Category Archives: Module 3

Module Three – Decolonizing Tools + Protecting Stories

The topics I explored in this module relevant to our course are decolonization, research and intellectual property. My research interest, traditional stories, connects to all these areas, and I was curious what practical resources related to these topics are available to storytellers and educators in the media age.

(1) This week! July 20-21, 2017: First Nations Language Conference, Vancouver

Stories are told best in their own language. What decolonizing language initiatives are out there? This week’s Language Learning on the Land conference presented by First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) in Vancouver, BC might have some answers! Here is the summary:

The First Nations Education Steering Committee is pleased to present the First Nations Languages Conference, which is a major networking and professional development opportunity for BC’s school and community-based First Nations language educators and advocates. Together, we will explore the conference theme, Language Learning on the Land, and engage in workshops about First Nations languages teaching methods, assessment tools, advocacy, and technology.

The FNESC is a collective organization focused on “advancing quality education for all First Nations learners” that appears to be very active in organizing a vast array of initiatives, events and programs, such as the upcoming First Nations Language Teacher Mentor-Apprentice Program, Science First Peoples Workshop and Annual Aboriginal Education Conference.

(2) Authentic First Peoples Resources K-9

This resource deserves its own mention. The First Nations Education Steering Committee and First Nations Schools Association partnered up in 2011 to produce a publication of authentic materials. After an open call to Canadian publishers, BC educators developed an annotated list of resources. The guide defines authentic First Peoples texts and helps educators “make appropriate decisions about which of these resources might be appropriate for use with their students.” Updated in 2016, it asserts copyright under Canadian law. Within the document, it gives extended credit to authors, illustrators and contributors under each annotated listing, acknowledging communities and traditions. The free download is available here; printed copies may be ordered.

(3) Decolonizing Pedagogies

It seems appropriate as we move into our instructor’s readings, to cite one of Dr. McGregor’s relevant previous works. Decolonizing Pedagogies is a Teacher Reference Booklet prepared for the Aboriginal Focus School at the Vancouver School Board in March 2012. Fortunately for teachers in British Columbia and beyond, it still lives online. It is intended to explore:

What does “decolonizing pedagogies” mean? Why are decolonizing pedagogies important? What have educational scholars said about decolonizing pedagogies in Aboriginal education? How can decolonizing pedagogies be used in history education? What are the challenges of using decolonizing pedagogies?

What is the difference between revising content and pedagogy? As explained in the document:

Revising the content of education to better reflect Indigenous perspectives is often the focus of curricular reform. However, revising pedagogy used to produce and transmit Indigenous curriculum content can be equally important to effectively changing educational practice to make it more inclusive, holistic and reflective of Indigenous ways of teaching and learning.

A primary takeaway at the end of the document is to remember that decolonizing education is not only about integrating Indigenous content; it is about examining power relationships. The Resources list at the end provides further reading for examination.

(4) Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Aboriginal Research

How is research evolving and decolonizing in Canada to include Indigenous methodologies and perspectives? I looked at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada’s Aboriginal Research page to find out. Among many links, it lists tools to support applicants working in Aboriginal research, such as:

The page also links to resources for those involved in Aboriginal research, including: Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples, Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, Universities Canada principles on Indigenous education, Indigenous Education Protocol for Colleges and Institutes, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences: Reconciliation and the Academy and Parks Canada Indigenous Affairs Branch.

SSHRC is active in current research funding, as evidence by its March 16, 2017 press release titled, “Government of Canada Invests in Indigenous Research Projects.” Watch this space!

(5) Law, Research and Working Papers on Intellectual Property (IP)

Here are a few sources I discovered related to IP and cultural appropriation:

(i) First, the Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage (IPinCH) project was a seven-year international research initiative based at Simon Fraser University (2008-2016) that explored “rights, values, and responsibilities of material culture, cultural knowledge and the practice of heritage research.” The project is a practical resource and a network of support for communities and researchers. IPinCH does not appear to have materials after 2016, but does contain excellent articles such as “The Appropriation of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage: Examining the Uses and Pitfalls of the Canadian Intellectual Property Regime” published in November 2015. This project was funded by the SSHRC.

