Tag Archives: decolonization

Module 4 Post 5: First Peoples Guide for Newcomers

The First Peoples Guide for Newcomers developed by the City of Vancouver is a comprehensive guide intended for those new to Vancouver and BC. It offers information on the local First Nations, myths about Indigenous peoples, the relationship with Canadian government, truth and reconciliation, and culture in general. I can see this guide being useful to both immigrants new to Vancouver and even locals who have lived here their entire lives. The information presented in this document fills in many of the gaps BC schools have created for so many years, and I am sure much of the guide will be novel for Vancouverites.

M4P4: MathCatcher – Meet Small Number

“Mathematics Through Aboriginal Story Telling”

MathCatchers is an outreach program for educators and learners, encouraging numeracy through storytelling, pictures, and hands-on learning. They created a character named “Small Number” who ‘engage(s) Aboriginal learners in math and science through the use of First Nations imagery and storytelling.’ Through various videos, the opportunity for various discussions about anything from basic counting and pattern recognition to exponential growth and probability permutations and combinations. These videos will serve as a foundational part of my final project, with many Alberta curriculum pieces being tied to various sections of the video. I envision these videos being part of the regular classroom routine, with students constantly being brought back to the story and encouraged to dig deeper into the math and culture embedded within.

“The main character in our animations thus far is a boy called Small Number. He is a bright, playful kid, with the ability to recognize patterns and calculate quickly.”

M4P3: Danielle Black – Indigenous Film Maker

After reading Ginsburg’s Rethinking the Digital Age, I wanted to find more about Indigenous media local to my area.

Danielle Black grew up in Calgary, and is a member of the Siksika First Nations, a part of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Plains people, Treaty 7. She is an Indigenous artist who is using film to change perspectives and tell stories about Indigenous past but also about modern Indigenous people. She created a short film titled A Love Letter To My Unborn Child, “which speaks to her future child about the joys and trials that will await him/her as an Indigenous person navigating the world.”

I chose to include this in my research for my final because it displays resilience, strength, and hope in the face of adversity. This is a good piece of media to analyze with students, as it features Indigenous youth and offers a modern perspective on the struggles that Indigenous peoples face, and I think it shows many values of Indigenous knowledge and cultures. There is a lot to unpack in this 7 minute video, and I think it is worth unpacking and diving deep into the meanings.

M4P2: Nurturing the Learning Spirit of First Nation Students

“The Report of the National Panel on First Nation Elementary and Secondary Education for Students on Reserve”

The Assembly of First Nations put out this report, which contains principles for reform as well as recommendations for foundations of a strong Indigenous education system. Within the recommendations and principles is an emphasis and importance of a child first and child-centred education. This child-centred approach will be incorporated into my final project as the foundation and backbone of any material and resources created for use in a classroom.

 “The First Nation child must be placed at the center of the national priority of building an education system.  Improving education attainment, and ensuring that children receive the supports needed to enable them to excel and thrive as learners, while their identity, culture and language as First Nation peoples is strengthened, is essential” (p. 29).

M4P1: Education – Calls to Action

With the focus on creating an Indigenous knowledge-based curriculum/lessons/assessment plan, it is important to acknowledge the work currently in progress in regards to the 94 Calls to Action. There are two Calls to Action in particular that I will be referencing in my final project. CBC News has created an interactive resource (#Beyond94) which measures the progress of the Calls to Action. This resource is something that should be referenced when speaking to teachers about the importance of incorporating Indigenous based knowledge in the classroom.

10: Draft new Aboriginal education legislation – In Progress

  • Most recent update… “In June 2021, the Yukon government announced the creation of a separate school board for First Nations, paving the way for schools geared specifically toward Indigenous students in the territory.”

12 Develop culturally appropriate early childhood education programs – In Progress

  • In 2018, a framework for Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care was released, and in February 2021, the government proposed to invest $2.5 billion to support this mandate.

This image is an up to date account of the progress being made in the 94 calls to action. It is concerning to see 20 projects not yet started, the majority of them falling under the “Reconciliation” category. 

M3P5: Did you live near a residential school?

CBC News created an interactive website called ‘Beyond 94: Truth & Reconciliation in Canada.’ It holds many resources, but one in particular caught my eye – an interactive map titled: Did you live near a residential school?

I typed in my birth year and the address of the home I grew up in, and I found out that there was a residential school only a mere 16 kilometres away. This is a harrowing and stark reminder of the legacy of residential schools, especially with one being so close to where my students and myself live. This is a powerful resource, and it is one that I think needs to be shared widely. If a teacher typed in the birth year of their students and the address of the school, I think this would be a good starting point on a lesson/discussion about residential schools, being sure to encourage students to ask questions and express any emotions.

M3P4: Mi’kmaq Immersion School

A quote that stood out to me in this video was said by the teacher:

“I don’t know how you expect me to teach young kids their own culture when I don’t even know anything about my own culture.”

Culturally responsive education is important in the revitalization of Indigenous cultures. This video explores how a Mi’kmaq school in Manitoba has achieved “total immersion in language, culture, and community.” The school focuses on math and reading skills. The teacher interviewed spoke about how he has come to remember his “why” for teaching and has also been able to learn so much more about himself and his own culture in the process. I chose to include this video because it affirms the importance of cultural immersion and serves as a model for other programs.

This screenshot shows young students learning about the Mi’kmaq sweat lodge and singing the Mi’kmaq ‘Honor Song.”

 

M3P3: Indigenous Storywork Protocols

“Educating Heart, Mind, Body & Spirit”

I came across this site after reading about Dr. Jo-ann Archibald’s Indigenous Storywork framework. It shares various resources for educators but also for the public, and it also highlights and shows respect for the Elders who contributed to the website. The educator resources are not typical lesson plans, but rather they are a set of questions that create a framework Indigenous story telling; Dr. Archibald poses many questions that help guide and prepare educators for various protocols for using Indigenous stories. One important protocol she outlines is to acknowledge the storyteller, and the Indigenous culture from which the storyteller is a member, and then provides some contextual and cultural background for the story. This is a good entry point for me to be able to include Indigenous stories in my own teaching practice.

Module 4, Post 5 | Publishers & Reconciliation in Canada

The Calls to Action do not specifically mention publishers, though these businesses can be important players in the dissemination of knowledge. BookNet recently published some interesting articles on how publishers can find their role in reconciliation by seeing themselves in the Calls to Action. Notably,

  1. We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in consultation and collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal peoples, and educators, to (i) make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for Kindergarten to Grade Twelve students.
  1. We call upon the corporate sector[…] to (i) Commit to meaningful consultation, building respectful relationships, and obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before proceeding with economic development projects. (iii) Provide education for management and staff on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations. This will require skills based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.
  1. We call upon Library and Archives Canada to (i) fully adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations Joinet-Orentlicher Principles, as related to Aboriginal peoples’ inalienable right to know the truth about what happened and why, with regard to human rights violations committed against them in the residential schools.

https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/6/21/taking-action-towards-reconciliation-in-the-book-industry

https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/6/21/what-it-means-to-talk-about-reconciliation

 

Module 4, Post 4 | Indigenous Corporate Training

A company that offers services to help businesses navigate cultural issues and contribute to reconciliation. My final project focus on how publishers in Canada can move closer to reconciliation and these types of companies and consulting practices offer an interesting solution, as it can be difficult to know where to start and how to move forward — hiring consultation is one way to move closer to goals related to inclusivity.

https://www.ictinc.ca/