By Dr. Laila Ferreira & Amanda Lim
As you work to incorporate a range of Indigenous ways of knowing into your classroom, it is essential to keep in mind the idea of “holism,” which refers to the idea that there is relationality between everything that exists. Within the context of Indigenous pedagogy, holism posits that these vast, interconnected relationships influence different parts of our lives, and by extension, how we learn. Therefore, from this particular Indigenous perspective, learning is more than a mental process—it is an emotional one, a physical one, and a spiritual one as well.
The significance of holism to much Indigenous learning also extends to the social aspects of education as well. A report produced by the Canadian Council of Learning (2009) states:
[Indigenous] learning is a highly social process that nurtures relationships between family and throughout the community. These relationships transmit social values and a sense of identity, and also help create cultural continuity. As a result, the value of individual learning cannot be separated
from its contribution to the collective well-being. (p. 5)
The report goes on to list key aspects deemed to be fundamental tenets of Indigenous pedagogy such that learning should be lifelong, experiential (grounded in lived experience), rooted in [Indigenous] languages and cultures, spiritually oriented, and involve communal activities.
Working to actively incorporate Indigenous pedagogies and values (local and global) such as holism into our own pedagogies can help us to dismantle the colonial, Eurocentric systems and structures that exist within our educational institutions. And it can work towards ensuring that our classrooms are spaces where students—all students—have the knowledge and confidence to learn, grow, and thrive, not only within their university community, but also in the wider world at large.
Understanding Holism
As Gregory Younging points out in Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous People (2018), when speaking about Indigeneity, Indigenous peoples, Indigenous ways of knowing, and Indigenous pedagogies, it is important to recognize that “Indigenous cultures in North America are far more distinct and diverse than European cultures, or Canadian and American cultures” (p. 13). To further speak about Indigenous cultures as homogenous perpetuates colonialist ways of thinking about Indigenous peoples.
Younging also points out that there are characteristics of what he calls an Indigenous Voice that are shared between Indigenous cultures. Holism is one of those characteristics. Many Indigenous cultures recognize and accept the concept of “holism” as being a key component in understanding one’s well-being in many different areas, including the practice and application of Indigenous pedagogy (Morcom, 2017, p. 121). Holism can be understood as an “Indigenous worldview that sees the whole person (physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual) as interconnected to [the] land, and in relationship to others (family, communities, nations)” (Cull et al., n.d.).
Many scholars have identified the distinctions between Western, Eurocentric pedagogy, and Indigenous pedagogy, highlighting that Indigenous philosophies of learning generally reject the stringent separation and compartmentalization of disciplines, subject areas, and ways of thinking that often occur in Western educational spaces (Chilisa, 2020). Indigenous pedagogy instead “focus[es] on the interrelations between subjects and topics” (Morcom, 2017, pp. 123-124). This might seem at odds with writing in the disciplines or disciplinary genre approaches to the teaching of writing that seek to teach students how best to meet the discursive expectations of their fields. However, there are many ways in which we can enact holism in our classrooms, including opportunities to engage with the social context of the classroom and how that context shapes who belongs, or not, in the scholarly community. This includes how “professionalism” is understood as a separation between the researcher and writer and their lived experiences and identities. We might also interrogate how scholarly writing (particularly research writing) can perpetuate social hierarchies that often serve to divide and distinguish between teacher and student, researcher and research subject, and writer and reader.
In summary, from an Indigenous perspective, teaching and learning involves healthy relational connections between different aspects of one’s life in order for meaningful learning to take place. Although the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health of an individual can all be identified as separate parts, they must be examined within the context of how they influence and affect one another. Even further, the wellness of these components must also be understood within the context of an individual’s surrounding community and culture, and vice versa.
Kirkness and Barnhardt’s Four R’s
While much research has been conducted on how to make higher educational spaces more conductive and receptive of Indigenous pedagogy, as well as easier to navigate for Indigenous students, Kirkness and Barnhardt’s (1991) “Four R’s” have been a guiding concept in the practice of doing so. The 4 R’s include: respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility.
The following framework adapted from Kirkness and Barnhardt’s (1991) Four R’s can be a helpful guide when developing your writing courses:
- Respect – Indigenous values, lifestyles, and traditional ways of knowing and being are seen, respected, and recognized.
