From Our Past to Our Future

Today I have one of those rare opportunities to offer a heart felt round of applause and big a pat on the back to the government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Not that I haven’t been pleased with some moves made by the current government, but I believe one of their latest deserves special mention.

It isn’t often that I do something like this but it’s not unheard of either. My belief is that we all have a responsibility to hold our elected leaders accountable for what they do be it good or bad. If we as a people don’t do it then who will? I live by a simple code when it comes to politicians. If they fall down on the job, kick some dirt in their eyes, but if they excel, don’t be afraid to cheer them on to even further heights.

The reason for my cheering today is because the government of Newfoundland and Labrador has included a small line item in their most recent budget document. It went largely unnoticed, but deserves to be recognized. The item in question provides funding for a Newfoundland and Labrador history course to be offered in high schools across the Province.

This course, in my opinion, is long overdue. Our schools have always taught world history and Canadian history. Both of which are important without a doubt, but it is just as important that our children understand who they are, where they come from and the role we’ve played in world events. Our Province has a historical record that rivals any other on the continent and it deserves to be shared with our children.

My only hope is that the planned course will actually offer our future business and political leaders the information it should. I remember a history course that was offered to me when I was in elementary school, which wasn’t yesterday. The book used at the time consisted of about 70 pages and provided a brief window into the Province’s discovery by the Vikings. It also offered a sanitized revisionist examination of the ill fated Beothuk people. Beyond those two items, there was little else. I remember thinking, even at that tender age, that I wanted to know more. I wanted to understand how I as a Newfoundlander had arrived at my own personal moment in time. Unfortunately that knowledge was not available in our educational system at the time.

Many years have passed since my first introduction to our collective past. Now government has decided that our Province’s history should not only be provided in elementary or junior high, but that it should be taught to our high schools to those on the cusp of entering the "real" world. I heartily congratulate our politicians for taking this step. I also caution the bureaucrats who will ultimately determine the curriculum, not to waste this opportunity. Don’t waste the chance to change our collective future by casting a strong light on our past.

We have before us the opportunity to provide our youth with an understanding of an extremely rich tapestry of events. To give them knowledge that can instill a sense of pride, the likes of which they have never known. A chance to give our children a sense of place and a gift of understanding for what it truly means to be a Newfoundlander or Labradorean.

If properly delivered, this course could very well provide the catalyst necessary to change our collective future. It has the potential to give our youth the grounding and encouragement necessary so they will wish to continue living, working and using their entrepreneurial skills right here at home, rather than leaving for some far away corner of the world.

The only way we can hope to take advantage of the opportunity before us is to ensure that this course provides much more than the type of sanitized, politicized and cursory look at our past that was delivered in my youth. Like that course, this new one should provide a window into our discovery and the early inhabitants of this land, but it should do so in an honest and open way, not by glossing over the harsh truths.

The course should outline for our youth the global presence we’ve had by teaching them about our role in opening up this continent. It should tell them of our contributions during many wars and it should speak of the heorics of people like Tommy Rickets or Blue Putees and of our crucial role during World War II. The course should also identify for students the multitude of pivotal moments around the world that have had a direct connection to this place.

An understanding or our place in the world is important, but just as important is an understanding of major local events. Events that have helped shape our society, our culture and our very psyche. The list is exhaustive but there are a few that quickly spring to mind. Events such as the great sealing disaster, the sinking of the Ocean Ranger, the Churchill Falls agreement, the big loggers strike, the re-settlement program and of course our very entry into Confederation itself. Stories that need to be told with good and bad points fully presented, for all to see and clearly understand.

As I’ve said in the past, my commentaries are often used to throw verbal “bricks” at our federal and provincial politicians. More often than not they deserve them. Today however I offer a rare congratulatory “bouquet” to the Williams government. I only hope that this new initiative doesn’t lead to a wasted opportunity that will end with my taking back the “bouquet” and throwing the proverbial “brick” instead.

Remember, the best way to ensure our future is to understand our past.