Tag Archives: decolonization

Post #16 – CIER – Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources

http://www.yourcier.org

CIER describes itself as a “…national First Nation directed environmental non-profit organisation…”. Their goals are to help develop sustainable communities and contribute to a healthy environment. They offer quite a variety of free publications with research related to their areas of focus, including protecting land and water, building sustainable communities, and their corporate reports. Their website also features a blog and links to workshops such as this one:

http://www.yourcier.org/watershed-planning1.html

The section on their current projects is particularly compelling and inspiring. For example, the Shared Future project is designed to “Bring forward stories of reconciliation and healing in intersectoral partnerships under the umbrella of renewable energy conservation, efficiency, and development.” Its project page has download links for the initial plan as well as the subsequent updates, and also the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RObUofPiN8&feature=youtu.be

Overall they have a wide variety of information and resources on current issues and initiatives.

Post 5- Speaking Out

This video was shared with my school district at our latest Aboriginal Focus Day. The points shared in this video for fairness, sharing and teaching our history with those who have recently come to Canada are important steps to Reconciliation. Taking action to create ReconciliACTION is important because it is 2018 and this knowledge needs to be shared.

Post 2 – Project of Heart

https://www.bctf.ca/HiddenHistory/

This resource is an excellent tool for developing my own understanding of Residential Schools and sharing pictures and stories with my students. The stories are from real people, the pictures are of real places, and helping students understand that Residential Schools are real creates deeper connections.

Module 3 Post 5: First Nations Learners’ Engagement in Science Climate Justice in BC

Description:

This interactive and informational pdf guide on climate change and rising inequalities are highly recommended. When students view the world around and gain an appreciation of nature, they will develop an awareness of climate changes and issues which a teacher can use as a Segway to ponder on climate justice issues.

Teachers can refer to this handy Climate Justice in BC guide, which is divided:

Module 1: Introduction to Climate Justice

Module 2: Reimagining our Food System

Module 3: Transportation Transformation

Module 4: Rethinking Waste

Module 5: Fracking Town Hall

Module 6: Green Industrial Revolution

Module 7: Imagining the Future We Want

Module 8: Challenges to Change*

Module 8 is my personal favorite since students learn the inevitable challenges of social change, barriers faced and collective effort.

Action or personal choice Video: https://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-change/

Link: https://teachclimatejustice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/full_teachclimatejusticedotca.pdf

Post 5- Decolonizing a Classroom

http://emergingindigenousvoices.ca/project/decolonizing-classrooms/

This article shares some of the challenges when decolonizing classrooms. We must be cautious that we are not having a few token pieces of First Nations culture in our classroom, because these are not authentic and will not represent the student body. By embedding First Nations culture into lessons and teaching, we will not offend through tokenism, but will engage all students.

Post 4- Decolonizing the Curriculum

CBC Beyond Beads and Bannock – Indigenous Curriculum

Listening to Deering’s interview with the CBC about decolonizing her teaching and classroom was really inspiring. Her classroom decolonization began when she introduced the First Peoples Principles of Learning to her students. By allowing students to question her and her teaching methods and providing them with inquiry projects, she has created a more holistic learning environment. A major challenge I have found in my own practice is finding support and being able to support others who are working to indigenize their classroom, their courses, and their school.

Indigenization as inclusion, reconciliation, and decolonization: navigating the different visions for indigenizing the Canadian Academy

After listening to Adam Gaudry speak to Rick Harp in Episode 135: What does Indigenization of Education Really Mean? from Media Ingenia I wanted to know learn more about his study.

Indigenization as inclusion, reconciliation, and decolonization: navigating the different visions for indigenizing the Canadian Academy is written by Adam Gaudry and Danielle Lorenz. Gaudry and Lorenz decided to conduct this research as they felt “Canadian post-secondary institutions are now struggling with how to ethically engage Indigenous communities and Indigenous knowledge systems” (p 218) due to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. They conducting their research by “using an anonymous online survey that contained five open-ended questions” (p 219) to “Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals who had taught Indigenous content within [their] professional and personal networks” (p 219). Since they used “convenience sampling” (p 219) this would allow them to have a close relationship with the participants therefore I assume the participants would be more likely to volunteer information but it also made for a small sample pool. I wonder how many Canadian academies they reached out to and were majority of the respondents from Western Canada or other areas within Canada? I also wonder if the results would change had the qualitative research been done within the United States or another area in the world?

Gaudry and Lorenz concluded the Canadian academy uses three different approaches for indigenization:

Indigenous inclusion: “increase the number of Indigenous students, faculty, and staff” (p 225). The authors note that this policy “is a vital component of improving the experiences of Indigenous people on campus” (p 220) but it cannot be the end goal for indigenization as it is the most basic form (p 220) as the academy does not need to change its structure in any way.
Reconciliation indigenization: “an attempt to alter the university’s structure, including educating Canadian faculty, staff, and students to change how they think about, and act toward indigenous people…[and is] an Indigenous-led process” (p. 222)
Decolonial indigenization: “envisions the wholesale overhaul of the academy to fundamentally reorient knowledge production based on balanced power relations between Indigenous peoples and Canadians, transforming the academy into something dynamic and new” (p 226).

The article is an interesting read as I believe many universities do incorporate the first policy of Indigenous inclusion as it is the easiest one to incorporate. Some universities are moving towards the second policy but I do not know if any are anywhere near the third policy. But the respondents did stress the need to get to the third vision of indigenization for reconciliation to truly occur.

Gaudry, A., & Lorenz, D. (2018). Indigenization as inclusion, reconciliation, and decolonization: Navigating the different visions for indigenizing the canadian academy.AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 14(3), 218-227. doi:10.1177/1177180118785382

Miscalculations: Decolonizing and Anti-Oppressive Discourses in Indigenous Mathematics Education

The paper written by Stravos Georgios Stavrou and Dianne Miller, whom both identify as of White settler heritage, is a compelling in-depth examination of Indigenous mathematics education. The paper argues that math is not a culturally neutral subject therefore teachers must examine the curriculum and teaching methods to enable a higher rate of success for Aboriginal learners. The paper highlights the difference of Indigenous knowledge compared to Western science and mathematics and how the two do not always align. For example, an Indigenous language word may not exist for a Western mathematical translation therefore a teacher cannot simply write or say the math problem in the Indigenous language. The authors noted feelings of frustration and inadequacy by Indigenous communities when this approach is taken. As well, the paper argues oversimplification of incorporation of Aboriginal culture into mathematical problems does not meet the needs of Aboriginal students ie., The tribe set up 6 teepees and took 2 down. How many teepees are left? This type of problem “does little to address inequality, and instead perpetuates stereotypes…” (p. 111) The paper provides 2 examples of authentic Indigenous activities which apply decolonizing methodology. Both examples are place-based learning with strong community connections and appropriate context. The paper contains numerous references and is an interesting read as the authors do challenge current research on Indigenous math practices. Introducing decolonizing methodology into the classroom will require time and energy of a teacher but isn’t it worth it?

Stavrou, S. G., & Miller, D. (2017). Miscalculations: Decolonizing and anti-oppressive discourses in indigenous mathematics education. Canadian Journal of Education, 40(3), 92-122.