Author Archives: svirk7

For my last blog of the term, I would like to focus on the book entitled: Resurgence: Engaging with Indigenous Narratives and Cultural Expressions In and Beyond the Classroom by Christina M’Lot and Katya Adamov Feguson. I wanted to share this book because it was introduced to me at a workshop a couple of weeks ago and it is now a book that my school district is holding a book club on to dive into further. I have had a chance to read a few sections of the book. The book is dedicated to showing educators how to concretely and meaningfully introduce Indigenous art, technologies, stories, and more into a classroom setting. This book is for intermediate and high school grades (grade 6 and up) and I sometimes struggle to find resources dedicated to older students and this is extremely helpful. There are even sections on mental health from an Indigenous perspective that are relevant and can be easily implemented into a classroom setting.

I included a previous CBC Kids video in Module 3, I also used another video from CBC Kids talking about what Reconciliation is with my students. I liked this particular video discussing allyship to young kids because I think this is where true allyship can start and students being able to recognize how they can be an ally from Indigenous leaders and activist who are able to share their advice in how authentic allyship should look like. I like that many videos are targeted towards students of a younger age now as that will help to start this knowledge at a young age.

An important part of land acknowledgements is understanding and working towards reconciliation. Reconciliation Canada has posted a Kitchen Table Guide for Reconciliation Dialogue that provides a step-by-step guide in facilitating tough but important and worthy conversations. The guide covers everything from dialogue guidelines and prep work to agendas and discussion/conversation starters. There is a Circle of Balance that I found particularly helpful in thinking about my own roles when it comes to not only being part of reconciliation but actively working towards it as an educator who has the power to bring these important issues to the forefront of my classroom community.

Link to PDF: Kitchen Table Guide for Reconciliation Dialogue

This website Native Governance Centre and this particular page on the site have helped me in my research topic tremendously. The site offers tips for creating a land acknowledgement statement that go beyond just wording, but stresses the importance of deeply understanding the why behind the acknowledgement as well as understanding that we must carefully approach this topic, look at the language we are using and put in the effort when creating a meaningful land acknowledgement. I appreciate this guide and the attention to detail because it helps settlers to this land make a first step towards reconciliation and authenticity with our relationships with Indigenous peoples.

The website called, “Whose Land” is a really informative and interactive place. It is similar to the site that I blogged about in module 1 called “Native Land”. They both have an interactive map of the land and highlight the Indigenous peoples that have been a part of that land since time immemorial. This site however also makes it easy to see all the treaties as well. For my research topic specifically on land acknowledgements, there is a section on why we should acknowledge the land as well as resources that I can draw from as a I work on writing my paper.

For my research topic of land acknowledgements, as a settler and educator, working to make these acknowledgements meaningful and also to address this topic with my students I look towards resources that I can also use in the classroom to have my students think about this topic as well so that they can also be better informed. This video by CBC kids helps to highlight what these acknowledgements are and why we should be making them meaningful. I especially want to discuss with student what Dr. Daniel Justice says in the video about how land acknowledgements can become a “formula” that people feel like they need to say but are not thinking about the why. There is also a strong sentiment in the video that states that acknowledgements should have action behind them. These actions are different depending on if you are a business, organization, or corporation or if you are an settler on the lands or a kid. I think this video is a good place to start to get students to think about what the land acknowledgements they hear are and how they can go beyond that.

For myself, books and reading materials are a great way for me to think about how to work towards reconciliation and decolonization as an educator. I like finding authentic resources that I can look to to help guide my teaching. So many times I see textbooks in schools that are outdated and also do not show the people that were consulted during the creation process. Truth and Reconciliation in Canadian Schools by Pamela Rose Toulouse provides a wonderful resource for educators and also breaks down lessons/topics per grade level, this helps for educators looking to get started but I often move faster if I feel my class is ready for the more complicated and thought provoking discussions.

Monique Gray Smith is an author that I have had the privilege of meeting and attending a workshop where she was the guest of honour. Her book Speaking Our Truth really works towards helping educators guide young students towards a better understanding of reconciliation and ultimately, decolonization. The book talks about being an ally and how that looks like which I think is something that students should start to learn at a very young age. In terms of my research topic of land acknowledgements, I like that the book contains a message from Elder Kahontakwas, that specifically discusses respect and admiration for what the land provides which I think this specific Indigenous worldview is often missing from land acknowledgements we see today.

Muskrat Magazine is an online magazine that is dedicated to providing information on Indigenous arts and culture. When thinking about module 3 and decolonization, I think it really is important to think about how Indigenous Peoples are portrayed in various media sources. I also think it is important for authentic news and culture sources to be funded and backed by the government. I have had a lot of discussions this term about how many aspects of Indigenous culture are thought of as historical and not current but by highlighting websites like these, it could be a vital step forward.

One of my colleagues blogs in module 2 really inspired me to think about how as educators we need to be taking a much more proactive approach in making educational spaces safer while working towards breaking colonial ways of education. As an educator I do have the power to make my classroom space inclusive for all but I also need to understand and be more aware of the experiences Indigenous students face will carry with them when entering a school or that their families will feel when sending their children to school. Matthew Provost’s video highlights his experience in post-secondary educational institutions.

When I think about my research topic of land acknowledgements, specifically in schools, I think about how important the authenticity of those announcements are, especially in settings that have historically brought incredible amounts of trauma and hurt to generations of people.