- Relevance – Relevant Indigenous perspectives, experiences, and ways of knowing are accepted, celebrated, and are incorporated into aspects of the educational materials.
- Reciprocal – A professional relationship between the student and the instructor is developed, where each person is open and willing to share and learn from the other.
- Responsibility – An effort is made to create educational spaces that encourage Indigenous students to recognize and reaffirm their culture and community. Steps are taken by non-Indigenous educators to work alongside Indigenous communities to dismantle colonial, inequitable systems and ideas.
Respect of Indigenous Cultural Identities
Oftentimes, when Indigenous students enter into Western higher education institutions, they experience a sharp cultural shift that significantly impacts Indigenous student retention in post-secondary studies (Indspire, 2021). Post-secondary institutions are often highly bureaucratic and hierarchical, and are in contrast to the more circular, holistic ways of being and learning that Indigenous cultures value. When Indigenous students are unable to assimilate to the way Western educational institutions are run, the blame is put on the student for failing to adapt, rather than the institution for failing to be culturally appropriate and welcoming.
In teaching writing, it is important that instructors make an effort to teach about the existence and legitimacy of Indigenous ways of knowing. For example, oral history and scholarship are often practiced in Indigenous cultures, yet in Western institutions, knowledge production focuses heavily on written and print scholarship. Even when knowledge production and dissemination beyond writing is explored, instructors and students are bound by institutional writing requirements. Addressing these complex issues as well as diversifying how we teach and and engage in Indigenous ways of knowing are crucial aspects of respecting and valuing Indigenous culture and communities, cultural practices, and Iand traditions.
Another problem with the attrition of Indigenous students are the differences between “the institution’s knowledge” and “human knowledge.” Ron and Suzy Scollon (1981) consider the institution’s knowledge to be defined as “relationships between individual members or clients which are governed by institutional considerations” (p. 8). “Human knowledge, on the other hand, is considered the “relationships between members or clients which are governed by human interpersonal considerations” (Scollon and Scollon as cited in Kirkness & Barnhardt, 1991, p. 8).
It is believed that increasing the “human knowledge” at universities, especially that which values, considers, and respects Indigenous culture and traditions, may make the transition into higher education easier for Indigenous students.
Relevance to Indigenous Perspectives and Experience
Educational institutions must also adapt their perspectives on what types of knowledge or skills are seen as legitimate. This requires an “institutional respect” for Indigenous ways of knowing, especially that of oral tradition and scholarship. Jo-ann Archibald highlights the need to “define and create new ways of thinking and writing about literacy and its relationship to orality” (qtd. in Kirkness & Barnhardt, 1991, p. 8).
Especially as mediums such as video, television and film become more commonplace, there are endless opportunities to combine oral, literate, and visual realities, which again, can reflect the holistic nature that Indigenous cultures tend to value, and adopt the perspective of.
Reciprocal Relationships
A particularly problematic aspect of higher education in relation to Decolonizing and Indigenizing our classrooms and curriculums is the “role dichotomy between producers and consumers of knowledge” (Kirkness & Barnhardt, 1991, p. 9). In a university setting, faculty are often seen as the “producers” of knowledge, while students are seen as a “passive consumer” of knowledge. These roles between instructors and students are often at odds with the values and practices of Indigenous teaching and learning.
Consequently, there should be a greater attempt to transform learning experiences into highly collaborative processes, which allow both the students and the instructor to learn from one another, which results in a more complex, richer knowledge being developed and shared between participants. This also works to develop a stronger educational relationship between the student and the instructor.
Finally, institutions and instructors should make their classrooms accessible to those from non-Western cultures. On this matter, William Tierney (1991) states that equity-deserving students “need institutions that create conditions where students not only can celebrate their own histories, but also are helped to examine critically how their lives are shaped and molded by society’s forces” (Tierney, 1991, as cited in Kirkness & Barnhardt, p. 11).
In other words, both institutions and instructors should change their focus from what individuals in powerful positions can do to help those without power, to determining “how power exists in organization, and given how power operates, [develop] strategies that seek to transform those
relations” (Tierney as cited in Kirkness & Barnhardt, 1991, p. 13).
