Valley of the Birdtail "Faculty Reads"

On February 3rd, 2025 the Faculty of Education will be hosting the authors of Valley of the Birdtail for a book reading event. Time and location will be announced soon.

The book, written by Andrew Stobo Sniderman and Douglas Sanderson, examines the complex relationship between an Indigenous community and a neighboring non-Indigenous town in Manitoba. Through personal stories, it highlights the impacts of colonialism, systemic discrimination, and the challenging journey toward reconciliation and understanding in Canada.

Create a Book Club

Students are encouraged to read the book and to form their own “book club” discussion groups with peers, between now and the February 3rd B.Ed. Program Day. The purpose of these book club discussions are two-fold:

  1. The book club discussion will be a part of our collective commitment to implementing the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC): Calls to Action
  2. The book club discussions will enable us to take our ongoing personal and professional learning into spaces both inside and outside of faculty classrooms, as we strengthen our relational/social bonds with one another as an Education community. I hope you and your instructors will get behind this important shared initiative!

Book Club Basics

  1. Please gather together a small group of your peers either in-person or online for your discussions of the Valley of the Birdtail. 
  2. Establish agreements about where, how often, and how long you will meet. Decide as a group how you will prepare for and conduct discussions (including: consideration of possible discussion questions, how you will sensitively and compassionately respond to book club members’ lived experiences, how you will work with difficult passages, and how you will manage any arising conflicts, etc.). 
  3. The intended purpose of the “Faculty Reads” project is to invite discussions among your peers that challenge and/or deepen current Truth and Reconciliation understandings. As you learn from the book and from your peers, it is also hoped that relationships will be strengthened and that you will find opportunities to enjoy each other’s “good” company.