Category Archives: MODULE 1

M1 P1 – First Peoples Principles of Learning

Hello everyone,

My first blog resource post is providing the link to the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) that outlines the principles used to transfer knowledge and learning in Indigenous communities. These principles provide a clear example of the guidelines educators can follow to share Indigenous knowledge. If you compare this to our BC Curriculum, you will notice the difference right away between the BC Curriculum focus on content (ex. Facts and information) while the FPPL focuses on ways of learning.

In 2015, changes made to the BC Curriculum are beginning to reflect the “process based” learning similar to FPPL. This includes focusing on competencies and skills including problem solving, building on others ideas, asking questions and creating new solutions.

One of the key principles that is important, and sometimes hard for a settler to understand, is that some knowledge is sacred and has certain protocols for sharing that information. To build on that, I have learnt it is not only knowledge, but some stories, ceremonies, physical artifacts and other items that are sacred as well.

*Please note all Indigenous communities are diverse and may have different terminology or different takes on each of these principles*

Link: http://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/

Module 1 (Post 2) – Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science

In the following video, Dr. Leroy Little Bear discusses Indigenous knowledge and western science at a talk in Banff. He is wonderful speaker and connects quantum physics to his Blackfoot knowledge. He uses humour and familiar characters (such as the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland) to explain complex ideas. The most important message I took away from the talk was that Indigenous science and western science are both legitimate sciences and are really just different ways of looking at and describing natural processes.

What I liked about the video is that it is engaging and helps broaden the understanding that different ways of knowing are all valid. There are some differences in how cultures look at the world, but in the end, we are all striving to understand the same thing.

Critical Reflections of Indigenous Research Methodologies (IRMs)

Module 1 – post 4

In our course discussion posts and research blogs, I have felt some discomfort because there are some significant differences in how we try to “objectively” talk about Indigenous ways of knowing, education, and technology in academia, versus how I’ve been discussing these topics with fellow Indigenous family, friends, and peers. When reading the research papers and academic articles, even when it is an Indigenous author, I feel like they are talking outwards, away from the Indigenous community, and to an audience that doesn’t know our ways, or the way we must exist in a western world.

I found an amazing article by Joseph P. Gone that describes some of my discomforts when discussing “Indigenous Research Methodologies“, and I’m sure I will think about their paper throughout the rest of this course.

This particular quote (which I split into two paragraphs for easier reading) stood out to me:

“I worry that the way we practice IRMs insulates inquiry in the name of Indigeneity from skeptical interrogation. The hallmark of academic knowledge production is that it gets critiqued by your peers, people who know your field, who are experts in your specialization… And until you can answer them, or rebut what they have to say, you’re not going to go forward in being able to publish what you say, for example, or what you think. And so, one concern I have is by saying that “this is IRMs,” what we’re really saying is “and you White people don’t know this. This is ours. And so, you White people aren’t allowed to critique it because you wouldn’t know anyway. It’s for us to decide and critique and say what’s right.” And what that can translate into is actually no one critiques it because we have a stake in celebrating these things.

And I’d say in traditional communication styles, especially around knowledge translation and transmission, you don’t critique people. That’s the heart of rudeness, right? You’re not going to sit there and tell an elder, “Well, I think . . .,” if you’re getting the usual monologue, right? That’s not how it works. So, the danger here is that we’re withdrawing all the things that we most care about and are invested in from the usual processes of critique. And that deprives us of the opportunity to refine what we’re doing in ways that can be really important. And, of course, beyond that it completely excludes us from academia. Almost everyone in academia says, “If you’re not willing to play this game, fine, go do your own thing. See ya.” And you become [that which] happens to many Native American Studies programs is you’re really, really marginal in the academy.” (p. 50-51)

Gone, J. P. (2019). Considering Indigenous research methodologies: Critical reflections by an Indigenous knower. Qualitative Inquiry, 25(1), 45-56. https://doi.org/10.1177/107780041878754

M 1. P 5. Supporting Indigenous Language

This is a short video expressing 5 ways to support Indigenous Language Revitalisation. All of these can be done by an educator or incorporated in a class activity.

