As a public school educator I was very interested when I saw the ads and recommendations for Medicine Wheel Education on Facebook. In general Medicine Wheel Education looks engaging and interesting for their target audience of elementary school children. After careful inspection I have a few concerns….
- Advertised as “Culturally Appropriate First Nation’s Resources for Everyone!” – Is it not a concern that there are many distinct First Nation Cultures in BC, each with its own stories and traditions. Should we as educators seek out resources more specific to the land on which we live?
- The authors and designers are not Indigenous themselves – does this matter? The biography notes that the creator of Medicine Wheel Resources was given permission to tell the stories he has learned from Elders who taught him.
When is something appropriation vs sharing of knowledge?
Sources
“Medicine Wheel Education.” Medicine Wheel Education, medicinewheel.education/.