Analyzing Historical Recounts through a Critical Lens with Maurice Switzer ’63

At LCS, we are grateful to have students who are deeply engaged in their learning and whose curiosity and compassion guide their exploration of complex and complicated histories. Recently, our Grade 12 Equity and Social Justice class did just that over the course of two discussions with a special guest and valued member of the LCS community, Maurice Switzer ’63.

 

A member of the school's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, and a current LCS trustee, Maurice is a citizen of the Mississaugas of Alderville First Nation, where his Grandfather Moses Muskrat Marsden served as Chief from 1904-09. He lives in North Bay and currently serves as a member of the Indigenous Reconciliation Working Group of the Ontario Human Rights Commission and Nipissing University's Indigenous Council on Education. Still a practising journalist, Maurice was an editor and publisher at five Canadian daily newspapers.

 

Maurice guided the Grade 12 Equity and Social Justice class through an investigation into word choice and language use with regard to historical storytelling and reporting. They examined the article, “A Farm with Roots” from our 2021 issue of the Grove News, which addressed the history of our Northcote campus. In preparation for a Harkness discussion, students read the article in addition to historical accounts of the NorthWest “rebellion” and Sepoy “rebellion” as well as the Doctrine of Discovery. Using the discernment skills they’ve developed through course readings and assignments, the class analyzed the article through a critical lens and aimed to understand the text from various perspectives, including the perspectives of the writer, LCS alumni, and Indigenous Peoples. In the process of this analysis, they deconstructed the use of adulating language to describe not only the “rebellions” but also a prominent figure featured in the article, Dr. Campbell Mellis Douglas.

 

The article mentioned that Dr. Douglas, a British army doctor and an early owner of the Northcote property, was a recipient of the Victoria Cross—at the time the highest military honour awarded in the British Commonwealth—for bravery in rescuing 17 fellow soldiers during "the Sepoy Rebellion". Native Indians refer to the 1857-59 conflict as "The First War of Independence" against colonization in which 6,000 combatants died, most of them Sepoys (Indian infantrymen). The article also notes that Dr. Douglas was present at the 1885 Battle of Batoche during "the NorthWest Rebellion". Canada now officially references the prairie conflict as "the Northwest Resistance" of First Nations and Metis warriors whose lands the Canadian government wanted for settlers and the Canadian Pacific Railway. Eight Canadian soldiers died at Batoche, and 173 Indigenous fighters. Later that year, eight First Nations men were executed for their role at Batoche in the largest mass hanging in Canadian history. The class discussed how the lack of reference to Dr. Douglas’ participation in colonialist efforts speaks to the biases often found in journalistic pieces.

 

Maurice guided the class through a conversation about these realizations. Students discussed the use of the term “rebellion” with respect to how this particular term does not reflect an Indigenous Peoples’ understanding of the conflict. Maurice prompted the class to consider how it could be that the terms “NorthWest Rebellion” and “Sepoy Rebellion” are reflective of a colonizing bias. 

 

When reflecting on these terms as well as other choices of diction, Maurice remarked, “These things happen. It doesn’t mean that the writers or editors had evil intent. It means that they don’t have the same point of view as some of the cultures referred to in that article.” Continuing this point, Maurice said, “It behooves people who are thoughtful citizens in today’s world to learn from cultures past and hopefully to not repeat the same mistakes.”

 

Students listened intently as Maurice, a journalist himself, explained that we should always be critical when we consume media information, history books, and textbooks because they often contain singular points of view that reflect the systems of justice that were created by people who have historically held positions of power. The class engaged in a discussion about colonization and systemic racism, asking thoughtful questions and reflecting upon the impact of power relations in the past and present.

 

“There’s always more than one viewpoint, particularly when it involves conflict, and especially when it involves colonization,” said Maurice. He reminded students in the class how valuable open discussions like this can be and how constructive it is for schools and other institutions to demonstrate their willingness to explore these topics in an open and sincere way. When Shenda ‘23 asked what we might do to further truth and reconciliation, Maurice responded, “what we are doing right now is an act of reconciliation. These kinds of conversations are the way forward.”

 

These students, together with Maurice, bridged the divide between a colonizing perspective and a post-colonial perspective. History was re-framed. We extend our deepest gratitude to Maurice for his gifted facilitation skills and to our students for embracing the opportunity to learn with and from Maurice.