Indigenous atlases for Alberta students

By Janet Kanters Times Editor

Strathmore and area junior highs and high schools are receiving a copy of the Canadian Geographic Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada from the Government of Alberta.
The government purchased 1,600 copies of the atlas to be distributed to schools throughout the province. The atlases will allow students to learn about the history and legacy of residential schools and the history of First Nations, Métis and Inuit in Canada. The four-volume atlas set includes information on Indigenous communities, languages, education, treaties and lands.
In Alberta, the first province or territory in the country to widely distribute the atlas, it is mandatory that current and future kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum includes student learning outcomes specific to First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives and experiences, as well as content on the significance of residential schools and treaties.
The atlas set is accompanied by an interactive website and an educational app. Three of the books in the atlas cover First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and perspectives. The fourth focuses on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and residential schools.