Research summary
Canadian teachers are increasingly being asked to include Indigenous literature in their curriculum—often for the first time and without prior training. This can be a challenge for non-Indigenous teachers, who may be unfamiliar with what are sometimes traumatic literatures.
As Canada Research Chair in Truth, Reconciliation, and Indigenous Literatures, Dr. Michelle Coupal is examining how Canadian teachers can approach these works with respect and care in their classrooms. She and her research team hope to provide teachers, students and the public with ways of understanding and relating to Indigenous literatures while also challenging the idea that reading and teaching them will provide an easy path to reconciliation.