Working to actively incorporate these Indigenous pedagogies and values into our own writing pedagogies can help us to dismantle the colonial, Eurocentric systems and structures that exist within our educational institutions, and work towards ensuring that our classrooms are spaces where students—all students—have the knowledge and confidence to learn, grow, and thrive, not only within their university community, but in the wider world at large.
Three Things to Try for Now
- In a Canadian context, including a carefully planned and thoughtful land acknowledgment in your syllabus (as a way in which to expose and discuss the continuing impact of settler colonialism on Indigenous communities) is a good way in which a) to establish a classroom culture that will meet the complex issues of colonialism head on and that will value and respect Indigenous experiences and ways of knowing, and b) to frame the anti-racist classroom from the outset. It is important that land acknowledgments are not used as window dressing in our courses; rather, they “should be intentional, meaningful and accurate” (Xwi7xwa Library, https://guides.library.ubc.ca/distance-research-xwi7xwa/landacknowledgements) and take into consideration Canada and UBC’s commitments to reconciliation.
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- Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC): The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action can help to identify the specific actions that the land acknowledgement can address in the writing classroom. (https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf)
- The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: Together with the TRC, we should also consider the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. These documents set out important steps to help faculty and students think through an asset-based, relationship focused framework of reconciliation and decolonization to end violence against Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. (https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/)
- UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan: The Indigenous Strategic Plan sets out a series of eight goals and 43 actions the university will collectively take in order to advance our vision of becoming a leading university globally in the implementation of Indigenous peoples’ human rights. It is important to consider these goals and actions as you put together your land acknowledgement and overall course design. (https://indigenous.ubc.ca/indigenous-engagement/indigenous-strategic-plan/)
- Resources
- Xwi7xwa Library has compiled a set of responses, recommendations and resources for developing land acknowledgements: https://guides.library.ubc.ca/distance-research-xwi7xwa/landacknowledgements
- UBC instructors and students can enroll in the following online course which covers “respect, sincerity, and responsibility” in the handling of land acknowledgements: https://wpl.ubc.ca/browse/professional-development/courses/wpl-pd-rsr.
- UBC Vancouver faculty can learn and share about xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) language, history, and more using this teaching kit: http://www2.moa.ubc.ca/musqueamteachingkit/about.php
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- Allow for 1-2 course assessments to be developed by and/or with students. For example, you might ask students to work in groups to establish the guidelines for engaged classroom participation (or another lower stakes/graded assignment). Create the conditions for students and instructors to work as collaborators in learning.
- Assign short readings & videos throughout the term that engage with issues of language, writing, and scholarly research in regards to Indigenous peoples and ways of knowing. Paul Younging’s (2018) chapter on Terminology, for example, can be paired with classroom conversations on how language can be used to perpetuate exclusion and harmful stereotypes and how it can be used to radically transform what is understood as knowledge in the scholarly context. As these situations often include research, Margaret Kovach’s Indigenous Methodologies could provide important readings to incorporate into the course and your own teaching.
References & Recommended Readings
- Canadian Council of Learning. (2009). The state of Aboriginal learning in Canada: A holistic
approach to measuring success. https://www.nipissingu.ca/sites/default/files/2018-06/state_of_aboriginal_learning_in_canada-final_report%2C_ccl%2C_2009.pdf - Chilisa, B. (2020). Indigenous research methodologies (2nd ed.). SAGE.
- Cull I., Hancock, R. L. A., McKeown, S., Pidgeon, M., & Vedan, A. (n.d.). Pulling together: A guide for
Indigenization of post-secondary institutions. A professional learning series. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/indigenizationfrontlineworkers/ - Indspire. (2021). Holding our ground: Indigenous student post-secondary persistence and early leaving.
https://indspire.ca/about/reports/ - Kirkness V. J., & Barnhardt R. (1991). First Nations and higher education: The four R’s – respect,
relevance, reciprocity, responsibility. Journal of American Indian Education, 30(3), 1–15. - Kovach, M. (2021). Indigenous methodologies: Characteristics, conversations, and contexts (2nd
ed.). University of Toronto Press. - Morcom, L.A. (2017). Indigenous holistic education in philosophy and practice, with Wampum as a case
study. Foro de Educación, 15(23), 121-138. https://doi.org/10.14516/fde.572 - Younging, G. (2018). Elements of Indigenous style: A guide for writing by and about Indigenous
Peoples. Brush Education Inc.