Learn a greeting and a response in an Indigenous language
Use an app on your smartphone to assist in learning words and phrases
Learn the names of mountains, lakes and rivers in the local Indigenous language
Watch a movie or tv show in an Indigenous language
Listen to artists who sing in their Indigenous language

Module 1 (Post 1): A dialogue about decolonizing science education

The website linked to the image above has a recording of a discussion with three panelists (Dr. Gregory Cajete, Dr. Lorna Wanosts’a7 Williams, and Skye Augustine) about decolonizing science education and practicing indigenous science. If his name sounds familiar, it may be because Dr. Cajete was cited by some of the authors in our module 1 readings. The dialogue is the 13th in a series that were organized by the Reconciling Ways of Knowing Stewardship Society during 2020 and 2021 to continue the conversation about reconciliation despite the pandemic. Each of the panelists has a unique set of experiences to share and helps to broaden our understanding of how to include Indigenous ways of knowing in science and science education.

Kapapamahchakwew – Wandering Spirit School

Module 1 – Post 3

I would like to showcase the Wandering Spirit School located in Toronto, Ontario. When searching for Indigenous education made for and by Indigenous communities, I was surprised to see the Indigenous-led school my nieces currently attend and love.

Wandering Spirit School, which started in the late 1970’s, has a very beginning. The Toronto District School Board was resistant to recognizing the institution as a legitimate school, and the urban Indigenous community had complex responses as they saw potential conflict in acknowledging their dual identities in a time when it wasn’t safe (and you could argue, still isn’t safe).

Today the school is a vibrant place my nieces love. They learn the Ojibway language, eat traditional foods and learn to prepare them, practice horticulture, and learn other subjects that support their dual life in an urban center. In reading more about their school, especially in Berg’s 2016 article below, I’ve come to realize they are a pioneer in uplifting and implementing Indigenous Knowledge in an urban setting.

Further academic reading on the school:

Berg, S. (2017). The Name Unspoken: Wandering Spirit Survival School. In: Bascia, N., Fine, E., Levin, M. (eds) Alternative Schooling and Student Engagement. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54259-1_15

The school’s description on the Toronto District Schoolboard’s webpage.

Module 1 Post 5 – Janet Nguyen – Technological Impact by Indigenous Peoples

The fifth resource for my Module 1 research collection is a podcast on using technology to protect, project, and pass on Indigenous culture for future generations. There is often a duality with how digital tools both connect and divide people from all around the world especially in contraction to certain Indigenous values. The following podcast shares success stories of how Indigenous peoples are innovating in the fields of digital art, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and video game design. Listen to the podcast below for practical examples and inspirations of how Indigenous culture can be accurately and respectfully shared through technology.

Deerchild, R. (Host). (2022, June 24). Tech that protects, projects and preserves [Audio podcast episode]. In Unreserved. CBC Listen. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-105-unreserved/clip/15921358-tech-protects-projects-preserves

Module 1 Post 4 – Janet Nguyen – Digital Equity for Indigenous Communities

The fourth resource for my Module 1 research collection is a podcast on bridging the digital divide amongst Indigenous communities. The technology sector is here to stay and grow for the long-term in this digital age. The following podcast discusses the challenges and benefits of enabling Indigenous peoples with education and engagement around technology while embracing their cultural values. Listen to the podcast below to learn about the necessary funding and training investments in infrastructure, connectivity, and digital literacy for Indigenous peoples to have greater success and influence in technological innovations and careers.

Hrenyk, J. (Host). (2017, August 15). Denise Williams on bridging the digital divide [Audio podcast episode]. In Indigenous Innovators. Animikii. https://indigenousinnovators.ca/podcast/denise-williams-on-bridging-the-digital-divide

Module 1 Post 3 – Janet Nguyen – Indigenous Languages in British Columbia

The third resource for my Module 1 research collection is a fact sheet on the 2018 status report for First Nations languages in British Columbia. There are many Indigenous languages in danger of extinction throughout Canada. The following fact sheet summarizes positive developments in the number of language learners, along with concerns about language vitality that still remain from the ongoing loss of aging fluent speakers. Read through the fact sheet below for an overview of the language diversity statistics and initiatives to revitalize First Nations languages in British Columbia.

First Peoples’ Cultural Council. (2018, October 28). Fact sheet on the 2018 report on the status of B.C. First Nations languages. https://fpcc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/FPCC-Fact-Sheet-Language-Report-2018.pdf