(ii) Moving back in time, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights is a paper published by the Parliamentary Research Branch of the Library of Parliament of Canada in 2004. It addresses:

how Indigenous traditional knowledge differs from western science;
why and how to protect traditional knowledge;
limitations of the intellectual property rights regime; and
international initiatives in protecting traditional knowledge.

(iii) Finally, for historical context, I discovered “Intellectual Property and Aboriginal People: A Working Paper” published by the Research and Analysis Directorate of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Intellectual Property Policy Directorate of Industry Canada in 1999. Almost 20 years on, it may not be a current legal resource, yet many of the fundamental principles remain, and such a document can provide a reference to understand how far we have (or have not) come in regards to IP law reform.

For current legal advice on IP matters, it is advisable to turn to Indigenous practices within law firms, and Indigenous law firms such as OKT, whose central philosophy is that “there will be no real justice until Indigenous peoples have control over their own fates and futures” and works for clients who want to use Canadian law as a means to help achieve this goal and achieve success on their terms.

Module 3 Weblog – Paige McClelland

Walking Together: First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Perspectives in Curriculum

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/aswt/documents/indigenous_pedagogy/storytelling_as_a_foundation_to_literacy.pdf

This resource focuses on the important role that storytelling plays in literacy development amongst Aboriginal youth. The article also points out that language development, background knowledge, and phonemic awareness (p. 2) are only a small part of literacy development for youth. The article reminds me of the importance that social and cultural development play in early education, as outlined by Vygotsky, yet in this article there is an emphasis on using resources that also align with the spiritual realities of Aboriginal learners. To ignore this is to ignore the “process of becoming aware of the entwined interconnected relationships of all life and one’s role in creation” (p. 4). After reading this article, I’m interested in exploring storytelling programs that have been implemented in Canada, their effectiveness, and how a spiritual aspect has been incorporated into programming.

2009 The State of Aboriginal Learning in Canada: A Holistic Approach to Measuring Success

http://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/education2/state_of_aboriginal_learning_in_canada-final_report,_ccl,_2009.pdf

I found this handout particularly interesting because it questions how we know what successful implementation of Aboriginal education looks and feels like. Throughout this ETEC course, I often wonder how many studies have actually been done on the success of programming that is targeted toward Aboriginal learners. While this is a preliminary report and definitely won’t give us all the answers, it was very helpful to view this guide as a holistic resource; I could begin to see how all of the interrelated parts (e.g., place-based learning, connectedness to others, etc.) work as a cohesive whole. I think that it provides a foundation in which we can begin to address the strengths and challenge of current programming in Canada, as well as address the important gaps in knowledge and understanding of how to support Indigenous learning.

A Handbook for Educators of Aboriginal Students

https://www.tru.ca/__shared/assets/Handbook_for_Educators_of_Aboriginal_Students39099.pdf

This is another longer resource, but I think it’s one that I will refer to time and time again because it provides practical strategies for educators who are teaching Indigenous students. As well, one section (beginning on page 40) addresses different kinds of Aboriginal people, reminding educators that there are in fact many different kinds of learners, and identifying as “Aboriginal” does not mean that all Aboriginal students will learn in the same way. In this section, the authors address the critical roles of cultural awareness, cultural identity, cultural competence, and cultural sensitivity. I recommend looking at page 44 of this document to view strategies on how to implement these critical values in the classroom!

