of the Teaching Canada's History podcast. I'm your host, Brooke Campbell, and today we are speaking with the finalists of the 2024 Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Teaching.
00:00:16
Speaker
Created in 1996, the award recognizes innovative and impactful approaches to teaching Canadian history. For more information, visit canadashistory.ca slash teaching award.
Project Overview: Mi'kmaq Cemetery
00:00:28
Speaker
Today I'm speaking with junior and senior high school teacher Joanne Broders, who teaches in Gambo, Newfoundland and Labrador. Thanks for speaking with me today, Joanne. You're quite welcome, Brooke. It's an honor to be here speaking with you.
00:00:40
Speaker
So why don't you explain to us the project that you and your students have been been working on? Uh, so essentially it began in, in our grade eight, uh, social studies class, which studies the history of Newfoundland and Labrador, our province and the people and events that have shaped our province.
00:01:00
Speaker
And, ah we knew that there was a Mi'kmaq cemetery in the community. I didn't a hundred percent know where. and so we kind of had this conversation that we wanted to go visit and that's exactly what we did.
00:01:14
Speaker
Uh, in the fall and it was a nice, we picked a nice hot day, got permission letters and we took it, walked, uh, on the trails to this cemetery. And it was beautiful, a beautiful walk, a beautiful setting. We knew the trail was called Madeline's trail. They knew it, I knew but nobody really knew why it was called Madeline's trail.
00:01:36
Speaker
So we got to the, um, cemetery and there was a sign there that said, you know, RC Indian cemetery. And when we got inside, there were 13 marked graves. And I guess by marked, I mean that there were, there was wood around each grave site and a red flower in each one, but there was no written history about the 13 people there.
00:02:00
Speaker
So it was beautiful. you know, the birds were chirping, there was a soft wind. You could hear the trees, the leaves, you know, dancing, but you felt kind of sad and lonely more so than at any other cemetery. because there was no knowledge there of who was buried. So we felt it was a void that we wanted to do something about. And that's essentially the beginning of the project. So we took something from the book because the the curriculum does explore indigenous history in Newfoundland and Labrador. but you can do what you like with it. you know So we had the opportunity to visit a Mi'kmaq cemetery.
00:02:47
Speaker
And so from there, you know we we all had this sad feeling, every one of us, that 13 people that were buried there needed some history given back to them.
00:02:59
Speaker
And we had so many questions about who, when, what, where, why. and how they ended up here. So we went back to our classroom and the first thing that we did did certainly in this modern age, was Google Mi'kmaq Cemetery Gambo.
Community Collaboration
00:03:17
Speaker
So we recognized and learned right away that it was declared a provincial heritage site in 2011, or a municipal heritage site in 2011.
00:03:28
Speaker
But basically it's set into sight that the WHO, about people buried there really was unanswered. So that wasn't enough for us. So then we found a couple of maybe paragraphs ah written about who could be there, but not enough to definitively conclude anything about the accuracy of the Mi'kmaq people here in Gambo. So I called the town manager Lauren Green, and I explained to him what we had done in the classroom and where we would like to go as a class. You know, we had this goal in of mind, find out who's there and put some history in that cemetery because they deserve it.
00:04:10
Speaker
So he didn't know much, but he contacted, um or he gave me the contact information for Fred Jeans, a member of the town of Gambo, who is also a member of the Heritage Society here.
00:04:24
Speaker
So I called Fred, explained our dilemma and our goal, and he was fantastic. He came with us in the classroom and shared everything that he knew with us. And from there, the information started to grow about who was there. And it was just, it was brilliant. Actually, it was brilliant to see um something empty in terms of history start to fill.
00:04:51
Speaker
And Because it was the Joe family and we 100% knew that they were Mi'kmaq, I contacted Chief Micell Joe and i contacted his office, explained what we were doing as a class and what how we would like to involve him.
00:05:11
Speaker
And also noting that his last name was Joe. And we knew that the main person buried at the sanitary was Madeline Joe and her descendants, her family. So Chief Joe, without any the hesitation, was 100% on board. In fact, I think once he joined us, he was more the leader. He was just so invested in finding out who was there and honoring them, commemorating them.
00:05:39
Speaker
So he joined us in the classroom as well. So at different points, we had different presenters. And you know I had my students. And every day, we sit ah in a circle in my classroom. um And we had Fred in one day, Fred Jeans and Fred shared with us the history of what he knew. And, you know, i they they had the history and and they knew it well. So it unquestionably, this was a collaborative project. And I love collaborating with others and the students do as well. So because he shared what he knew, we learned from him. and by bringing Chief Joe in, we now had someone we were no longer talking about the Mi'kmaq people.
