Being Educated About Being Educated
Season 6, Episode 71
Linda has been mulling over what an education is, what purposes it serves. She was so curious about it that she begin to reflect on the etymology of the word. The root of “educate” comes from educe, from the Latin, meaning "to lead forth" or "lead out of," which then led her to think, leading out of … what? From where and to where? And who is doing the leading? For whom? And why? Weaving in her personal conversations and experiences alongside different cultural texts – from Valley of the Bird Tail to An Education to Tom Wayman’s “Did I Miss Anything?” – she ultimately focuses on M. NourbeSe Philip’s She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks to demonstrate the potential deleterious effects of an “education.” It is not always an innocent or innocuous process.
Also in this episode – our first giveaway ever! We have a book to give away in honour of Indigenous History Month. The first person to write to Linda (gettinglitwithlinda@gmail.com) with the correct response to the question Linda poses in this episode will receive a copy of Willie Poll’s (Metis) My Little Ogichidaa in addition to a gift from Getting Lit With Linda.
In the Takeaway, she notes that this episode is being released during Indigenous History Month, and so she recommends her listeners to visit the website, www.jelisautochtone.ca, which was recommended by Dr. Colette Yellow Robe (member of the N. Cheyenne Nation in the USA) and created by the Wendake Community, in addition to Cherie Dimaline's The Marrow Thieves.
References: An Education, Scripted by Nick Hornby (3:55); Willie Poll, My LItle Ochigidaa; Valley of The Bird Tail (4.40); Emily Carr, Klee Wyck (5.15); Clarke, Irwin’s expurgation of Klee Wyck (5:30); Residential schools (6.15); Re-education Camps, Vietnam (6:50); Kim Thuy, Ru; Tom Wayman’s “Did I miss Anything?” (8:10); M, NourbeSe Philip, She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks (9.50; 13.10; 15.10 ); Zong! (13:40); “Discourse on the Logic of Language” (16.50)
Music: Raphael Krux (The Madness of Linda) and Brian Teoh (Finally See the Light); Assistant Producer: Marco Timpano