Redefining How Success is Measured in First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Learning

http://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/education/5._2007_redefining_how_success_is_measured_en.pdf

Here is another resource that focuses on Aboriginal learning outcomes, this time with an emphasis on redefining outcomes for learning. In other articles I have viewed, the emphasis was on changing how to measure success, but I like the emphasis on redefining–it seems there needs to be more work that simply changing what has been done in the past. Instead of simply “adding on” components of Aboriginal learning, we must redefine what incorporating Indigenous learning and teaching actually looks like. This article offered another eye-opener for me because it pointed out how some of the “current” research that has been done on Indigenous learners’ success in the classroom can be misleading and not consider contextual factors, such as political or economical circumstances. It also pointed out how current data collection and other barriers for representing data may be skewing students’ representation of learning (p. 15). There are many knowledge and data gaps that need to be filled in order to collect telling data, but it was also a good reminder to keep a critical eye on any data that I come across, and not to accept anything at face value.

Mobile(izing) Educational Research: Historical Literacy, M-Learning, and Technopolitics

http://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/9085/7022

For the final project, I am really interested in m-learning, so I was pleased when I stumbled upon a resource that McGill put out about the intricacies of mobile learning for Indigenous populations. This article zones in on why mobile learning, different from other e-Learning platforms, could be “uniquely placed to support learning that is personalized, authentic, and situated” (n.p.). The emphasis on situated learning in the context of Aboriginal education seems to be one of the most significant features of mobile learning, I think because it can potentially situate personal and historical stories and experiences through one medium. Finally, the authors of this article argue that while m-Learning may not be a site for decolonization to necessarily occur, it can act as a springboard for deeper conversation. It “depends on how each user integrates the mobile app in their classroom space. We believe that the creative use of these devices in our classroom spaces has the rich possibility for facilitating complicated, personalized and situated conversations.” There is always careful consideration from the authors that the technology itself cannot mobilize decolonization or act as a site of deconstruction–that must be mobilized from outside.

Module #3 Reflection – Cole Anderson

Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre and the We Wai Kai Nation

http://www.wewaikai.com/cultural-centre

In my first blog entry for the third module I wanted to share a personal story from my childhood and how its connected to this course. I have been going to Quadra Island, a northern gulf island in BC, to camp at Rebecca Spit and throughout the years I learned who the We Wai Kai First Nation People were and even considered a couple of them to be a family friend.

The We Wai Kai Campground and the Nuyumbalees society was established in 1975. It’s goal was to help preserve the traditions of the potlatch, their language and culture. This museum site was established to help preserve all of those components as well as to be an educational centre for the general public. Its connected to various We Wai Kai locations throughout Quadra Island. As a young kid I was fully aware that my family and I were camping on native territory but most of the gulf islands along our coast did not have aboriginal names but instead had Spanish names which at a young age I never understood the reason.

Nunavut 99 – The Early Years

http://www.nunavut.com/nunavut99/english/early.html

In the third module most of the literature focused on exploring the various issues and stories of the Inuit. My own understanding as to why the territory of Nunavut was created in 1999 was woefully inadequate.

In the article written by Robert McGhee, “Nunavut 99” the author succinctly explained what the different time periods were for the Inuit and the dominating influence on their history that the various ice ages have had on the Inuit culture. He also explained what the impact of European Explores and the fur trade has had on their culture. Knowing where the Inuit genealogy begins, the Bearing Sea, not Siberia, and how they were not the first ones to occupy the land of Nunavut was incredibly enlightening. Knowing this knowledge helped me to understand why in Canada when the government talks about the First People’s there’s a different designation for First People, the Metis, and now the Inuit.

UBC Raises Reconciliation Totem Pole to Honour Residential School Victims, Survivors

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/04/02/ubc-totem-pole_n_15764286.html

This was the other story, article, I wanted to share in conjunction with the UBC Residential Research Centre developments from the #7 discussion forum. In the article written by the Canadian Press and published by the Huffington Post it recounts the day when the Haida designed totem pole was raised with various pictures to depict the raising the pole ceremony. At first I thought it was strange that a Haida themed Totem Pole would be raised on Coast Salish traditional territory. However, knowing that the pole was raised on UBC grounds, a university for the province, it made sense to me even though the Haida were known as warriors and slave traders up and down the BC coast.

