Author Archives: Curtis Lai

Module 2 Post 5: Hul’q’umi’num’ Language Project

The Hul’q’umi’num’ Language Project (reference below) is a case study completed by Hul’q’umi’num’ elders and teachers, the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, and Royal Roads University. The group led workshops with adult groups that combined story, music, and art that allowed for language learning. For Coast Salish communities, the act of storytelling is ingrained in the culture. Doing so maintains language. When combined with visuals, movement, and physical participation (immersion), language learning can be a fun and enriching experience for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. This sharing of culture cross ethnicity has seldom been experienced for Indigenous cultures when compared to other minority groups in Canada. The resources that are planned to come out of this case study should be beneficial for educators trying to decolonize the system.

Reference:

Sadeghi-Yekta, K. (2019). Hul?q?umi?num? language heroes: A successful collaboration between elders, community organisations, and canadian west coast universities. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 24(3), 368-375. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.1080/13569783.2019.1615829

Module 2 Post 4: Guide to Indigenous Languages in Canada

This “Guide to Indigenous Languages in Canada” was compiled by Owona McIvor (associate professor of Indigenous Education at the University of Victoria). This guide is part of a larger language revitalization project put on by 9 Indigenous-led communities and the University of Victoria. The guide highlights key facts about Indigenous languages in Canada as well as 8 ways anyone can support the efforts to revitalize so many lost and dying Indigenous languages.

Module 2 Post 3: Voices on the Rise (Docuseries)

Voices on the Rise: Indigenous Language Revitalization in Alberta is a 3 part docuseries made in collaboration with Telus and Victoria filmmaker/visual artist Eli Hirtle ((nêhiyaw(Cree)/British/German). The series follows Eli and his journey of self-actualization by visiting his ancestors’ communities and learning more about his language. He focuses on the revitalization of Indigenous language and its intimate connection to culture, family, and life. Much can be learned from Eli’s story for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples alike.

Module 2 Post 2: Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.

Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. (ICT) is a B.C. based organization that provides training in the workplace with the goal of creating more informed and safer Indigenous relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike. I have specifically linked their blog post on guidelines for using Indigenous terminology, a place in which settlers may want to start when decolonizing their vocabulary. Their site contains paid and free resources that support Indigenous awareness and answers to questions many settlers may be too afraid to ask.

Module 2 Post 1: First Voices

First Voices is an initiative by the First Peoples’ Cultural Council that provides a library of Indigenous language learning tools and information. The site offers dozens of Indigneous languages to explore. Clicking into each language provides links to see, hear, and practice high frequency vocabulary through audio clips or games. This site will serve useful in the K-12 setting in which educators may discuss the decolonization of language in our school system.

Module 1 Post 5: First People’s Principles of Learning

First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) is a Vancouver-based organization dedicated to creating resources and supporting First Nations learners in British Columbia. Their resource, First People’s Principles of Learning, has been a hallmark of B.C.’s curriculum for the past couple years. FNESC suggests the FPPL acts as a “respectful and holistic approach to teaching and learning”. Learning, in this case, can refer to learning inside or outside the classroom. The principles listed prompt us as human beings to engage with oneself in a constant and consistent cycle of exploration and reflection. Learning (and therefore living) is intimately tied to ones well-being and connectedness. The FPPL is worth exploring no matter where one might be in life.

Module 1 Post 4: Life Long Learning Models

First Nations Pedagogy offers a bounty of Indigenous resources consolidated by a Canadian scholar, June Kaminski. Specifically note-worthy, the life long learning models seen through this link (half-way down the page) offers infographic representations of the ways First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities engage with learning. Interconnectedness is a theme that runs deep across Indigenous communities, and has fortunately been more prominent in the redesign of B.C.’s curriculum. The infographics show how different domains of knowledge exist in our lives, how knowledge is gained and given, and how we fit into the puzzle at large. These models support our journeys as humans navigating our complex and intersecting lives.

Module 1 Post 3: Legends of Vancouver

Legends of Vancouver is a digitized version of E. Pauline Johnson’s book originally published in 1911. She is a famous Canadian poet, author, feminist, and Indigenous activist who documented her adventures around some of Vancouver’s most notable areas. Many of these areas unbeknownst to the layperson have a deep history tied to Indigenous knowledge. This resource is fantastic for unpacking and decolonizing the places tourists consider “landmarks”. My particular interest lies within the story of The Two Sisters. There is a picture book that delivers the story in a beautifully illustrated way, digestible by all ages. The stories and conversations Pauline Johnson had are remarkable and help connect us to the city we exist in.

Module 1 Post 2: Music Counts

Music Counts is a Canadian charitable organization associated with the JUNO Awards who create educational resources, sponsor scholarships, and help create music education across the country. Their Kanata: Contemporary Indigenous Artists and their Music program is the creation of several Indigenous educators, advisors, and artists. This free program consists of a wealth of tools and resources for grades 7-12 which amplify Indigenous voices in music. I find this resource to be refreshing compared to the often tokenized Indigenous “lesson plans” in the past. The artists and stories within Kanata are authentic and contrast the all-too-common narrative that Indigenous peoples live in our history books. Modern pop-culture driven content such as Kanata helps to challenge the status quo and bring Indigenous peoples into mainstream media as other BIPOC communities have been trying to do so for so long.

Module 1 Post 1: Traditional Ecological Knowledge

First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) is a Vancouver-based organization dedicated to creating resources and supporting First Nations learners in British Columbia. The specific resource I am referencing is “Science First Peoples” — a teacher resource for understanding and implementing First Peoples’ scientific knowledge for grades 5-9. FNESC works diligently to ensure their resources align well with the B.C. curriculum while also delivering curricular competencies in a way that recognizes and embodies Indigenous ways of learning. Specific local examples, stories, and materials are used throughout the guide to make for a more interconnected learning journey.