In this module 3 weblog, I am beginning to narrow my search to some of the institutions and organizations that are leading and supporting Indigenization strategies for post secondary. I am finding that so much good work has been done, but there are also many lessons documented for the future. Here were some great sites I found this module:
Indigenous Education Protocol: Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan)
Colleges and Institutes Canada (CiCan) recognizes that colleges serve many Indigenous students throughout Canada, the North included. The organization has clearly defined seven principles aimed at Indigenization of colleges and has encouraged institutions to become signatories by implementing in these principles. So far, there are 54 signatories across Canada. Additional links such as background of the protocol, member documents, resources and FAQ’s are included in the site.
Inspiring Relationships Indigenization Plan: Comosun College
This document was created by Comosun college (Vancouver Island) and was implemented in 2013 and 2014. Although it is a few years old, it has a strong framework for how they approached Indigenization at their institution. They base their strategy on four “corner posts”: curriculum development and delivery, services for students, policy and strategic planning and employee education. Each of these four areas has clear goals and actions to complete. The plan and is laid out in an easy-to-understand format. It includes a comprehensive section on strengths, challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned.
First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC)
FNESC recognized that they needed a collective organization that was dedicated to the betterment of education for all Indigenous learners from K to post secondary. THis organization practices at the provincial level and works to improve success in education to BC’s Indigenous population through research, communication, advocacy, and networking. This site includes comprehensive annual reports, resources for students and educators, media (videos and images), and opportunities to become involved. They put on a yearly conference that looks fantastic (in fact, it is already full for this coming year!)
BC Campus Indigenization Project: Environmental Scan Summary
This publication is an environmental scan completed by BC Campus that analyzes professional learning resources and opportunities that are available for staff and educators. Their findings are quite interesting and look at the type of training available, training topics, access to resources, authenticity of resources, and engagement of faculty and staff. This provides a great overview to see what is currently being offered and where gaps may still exist.
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh
I wasn’t sure if I should post this resource and have had it in my “maybe” list since the start of this course. I decided to post it for the reason that none of the indigenization strategies will be as effective unless those of us who are not Indigenous first “unpack our knapsacks” and realize that we inevitably bring our own histories, pasts, values and viewpoints to our interactions whether we are aware of it or not. Recognizing our biases is the first step in removing them and moving forward.