In the article there were personal stories such as 73 year old Pauline Jones. Pauline’s story was connected to how the pole was made from 800 year old red cedar and how there are three sections (before, during and after Residential School). This story helped me to understand the importance of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee recommendations and how trend setting unique UBC’s leadership role globally and domestically has been in our tribal communities healing process. If it wasn’t for this course I may not have paid that much attention to these developments because I would have ignorantly thought I had a pretty good idea of what had happened.

B.C. Should be Renamed to Reflect Indigenous Ownership, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun says

http://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/british-columbia-should-be-renamed-to-reflect-indigenous-ownership-says-lawrence-paul-yuxweluptun

In the spirit of the proposal of renaming Stanley Park I wanted to research just how far this idea of renaming important geographical landmarks was currently in British Columbia. This article was written by Kevin Griffin by the Vancouver Sun in 2016 and it depicts an art exhibition by Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun at the UBC Anthropology Museum. Mr. Yuxweluptun was born in Kamloops but has Coast Salish and Okanagan ancestry. He proposed through his exhibition a very controversial and provocative idea. The idea was that the entire province of British Columbia should be renamed to better suit the First Nations who had lived for thousands of years.

The crux of Yuxweluptun perspective and idea goes back to when BC had entered into confederation even though most of the land in this province had never been ceded for to the Canadian Federal Government through treaty or war. Even though the article does recognize the massive work that would be required to change the name of the province but despite that work the residents of Canada various iconic names in the province have already been changed. This was in conjunction with the renaming of the Haida Gawaii Islands and the Coast Salish Sea. However, in the spirit of renaming there are still limits on how far the federal government is willing to go. If there should ever be a name change to the province of BC there should be a province wide referendum and the people should decide.

Artist Proud of Ferry Design and its Message to the Young

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/artist-proud-of-ferry-design-and-its-message-to-the-young-1.7594750

This article was inspired from the guiding questions from week #8 which asked how are the indigenous youth are taking ownership of their culture. In the Times Colonist newspaper written by Katie Derosa she tells the story of Darlene Gait. Darlene was selected to design the outside murals for the new BC Ferries boats that were built in Poland for the BC southern gulf islands. Darlene designed the outside artwork design for the first vessel that arrived in BC from Poland, the “Salish Orca.” This vessel was the first of three vessels that there designed by BC Ferries to replace some of the older vessels and it was the first to have a First People artwork design to be painted onto the vessel’s outer hull. At the time of me posting this blog the vessel has begun sailing the Comox to Powell River route and will be sailing that route throughout the year while carrying thousands of people. The other two vessels that will also have special artwork were the “Salish Raven” and the “Salish Raven.”

Even though Darlene is no longer a youth she has a lot of pride that her children, and quite possibly her grandchildren will ride on this boat. For Darlene just knowing that her grandchildren will see her artwork in a very public place, even when she is gone, gave Darlene a great sense of pride and happiness. It made me wonder if this was part of her healing process from the wrongs in the past. As a young adult who loves anything that is part of the visual or performing arts I am happy to know that Darlene is happy with the message that her artwork will bring to youth in her tribe.

Digital Stories and Making the Languages Heard

This module’s blog posts are mainly what I have found in support of my final Web site project, where I will focus on digital storytelling and how it can be used in the classroom. It’s an exploration of stories told both through print and through digital media. The following links provide an opportunity for learners to explore story and to hear languages spoken.

Indigenous Screen Cultures in Canada explores the roles of First Nations peoples in telling their own stories through film and television. I intend to highlight some of the science stories from APTN’s Coyote Science for students in an attempt to make classroom practice more culturally responsive, so I think exploring some background information for teachers is important.
Culturally responsive teaching means including stories. Many of the print books I have found so far include text written in a language other than English (Cree, Blackfoot, Michif) but without a pronunciation guide, reading them aloud feels more harmful than good. For that reason, I think it is essential to include examples of spoken language such as David A. Robertson’s When We Were Alone pronunciation guide and Blackfoot app. I am still looking for other examples of multi-lingual digital stories.
Regina teacher Aaron Warner and the @Treaty4project are working to use 100 days of Cree in the classroom and I think this is a good example of how a language comes off the page and a pronunciation guide is available online. It is essential for students to hear the words being spoken, especially for cultures that primarily teach through an oral tradition.
Archibald’s Indigenous Storywork explores the importance of story in making classrooms more culturally responsive. I look forward to exploring this resource further after Week 9’s reading and exploration of culturally responsive classrooms. I think the role of making space for stories in our classrooms is highlighting the role of perspective.
Wapikoni offers multilingual examples of First Nations stories told by First Nations peoples. Some stories are traditional stories while others are simply “a day in the life” slices of regular life. The production bus offers the opportunity for remote communities to participate in digital storytelling.

