New Indigenous atlas provided to every junior high and high school in Alberta

OTTAWA-The Government of Alberta recently purchased copies of the Canadian Geographic's Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada to be distributed in every junior high school and high school in the province. Produced in partnership with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), the Métis National Council (MNC), the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), and Indspire, the atlas is promoted as being a comprehensive education tool written from the perspective of Indigenous Canadians. Each of the four books of the atlas cover a separate topic: Truth and Reconciliation, First Nations, Inuit and Mé​tis.

Charlene Bearhead, the educational advisor on the project, said the Canadian Geographical Society heard from more than 200 Indigenous sources to create the books. The atlas also provides classroom-sized floor maps to show Indigenous territories and treaty areas.

"The Atlas will certainly help Albertan students build a better understanding of the Indigenous Peoples in Canada, appreciate their contributions to Canadian society, and ultimately begin the process of reconciliation," says John Geiger, CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, which is responsible for publishing the book.

"The Assembly of First Nations is encouraged by the interest shown in the Indigenous Peoples Atlas across the country, and this latest move by the Government of Alberta shows it can play an important role in public education. We hope to build on this momentum and expand awareness and understanding of First Nation cultures and contributions in shaping Canada. We all have a role in reconciliation, and this resource can help educators, students, schools and communities learn from and tell the story of our shared history," said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde.

The Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada was created in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, which cite the development of culturally appropriate curricula for Indigenous students as a top priority. Lack of appropriate educational and financial resources for Indigenous students in Canada has long been deemed a contributing factor to the marginalization of Indigenous communities.

According to BookNet Canada, the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada, which was released in 2018, was the bestselling Young Adult Non-Fiction print book for the year. The atlas is also available for online reading at: https://indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca.