No reconciliation without truth

Michael Pitblado and Agnieszka Chalas, history teacher and art teacher respectively, describe how and why they responded to a call by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission to engage students with difficult aspects of Canada’s past, including the forced cultural assimilation of Indigenous peoples through the Indian Residential School System. Having reflected on the ways in which contemporary artists use their art to grapple with historical questions and to advocate for justice, Pitblado and Chalas designed an integrated history-arts project. They chose to enable their students to explore the darker chapters of Canada’s history through the distinctive street art of Banksy.