Module 3 Weblog – Anne Coustalin

For this module’s Weblog, I focus on teachers and educators as I explore the following questions: How can we prepare ourselves to teach from a land-based approach? Where does land-based education fit with place-based learning? What examples are there of students using land-based education to walk in both worlds? I also continue my journey exploring two-eyed seeing and how it helps us understand integrative education.

CBC UnReserved interview with Tasha Spillet: Indigenous Learning on the Land instead of a classroom

In this interview, Tasha Spillet a Cree and Trinidadian Winnepeg educator describes the importance of land-based education for students but also for educators. Ms. Spillet is one of the instructors in the University of Saskatchewan’s land-based education cohort masters degree. She describes how land-based education shifted the way she views herself and the world and she speaks to the importance for educators of engaging in their own land-based education (instead of just reading articles about it). Another interesting feature of this interview was that Ms. Spillet spoke to land-based education in urban settings as benefiting indigenous youth, many of whom are disconnected from their cultural identity and need to be encouraged to also see their urban landscape as their land: “Underneath the concrete is still our land” (Spillet, 2017).

For more about this program, see this article: Land-Based Education: Taking Knowledge back to its roots

Land-based learning brings native and non-native cultures together

(Newspaper article)

“The First” Land-based learning camp (video)

This camp is hosted by the Living Sky School Division. It is purposefully intended to serve Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and restore or rebuild their connection to the land and to each other. Discussion about the initiative emphasizes teaching students to walk in both worlds. “In these classes we have kids that come from both cultures . . . It is important for kids of native culture to realize the importance of keeping their own culture, but it’s just as important for western people to understand that it is a blessing to have First Nation culture alive”. The speaker is Kim Pasche, a Swiss-born experiential archeologist and one of the instructors at the camp. He emphasizes to students that all of them (Indigenous and non-Indigenous came from hunter-gatherer society, but for some of them that society has been lost. Indigenous Elders and educators join non-Indigenous educators to explore the land from both perspectives simultaneously.

Indigenous Land-based Learning Programs

This site, created by a fellow UBC student for ETEC 521, highlights several different land-based learning initiatives offered in Canada (and one in the United States). While discussion of the programs on the site is limited, it does offer a brief analysis of the focus and approach of each camp and serves as a useful portal to investigate different land-based learning initiatives. It includes reference to Integrative Science camps in Nunavut that use Two-Eyed Seeing as their guiding philosophy.

Green Teacher: Education for Planet Earth (Fall 2009 issue)

This issue is dedicated to exploring Two-Eyed Seeing: Integrative Science. It is a treasure trove of work on two-eyed seeing and offers many concrete examples of two-eyed seeing in the context of education. It also links to work on walking in both worlds.

From the editorial: “In this issue we present some of the learning activities that they and others have designed for teaching science in this way, thus enabling students to take the best from both world views, Indigenous and Western” (p. 2). The issue starts with an excellent article by Hatcher, Bartlett, Marshall and Marshall “Two-Eyed Seeing: A cross-cultural science journey” and also includes trans-disciplinary, cross-cultural science units on: birds; traditional medicines; Traditional legends and astronomy; and Solstices and Equinoxes. This issue is highly recommended to anyone looking for a deeper understanding of Two-Eyed Seeing and concrete examples of what it looks like in the classroom.

Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society (December 2014 edition)

I came across this fantastic Special Issue on Indigenous Land-Based Education in my research. It has a number of great articles and in particular a valuable editorial essay entitled “Learning from the land: Indigenous land based pedagogy and decolonization” by Matthew Wildcat, Mandee McDonald, Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox and Glen Coulthard. I appreciated the connection drawn in this article and in the entire issue between land based education and decolonization. I also appreciated the ability to learn about the related experiences of several different Indigenous groups within that context.

Module 3 Weblog

Module 3 Weblog

Stepping Stones- Ontario Government Brochure

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/stepStones.html

This was a resource I came across when locating information for my final project. It is directed to educators of youth and provides a wealth of information specifically focusing on teaching to students’ ‘whole self’- cognitive, emotional, social and physical self. For learning to occur, students must be taught by educators who can understand the developmental changes they are going through. This is a great resource to remind to help us understand youth development better.

Photovoice with Aboriginal Youth- PDF

http://www.cmha.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Final-Draft-Photovoice-Book-June-5.pdf

This is a community project that was made to promote mental health of Aboriginal youth and families. While it is specific to three different regions in British Colombia, I thought the idea of having youth take photos, as a way of telling a story about their lives, was an intriguing method that educators can implement in to the classroom. Including storytelling into the classroom as a way to share and transmit knowledge, educators can encourage aboriginal ways into the classroom.

Peer Perspectives: Expressions of Aboriginal Youth (3 parts)-YouTube Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuhfenCO45U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXLwFlypPPY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlqhKbVyFJA

This is a 3-part video series on YouTube from Access to Media Education Society (AMES). These videos follow 3 First Nations artists and the role that video has played in encouraging youth to share their stories. The youth explained that they wanted and saw the need to see aboriginal youth represented properly in the media and so they started created their own films. This would be a great resource to use in upper Elementary or High School classes.

Aboriginal Education as Cultural Brokerage- Scholarly Paper

http://mje.mcgill.ca/article/viewFile/2853/3980

This is a scholarly paper written by Kitchen, Cherubini, Trudeau & Hodson (2009) that discussed the experiences of six Aboriginal teachers and their opinions of teacher education not being respectful of Aboriginal languages and cultures. They authors discuss how both Aboriginal education and western education should not be taught separately but should be melded together as one way of teaching. This was an interesting paper for me as I have lately found myself wondering how I can include aboriginal perspectives into my teaching. After reading this article I realized it should not be the inclusion of one aboriginal based activity into a classroom but rather how incorporating a more holistic approach to education in general may be the answer.

What Brings Us Here- Instagram Feed

https://www.instagram.com/whatbringsushere/

This is an Instagram feed of “Indigenous-led activism” based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Each picture/video depicts a story explained by aboriginal perspectives. While many of the stories are quite heartbreaking and perhaps not appropriate for all age groups of students, it does provide another way of experiencing and becoming knowledgeable about Aboriginal culture. Instagram is one of the most widely used social media platforms that reaches millions of people across the globe. To see that aboriginal perspectives are being shared on such a platform is encouraging to see.

Module 3: Outreach and Importance of Place – Susan Beeley

This learning module has, among other things, considered what Aboriginal youth are looking for from education, and how curriculum can be tailored to meet their needs. One of the issues that came up for me was the reluctance of youth to leave their homes, whether this is due to the people, or their sense of place. This becomes problematic when these young people are missing out on opportunities for both education and employment as a result. My contributions focus on outreach to support youth in more remote regions, but also to recognize the importance of place in educating all Aboriginal youth, regardless of physical location.

Outreach for remote teaching:

InSTEM: Indigenous Youth in STEM

Through summer camps, workshops, clubs and community outreach Actua engages students in STEM subjects. Though they recognize that the job market is ever-changing, they endeavor to create programs related to current and relevant areas within STEM and provide these programs to remote areas.

Aboriginal Access to Engineering (Queen’s University)

Another member of the Actua group, this program is run through Queen’s University and provides information and resources to engage elementary students, high school students and even adults with careers in engineering. Material is made available online so even those in remote areas can access the program.

