Category Archives: Module 3

http://fnmieao.com

The First Nations, Métis and Inuit Association of Ontario website features varied groupings of resources for educators. Their stated purpose is to “…support and promote the provision of quality education on histories, worldviews, and knowledge systems that is rooted in the experiences and perspectives of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.” The website has dedicated pages for resources, events and news, and even features a free membership function. The resources section of the website is well organized and has PDFs, videos with transcripts, and external links to resources. There is a complete activity guide specifically built around the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Overall a very informative website that is well organized and covers a wide variety of resources and topics.

http://det.wa.edu.au/aboriginaleducation/apac/detcms/navigation/apac/

The Aboriginal Perspectives Across the Curriculum website offers a wide variety of resources, rationale, and information on the integration of indigenous content to the school curriculum in Australia. While much of the descriptions are tailored specifically to the context in Australia, the overarching themes would be relevant in any colonial educational settings. The website explains that “Teaching APAC will assist all students to be able to look at the world from an Aboriginal viewpoint and understand the different Aboriginal points of view on a range of issues such as reconciliation, social justice and equality.” This is an example of a government seeking to provide lesson plans and resources to teachers in order for them to be able to more authentically teach indigenous content to their students. The website quotes Adele Pring who stated “It is important that students learn not just about but from Aboriginal people (in person, by phone or through recommended books, video…).” The resources are very valuable for teachers, and cover a range of external links and site-hosted images/pdfs.

https://theconversation.com/back-to-the-land-how-one-indigenous-community-is-beating-the-odds-81540

This article describes a study of a remote First Nations community in northern Ontario. Of the six communities located here, this one stands out due to its low rates of suicide, substance abuse and depression. The study looked at the question, “how is it that this one community has produced what appear to be more positive mental health outcomes?” despite sharing a history of oppression, victimization and suffering with its sister communities.

Non-Indigenous Western psychologists acknowledge their “outsider” status as researchers and organized and interpreted participant narratives using the medicine wheel of traditional healing to reduce the risks of colonizing participants’ experiences. The most notable finding was the way in which connection to the land was interwoven throughout all aspects of the medicine wheel. Participants’ comments regarding physical, spiritual, mental and emotional health often referred to attitudes and practices that affirmed a fundamental connection to their land:

“To know the land… you know you’re capable of things other kids aren’t, knowing where I came from, what I’m capable of.”

https://www.ucalgary.ca/indigenous-strategy/files/indigenous-strategy/indigenous-strategy_publication_digital_feb2018.pdf

A downloadable version of the University of Calgary’s Indigenous strategy can be found here. The strategy, to Indigenize curriculum throughout the university was borne out of collaboration with the university and Indigenous community members. A unique part of the strategy is how the cultural model for the university’s Indigenous strategy tells the story of the strategy from a symbolic perspective using Indigenous pictorial traditions. The generation of these images is grounded in cultural protocol and resulted from a series of dialogues with Traditional Knowledge Keepers. The final selection, design, and configuration of cultural symbols and associated teachings were transferred to the University of Calgary through ceremony by a Traditional Knowledge Keeper.

https://www.ubcpress.ca/decolonizing-education

This link is to the book Decolonizing Education, written by Marie Battiste. In her book she documents the nature of Eurocentric models of educations, and the devastating impacts they have had on Indigenous knowledge. Battiste proposes a new model of education to replace the one of forced assimilation and argues that it is an Aboriginal right to preserve Aboriginal knowledge. She draws upon personal experiences along with international law, treaties and other scholars’ works.

Battiste is also the author of the book First Nations Education in Canada: The Circle Unfolds.  This book contains first person interviews along with academic discourse to provoke reflection upon practice and the disparities between Indigenous and Western education in Canada.

https://opentextbc.ca/indigenizationcurriculumdevelopers/chapter/the-need-to-indigenize/

This link takes you to a chapter in The Curriculum Developers Guide – an open professional learning series developed for staff across post-secondary institutions in British Columbia, developed because of the Indigenization Project, a collaboration between BCcampus and the Ministry of Advanced Education.

This chapter focuses on the importance of reflecting on indigenization of curriculum being different to placing multiculturalism at the centre of development and how while multiculturalism approaches are also necessary and relevant, they differ from Indigenization at a philosophical, political, and systemic level. The concept that Indigenous and Western knowledge systems complement each other is highlighted, using a tool for reflection for educators: Etuaptmumk – the approach of two-eyed seeing as a way to learn to appreciate both Indigenous and Western knowledges and ways of knowing.

https://thelearningexchange.ca/projects/culturally-responsive/

The Learning Exchange hosts professional learning video content developed by Ontario’s Ministry of Education that is designed to support and improve the practice of classroom educators, coaches, consultants, and school system leaders. It’s goal is to achieve excellence in education for early learning, K-12 and adult education.

The link above takes you directly to the page for culturally responsive education. Here you can watch video resources from a variety of educators sharing in the mindset that culturally responsive education is important in order that all students feel safe, accepted, and inspired to succeed.

He was an associate professor at the University of Alaska. He was a Yup’ik teacher, actor and anthropologist.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Alaska Native Ways of Knowing

ALASKA NATIVE EDUCATION: HISTORY AND ADAPTATION IN THE NEW MILLENIUM

A professor from the University of New Mexico. He focuses on teaching culturally based science.

Cajete, Gregory and Leroy Little Bear. Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence. Clear Light Books, 2000

Cajete, Gregory. A People’s Ecology: Explorations in Sustainable Living. Clear Light Books, 1999

Cajete, Gregory. Igniting the Sparkle: An Indigenous Science Education Model. Kivaki Press, 1999

Cajete, Gregory. Look to the Mountain: An Ecology of Indigenous Education. Kivaki Press, 1994

From the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan. He has written many articles and books about science education and indigenous ways of knowing.

Books

Enhancing School Science with Indigenous Knowledge:
What We Know from Teachers and Research

Bridging Cultures: Indigenous and Scientific Ways of Knowing Nature

Science Education for Everyday Life: Evidence-Based Practice

Articles

An Emerging Decolonizing Science Education in Canada
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 2010 (coauthor)

Indigenous Knowledge and Science Revisited
Cultural Studies of Science Education, 2007 (co-author)

Towards Decolonizing the Pan-Canadian Science Framework
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 2006

Cross-Cultural Science Teaching: Rekindling Traditions for Aboriginal Students
Canadian Journal of Science, Math and Technology Education, 2002

Integrating Western and Aboriginal Sciences: Cross-Cultural Science Teaching
Research in Science Education, 2001