00:06:20
Speaker
We had the leader of the Mi'kmaq people, you know, chief himself in sharing his knowledge and his history with the students and with Fred. So it was a great think tank happening in the classroom. And we were doing it all for the people that were buried in that cemetery.
Student Engagement & Activities
00:06:40
Speaker
So the students did fantastic research, research probably that was never done like theirs before by a group of students. You know, they did family trees. Uh, they wrote poetry. They did artwork on canvas. We did artwork on the walls of the classroom in honoring the history of the Mi'kmaq people that were buried there. So it was a beautiful project. And then of course, um, I guess I don't want to call it the end of the project, but we eventually with Fred, with chief Joe, we invited people from the community. We went back to that cemetery. And we had a service there.
00:07:22
Speaker
So it was really, really nice. Chief um you know said his prayer, did a smudging, and it was just a very powerful moment for all of us to be part of, the community included. So from beginning to end, 100% collaboration to make the project happen.
00:07:43
Speaker
That's a very moving project throughout all of these different stages. um Can you share how your students were able to utilize and deepen their historical thinking skills throughout throughout this work and throughout all these different stages?
00:08:02
Speaker
Oh my goodness. i I think first and foremost, um probably the most visible um aspect of historical thinking that I saw happen in the classroom immediately um was the research, you know, because I didn't know more than them. Often teachers know more and you're trying to get the students to where you are or close to where you are.
00:08:28
Speaker
We were together. I was going in with very little knowledge. And so it was great that as I was researching, they were researching too.
00:08:38
Speaker
And as they were figuring things out, i was figuring things out and we were meshing it all together. So they became these great researchers and they became great critical thinkers.
00:08:50
Speaker
And they were digging and finding history and listening to Fred and listening to Chief Joe, they were really figuring things out. And I remember one child in particular in the classroom, he did a very um deep dive into the family tree of the Joe family and created a big version of that in the classroom to share. And I thought, wow, we've gone from not knowing the name of one person that was there to creating a family tree of who might be there. and And they did it based on the collaboration, you know, with chief Fred James everything that we could find, you know, from other people online. And so, yeah, they they really took
00:09:37
Speaker
something that was unknown and made it known. And by doing so, they went through all the aspects of historical thinking. We went through it together, really. You know, they became critical thinkers. And you can tell on the shirt that I'm wearing today, one of my students gave it to me because I say it all the time. History is never complete.
00:09:58
Speaker
What we know today can change tomorrow. And that's what they did. They took something and they changed the history. and the sense that they made it known, they made it accessible to anyone who visits that grave site now.
Media Coverage & Learning Impact
00:10:14
Speaker
And of course, because Land and Sea um ah did a great job turning our project into ah a really nice little show, did a fabulous job. they were That was another aspect of learning that, bringing Land and Sea into the classroom. for three days and then turning our project into a story was another level of learning for them as well. So it was just, you know, it was really, really fantastic and the causes and the consequences, the, you know, and that we learned about how they were there, why they were there, um wide ended and it didn't end because it's, um,
00:10:55
Speaker
bad thing that happened. It ended because the Mi'kmaq people here, basically, they joined the community and they joined other cemeteries because they married into the community. So we learned that, you know, the the history of Gambo is very, very rich in Indigenous history because another group lived here too, the Beothic people. And the Beothic people and Mi'kmaq people were here at the same time. and apparently got along quite well. So we wish we could, you know, we just wish we knew more.
00:11:31
Speaker
We wish we could go right back in time, but we dug as far as we could dig and we found out as much as we could. So, you know, these students in that particular class, they truly became historians.
00:11:44
Speaker
they They really did. They, you know, we we did it together. So I certainly was there at the same level with them. And I think in many ways we were all teaching each other. And it was just a fantastic experience for all of us to perspectives, the new perspectives that we learned and the new history that we learned that we shared with the community.
00:12:09
Speaker
So, yeah, I think, you know, historically um they were part of a journey that they'll never forget, that they'll never forget. And I think Land and Sea, the CBC show did a great job capturing all the levels of the learning and historical perspectives as well.
00:12:32
Speaker
You've shared the importance of collaboration in your classroom. Can you speak more about that and and or the other types of resources that you'd like to use in your classroom?