Recognizing the importance of Place:

Promise of Place

This website provides a vast number of resources for teachers and is designed to encourage and support the role of place based learning in education.

Stewarts of the Future

This pdf outlines a government initiative to support stewardship and sustainability in BC’s education system. In addition to describing the desired outcomes of the initiative, activities and information on how to get involved are provided.

Science World, Vancouver

BC Green Games provides information on what place based learning is and also has full units that are designed to encourage youth to connect to where they live by engaging them in projects that promote greener, local living.

MODULE 3 WEBLOG – EDENIA LAI

Module three has focused on the topic of decolonization. I admit that the readings and videos that I’ve delved into this month have admittedly been both anger inducing and very touching all at once. The stories of youth in particular were uplifting despite the heavy material of the topic. Overall. I think the learnings speak to a journey of reconciliation and compensation that is still ridden with challenges. In sum, there’s still work to be done and we must work diligently towards it.

On this note, I was inspired to look into the work of organizations (including the government) and institutions that are working towards culturally responsive models of education in our schools.

B.C Principals and Vice Principals Association (BCPVPA)
Link: http://bcpvpa.bc.ca/about-the-association/

The BCPVPA is an independent professional association dedicated to helping administrators provide educational leadership in their schools. Members have access to resources and services to promote student excellence in the classroom. I was drawn to the number of resources on the website speaking to readings and references on the topic of indigeneity and education. In particular, I was also very interested to see that the organization had partnered with the UBC Faculty of Education to publish a book speaking to Aboriginal education enhancement agreements, curriculum development and change, policy and research just to name a few. In sum, leading educational change is a topic that isn’t discussed enough in our schools, therefore an association with a mandate to support administrators in their push forward for positive change through learning, knowing and sharing is in my opinion a step in the right direction.

Thompson Rivers University Handbook for Educators of Aboriginal Students
Link: https://www.tru.ca/__shared/assets/Handbook_for_Educators_of_Aboriginal_Students39099.pdf

In my search for educator resources, I stumbled upon the TRU website. To quote directly from the website, TRU supports roughly 1,000 Aboriginal students on its Kamloops campus therefore they self-publicize to be the ‘university of choice’ for aboriginal students. TRU emphasizes a focus on student strengths and aims to incorporate aboriginal culture, history and knowledge in their curriculum, research and classroom activities. In addition to having an office for aboriginal education, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that they have established protocols and even an aboriginal service plan. Furthermore, TRU has created a handbook for educators of aboriginal students that speaks to effective and innovative educational practices and supports (WOW!). I sum, I was very impressed to see that TRU is working to support a teaching and learning environment that advocates for aboriginal students and in tandem, equips its staff to do so as well.

First Nations Education Steering Committee
Link: http://www.fnesc.ca/

The mandate of the FNESC is to provide services, communications, advocacy, program administration and networking, however most importantly, it aims to share information about government policies and initiatives that impact First Nations learners. In my search for resources, I was very interested to learn about the activity of steering committees across the province and their work in partnership with schools at both the K-12 and post-secondary level. In short, I was tremendously impressed and inspired by their accomplishments which include the development of innovative curriculum at the secondary level and the establishment of the BC Aboriginal post-secondary education and training partners group. Publications and reports also live on this website, namely one of great interest to me titled “How Are We Doing?” Aboriginal Performance Data to monitor the performance of Aboriginal students in the BC public school system.

UBC CTLT: Indigenous Initiatives
Link: http://indigenousinitiatives.ctlt.ubc.ca/

Closer to home, I was (embarrassingly so) surprised to learn that the CTLT or the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology routinely develops and offers programming, resources and consultations focused on indigenous engagement in curriculum, pedagogy, classroom climate and professional development. For staff in particular, there are opportunities to engage in six prominent projects that all focus on building a shared awareness of indigenous topics. The projects also provide an accessible starting point for the university community to learn about Aboriginal cultures, politics and histories.

