Mom outraged after LCBO bag used as example in Indigenous art class to make medicine bags

Lena Recollet didn't understand why herson was refusing to complete one of hisassignments until she discovered what it was.

"He got really upset; he called it paper bag animals," she said.

"I looked and it was worse than what he was saying. There was an LCBO bag," Recollet told CBC Toronto.

The assignment was for a Grade 9 virtualcoursecalledExpressions ofFirst Nations, Mtis, and Inuit Cultures in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).

"This was a non-Indigenous teacher trying to tell the students to make medicine bags with paper bags and they have to draw their favourite animal on it," said Recollet, whoisAnishnaabe anda language instructor with the TDSB.

The teacher had used the paper liquor store bag as an example for the students to follow.

Recolletis from Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island but now livesin Toronto. A medicine bag is a deeply spiritual and sacred item that has been used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years for protection. They are generally made out of leather, not paper.

The TDSB says the teacher is no longer instructing the course, but Indigenous educators say the incident speaks toa larger structural issue concerningthe lack of professional development and hiring practices.

Recollet said sheinformed the board'sUrban Indigenous Education Centre and filed a complaint with the board'sHuman Rights Office against the teacher, Donna Blanco.

"It's not an appropriate assignment. There's so many things wrong with it;misrepresentation, cultural appropriation, using an LCBO bag is racism," she said.

"Even if we weren't Indigenous, an LCBO bag shouldn't have been used to begin with.He's in Grade 9."

In her complaint, Recolletsaid,she listed the desired outcome as having Blanco removed from the course and asked the board to ensure her son was not in a class of hers again.

But Recollet said the bigger issue is having a non-Indigenous teacher instruct the Indigenous arts course. She also wants to see the process of submitting a racism or discrimination complaint within the board improved.

Assignment 'makesa mockery of things we value' professor says

Jennifer Brantteaches courses on Indigenous literatures, anti-racism and settler colonialism, and structural and colonial violence in education at the University of Toronto. Shesays these are the types of assignments "that connect to the negative stereotypes against Indigenous peoplesand are completely inappropriate and harmful."

"For Indigenous students, this is a direct attack on cultural identity and makes a mockery of the things that we value," Brant said, adding that an Indigenous arts course should be taught by an Indigenous educator.

Brant saidher own kids have also been assigned insensitive projects throughout their schooling, and is disappointed that these incidents are still happening.

"I want to say it's shocking, but it isn't shocking. It's deeply troubling how commonthese types of insensitive or inappropriate assignments occur."

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Brant saidas the push continues to bring more Indigenous content into the education system, she feels there needs to be more mandatory training.

"I feel teachers have not had enough professional development opportunities or they aren't thinking deeply enough about how to do that in appropriate ways."

TDSB responds

In an emailed statement to CBC News, the TDSB said it "found this incident to be completely unacceptable and immediately took steps to address this cultural appropriation," adding,"this particular lesson is not part of the curriculum and should not have been taught."

When asked why a non-Indigenous teacher was instructing the course, the board said: "While our preference is for Indigenous teachers to teach Indigenous courses, that is not always possible."

TheTDSBsays non-Indigenous teachers can teach this course providing they receive additional trainingthrough the board's Urban Indigenous Education Centre. It says in some cases, teachers have also enrolled inadditional courses.

The board notesIndigenous artists and community members are available to support staffand that the TDSB is actively exploring ways to increase the number of Indigenous staff"not just in teaching, but in all areas of the school board. Part of this work will be through the dismantling of systemic barriers faced by Indigenous educators."

Blanco, the teacher,did not respond to CBC's request for comment. The TDSBconfirmed she is still working at the board but is no longer teaching the course.

Recollet says she told her son his feelings about the assignment were valid.She drove him to a craft storeand he made the bag out of leather instead of paper to complete the assignment.

"This shouldn't be happening at all. These programs exist because people fought for these programs to exist," she said.

And while she doesn't believe in 2021 that fight should still be happening, she's hoping that speaking out provokes change.

"This is deep work."