For Educators

Misko-Aki: Confluence of Cultures is a permanent physical exhibit established in the Muskoka Discovery Centre that conveys historical and contemporary experiences, and cultural insights, of Indigenous peoples who have inhabited and traversed the region for millennia. The four cultural groups represented include the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabek, Métis, and Mohawk. It is also a digital exhibition that is able to share information and various aspects of the visitor experience with others across Canada and around the world.

Education is the digital exhibition’s primary intent.

Until recently, the inclusion of Indigenous history, and Indigenous content integrated within other disciplines, was virtually absent from school texts and tutorials. And when some level of information was present it often lacked the perspectives that fostered critical thinking skills that are vital to arriving at a balanced and accurate assessment of events and outcomes. There was little evidence in classroom materials of important historical and contemporary events including Indigenous peoples’ involvement, knowledge, and perspective, and little or no integration of those events into the larger narratives of Canadian history. This lack of access to accurate and comprehensive content and appropriate education about the Indigenous experience, led to a misunderstanding and even denigration of Indigenous peoples that has persisted for generations. (Smithsonian)

An institution like the Muskoka Discovery Centre, as an education centre itself, has an obligation to address systemic imbalances.

A primary objective of this project is therefore to enhance learning opportunities for Indigenous and, indeed, all Canadian students. Here’s why:

• First, Indigenous children have been taught with materials that left them with little or no understanding of the world-changing achievements of their own ancestors. Very little was found in classroom materials that would make an Indigenous child proud of her or his heritage, leaving teachers with the responsibility of filling in the gaps wherever they could, but with little time and even fewer resources. And yet those in the Muskoka region, are the inheritors of a profound and compelling story involving Indigenous peoples.
• Second, Canadian citizens, from the general voter to high-level policy makers, impact the quality of life for Indigenous peoples because of the outsized role the federal and provincial governments play in Indigenous communities. Without proper context and understanding of Indigenous history and culture, most Canadian citizens are unable to fairly evaluate modern issues involving Indigenous governance rights and authorities and therefore may make uninformed civic and policy decisions that impact First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. These deficiencies result from the lack of adequate education beginning in grade school. Examining our various national histories more completely, as this website platform intends to do, creates not only a more compelling approach for anyone interested in learning, but it also fosters the development of more thoughtful, analytical, and informed citizens on subjects essential to advancing Truth and Reconciliation.

Because Muskoka is an important region of the country known by most Canadians and many around the world, the website platform provides the means by which the exhibit’s information, as well as expanded and new content required by and created specifically for the web platform, can be shared broadly, nationally, and even internationally. This resource will add knowledge and culture to the brilliant mosaic that is Muskoka, and, indeed, Canada.

How we secure an inclusive, productive, and equitable future for all Canadians is by advancing the humanities, which is done by increasing our collective knowledge through sharing stories while nurturing empathy and understanding. As a result, this website leverages technology tools and platforms that enable us to extend the in-person experience of the exhibition to audiences within the region, and far and wide.

Introducing MiskoAki360°

The structure and approach of the website is built upon a process developed by Indigenous educators that identifies Essential Understandings, Key Concepts, and Knowledge points that provide an inclusive 360° view of Indigenous history and current events. This work is designed to align with the Ontario curriculum and thereby give educators useful and practical tools for teaching and engagement with their students based upon a place-based learning platform. Created under the direction of Tim Johnson, former associate director of Museum Programs at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, with a team of master educators, MiskoAki360° serves as an education resource that will ensure the Muskoka Region becomes a credible and effective leader in advancing Indigenous education within the province and nationwide.