Technolandy

Day 180 a (of 2025/26)thinking about #nationalIndigenousPeoplesHistoryMonth and #IndigenousPeoplesDay

One of the things I appreciate about National Indigenous Peoples Day is that it reminds me that learning isn’t something reserved for students.

Adults are learners too.

Every year I discover a new author, a new story, a new perspective, or a piece of local history that somehow never found its way into my schooling.

That’s both humbling and hopeful.

Humbling because it reminds me how much I still don’t know.

Hopeful because learning is always possible.

As we recognize National Indigenous Peoples Day, I’m grateful for the people who continue to share their stories, languages, cultures, and knowledge. And I’m grateful that today’s students are growing up with more opportunities to learn those stories than many of us had.

The learning continues.

Where? Glad you asked:

As somebody who spends an unhealthy amount of time thinking about comics, superheroes, movies, books, and the stories we choose to tell, National Indigenous Peoples Day always makes me think about whose stories get preserved, shared, and celebrated. Every culture has heroes. Every community has stories that explain values, relationships, responsibilities, and identity. Yet for a long time, many Indigenous stories, histories, and perspectives were missing from what was taught in schools, shown in media, or included in the versions of Canadian history that many of us grew up learning.

One of the interesting things about popular culture is how quickly it can expand when new voices are invited in. Superhero universes become richer when new characters arrive with different experiences and perspectives. The same is true of our understanding of Canada. Indigenous histories are not a side quest to the Canadian story. They are foundational to it. Indigenous Peoples are not figures from the past. They are authors, artists, scientists, athletes, leaders, educators, activists, knowledge keepers, and community builders shaping the present and future.

What I appreciate most is that today’s students have more opportunities to encounter Indigenous stories than many previous generations did. Through books, graphic novels, local community partnerships, language revitalization efforts, land-based learning, and the work of Indigenous creators, students can engage with perspectives that help create a more complete picture of the world around them.

The best stories do more than entertain. They help us understand ourselves and each other a little better. National Indigenous Peoples Day is a reminder that there are still stories to hear, perspectives to learn from, and histories to better understand. And that’s a pretty good reminder for all of us, whether we’re students or adults.

This year: add Jay Odjicks Kaboom!  and 150 Years Retold – two graphic novels we are adding to our English First Peoples courses…