Historical Literacy Definition: The ability to use critical thinking, evaluation, analysis and empathy to gain a deeper understanding of historical events and processes through active engagement with historical texts.
Critical literacy refers to the process of becoming aware of one’s experience relative to power relations, often realized through reading and writing.
I think these historical thinking concepts are especially important with the uprise of indigenous pedagogy and the practice of decolonizing education. These historical thinking strategies are an important set of skills that provide a structure that help shape the practice of thinking about history. As the definition says critical literacy is the processes of awareness of one’s experience relative to power relations which one can come to through reading and writing. Understanding these power relations especially in historical texts and ways of thinking will be especially important when decolonizing texts in education.
I chose the artwork of Sonny Asu to represent how he challenges historical thinking and brings his own historical literacy to the table when challenging the content painted in Emily Carr paintings.
I see these bold interruptions of the landscapes as acts of resistance towards the colonial subjugation of the First People.
Sonny Asu
Photo Credit:
Sonny Asu – Digital Intervention on an Emily Carr Painting
Featured Image: Sonny Asu – Interventions On The Imaginary
