In English Language Arts courses, we often discuss how important word choice is in getting our messages across effectively. The words we use reveal our intent and have the power to leave an impact on others. The same can be said when we use words to describe others or to address one another. Our Indigenous Ed. Department in our school district has created a website for us sharing helpful resources that we can embed in our teaching and share with our students. I came across a video the department posted about terminology and although it was meant for kids, I, an adult, felt it was helpful for me to understand as well. As someone who teaches Indigenous students, I should know what terms are to be used and what are instead imposed by others. This also aids in relationship building, which ties into the First Peoples Principle of Learning: Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place.
CBC Kids News. (2019, March 26). The word Indigenous explained [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CISeEFTsgDA&t=144s