Village of Rockyford council held a special meeting on Thursday, June 2 to discuss seconding a motion from the Town of Strathmore to bring forward a resolution to Alberta Municipalities, formerly the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA), to recommend the province support Indigenous awareness training and support.
The resolution requests the provincial government to provide funding and resources to bring Indigenous elders and knowledge keepers into classrooms across the province, including Wheatland Crossing School, to share their knowledge and history with students and teachers as a step towards reconciliation.
“Siksika Nation are our neighbours and we will always support our neighbours. We are proud to move forward in collaboration with the Town of Strathmore,” Rockyford Mayor Darcy Burke shares with the Mail.
While most council dealings have more direct, local impacts, Mayor Burke notes there are times where council must “take a broader view for the greater good of all people.”
The Town of Strathmore’s resolution stems from ongoing discussions between the town and Siksika Nation regarding a lack of Indigenous history being taught within the Alberta school system. Following the discovery of some 215 unmarked graves at the former residential school site in Kamloops, B.C. in May 2021 the importance of this education has been brought back to the forefront.
“We cannot turn our backs on it, so let’s learn from it,” Mayor Burke adds.