Information about the six projects are outlined at the following link: http://indigenousinitiatives.ctlt.ubc.ca/research-resources/

University of Victoria Aboriginal Student Transition Handbook
Link: https://www.uvic.ca/services/indigenous/assets/docs/Aboriginal%20Student%20Transition%20Handbook%20Final.pdf

The UVic Aboriginal Student Transition Handbook was created out of a desire to address questions and concerns of indigenous students as they enter into post-secondary study or are preparing to graduate. The handbook contains the views of indigenous students and was created in collaboration with research partners and a steering committee. As I read through the document, I was grateful to see that there was content speaking to culture shock, a topic that we’ve touched upon this module and staying connected to community and culture. Although the audience of the handbook are indigenous students, I really felt that this resource is a necessity for advisors as well. To elaborate, it’s important for advisors to understand the transition to university from the student perspective. If there’s an area that we can improve on, I would say that we (the school) can do a better job of anticipating the challenges that students will face so that they can focus on their studies and being well.

From Trevor Smitna, Module 3 Resources for Teaching Trauma Affected Aboriginal Students

1. http://ineducation.ca/ineducation/article/view/75/560
This link is to an article written by Elaine Mordoch and Rainey Gaywish, both of the University of Manitoba Aboriginal Focus Programs. The article is titled Is There a Need for Healing in the Classroom? Exploring Trauma-Informed Education for Aboriginal Mature Students. This article links the difficulty aboriginal students at the post-secondary level have succeeding, to the cultural trauma and PTSD that many aboriginal students live with. I found this an informative piece written with a distinct aboriginal cultural style, the “four lodges”.

2. https://fncaringsociety.com/sites/default/files/School%20Resources%20Grade%209-12.pdf
This resource is for Grades 9-12 Reconciliation and Social Justice by the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada. For this third and final Weblog I focussed on practical, classroom useful resources and information that teachers can use to understand and support aboriginal students in the classroom. This link has links to resource and information that can be used as a jumping off point for lessons, units, or building one’s own understanding.

3. https://fncaringsociety.com/i-am-witness
I included this link, even though it is part of the previous entry because the power of a Human Rights Tribunal declaring that the Canadian government is still actively discriminating against over 163,000 aboriginal children. This activist style page contains up to date information about the tribunal, background, and can be tailored for younger, Middle School grades as well.

4. http://portal.acc-society.bc.ca/literacy/storytelling
The BC Aboriginal Childcare Society puts out this web resource for educators with the goal of promoting literacy and language development in aboriginal children. I find this link very rich with material for teachers and includes teaching materials and links to classroom ready resources. In my own practice, I find it truly helpful to have resources ready to go that I can use once the school year is steaming along. I appreciate the quality here, and the variety of different Indigenous cultures represented.

5. https://www.edonline.sk.ca/webapps/blackboard/content/listContentEditable.jsp?content_id=_127437_1&course_id=_3514_1
My final entry is a resource for teachers who wish to take on the daunting task of educating students about Residential Schools and the resulting cultural trauma. This particular link is a response by the Saskatchewan government to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and includes educational material as well as resources for bringing this incredibly sensitive subject to the classroom. There is a comprehensive section that includes learning resources for students, broken down into appropriate grade levels.

Module 3 Weblog: Post 5

http://www.beatnation.org/nyac.html

The Native Youth Artist Collective brings together Indigenous artists to showcase their work. Each of the artists involved can share their work on the website linked above. There are biographies so that visitors can learn about the artist and the message behind their work. The NYAC provides workshops for the artists so that they can try out different mediums and techniques.

NYAC works in conjunction with Beat Nation, an organization that brings together hip hop and Indigenous culture. They are focused on music, art and culture. Beat Nation recognizes a local movement that is centralized around hip hop in Indigenous communities. They took that focus and created this artist community where the message is about creating your own identity within a style, and telling your own story through art. I think curating art and artists like this is a really great way to foster growth and create a new community of individuals with like minded goals.