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.