00:12:45
Speaker
So I'm, you know, I'm big on collaboration. I don't think I would be able to teach without collaborating with others. I look back on my career. I've been teaching a long time and i would have achieved very little without collaborating with others because, you know, my own knowledge on issues is often very small. But when you bring people into the classroom and they share their understandings, their perspectives, all of our learning grows. And it just makes the learning more interesting. It makes the teaching more interesting. And I think too, it unites all of us, everybody that's collaborated together, the students, the teacher, and the guests that come into the classroom, we unite as one. And one person is not considered in some ways more of a leader than the other. We're all very equal in it together. So for this one here, um as I said to you from the beginning, I knew very little. And so the students and I were on the same level. And when we brought in Fred Jeans from the Historic the Heritage Committee here in Gambo, and Chief Michel Jo, and also some other people from the community, like a former colleague of mine sent me a picture of Stephen Jo that I don't think was well known.
00:14:08
Speaker
It was just amazing to see everybody kind of work together and start to figure things out. And it was, it was great. So I think I can't imagine not collaborating. If somebody said to me, Joanne, you know, you're going to go back in September of, you know, 2024, right until June of 25, you can't do any collaborating in your teaching. I don't think I'd be able to teach. are you you know You probably would be turning to pages in a book and really not doing anything too investigative.
00:14:41
Speaker
And so I think how we collaborate with others and using the knowledge that people have in the community is one of your best resources. So when I think of resources, um you mean I think of online resources and books and magazines. But I think i love people as resources and that's the best resource certainly that we had in this project. We use people to honor and commemorate another group of people.
00:15:08
Speaker
And yeah, so it was, it was fantastic, um, at having the, um, opportunity to collaborate with others to improve the teaching and the learning for to benefit the uh, the Mi'kmaq people buried in that cemetery.
Reflection on Educational Outcomes
00:15:25
Speaker
That segues really well into my into my last question, which is to ask about the impact of this project. I know that there have been so many outcomes, but I would love for you to to share a little bit more about what you've seen with your, both for your students, but also for the community at large.
00:15:44
Speaker
You know, sometimes when a project is finished and you have the time and opportunity and privilege to reflect on it, it's then that you realized what you learned and what students learned. And I think first and foremost, students became very engaged citizens in the community of Gambo for the Mi'kmaq people that lived in this community.
00:16:09
Speaker
ah They became young leaders collaborating with other leaders in the community to find accurate information about who, ah you know, who was buried in that cemetery they also and if i went in and said to them you know you guys are historical thinkers they'd be like what but they really are they really are historical thinkers they took action to make history more accurate for a community and they have a lot to be proud of when land and sea aired the show initially um the public library here hosted the show the viewing and invited all the students and their families and other people to come and watch. People from ah you know Newfoundland and Labrador schools came and watched with us. And it was a true celebration of work that they did to honor the Mi'kmaq people.
00:17:09
Speaker
And i don't think better learning could happen you know than to take something unknown to make it known and to celebrate people.
00:17:20
Speaker
so It was fantastic. And they learned to to be really effective at communication as well, you know, because it wasn't just about learning.
00:17:34
Speaker
We wanted to give back to the community about this beautiful lady, Madeline Jo, who was Mi'kmaq here. She died in 1906. And she was this very skilled ah person. She was a healer. She fished, she she did everything. So she was truly a leader in her community, our community. And we wanted to celebrate her and we did, we did it through art, through words, every which way possible. So students really did a phenomenal job. And sometimes they don't pat themselves on the back enough to say we did do a great job. And we had that celebration. land and sea, sent out hats and shirts and yeah, to, to all the kids and said like, thank you to them. So it was just, a it was wonderful me for me as a teacher to be part of that experience. Because as I said to you, I was totally on their level. I was learning as they were learning. I just, I just threw the ideas out there sometimes. And so, yeah, they did a wonderful job. And I think too, we learned that
00:18:44
Speaker
you know, from the beginning and certainly right to the very end, that sanitaries are places of history where we can learn so much about people, our people and their past. And they they did a great job in preserving the history of the Mi'kmaq people here in Gambo, along with the Heritage Committee here in Gambo and along with Chief Misal Joe. So I think too, it sends message to them that When you have a big big project that you want to discover, that you want to take on, collaborate.
00:19:22
Speaker
Reach out people collaborate and you'll do a much better job than try to to do it on your own. Plus it's more fun doing things with other people. you know, you make great connections that can lead to other connections and other projects down the road. So yeah, the impact for students was just fantastic. I'm so proud of them for being the rich collaborators, the young leaders and great mentors to other people to to share history once you find it.
00:19:55
Speaker
Can I add on, I hope we did justice to Madeline Jo and her family because they deserved to be remembered.
Final Thoughts & Gratitude
00:20:05
Speaker
Thank you so much, Joanne, for for sharing for sharing all these words and for sharing the work that your students have been doing and that you have been doing.
00:20:14
Speaker
It's been so lovely to learn about this project. Thank you very much, Brooke.