Author Archives: TylerOhashi

Racism

Module 4, Entry 5

Tyler Ohashi

Racism

Towards the end of ETEC 521, I have been thinking about racism as a result of all the discussions around the dominant Western culture. It has caused me to think about what it would be like to feel excluded and oppresses by the dominant culture.

In a short personal story from Tami Pierce, director of Indigenous Education and Community Engagement at Vancouver Community College she experiences racism by just being earshot away from a conversation about “Indians”. She was not being talked to directly, but the impacts of racism still made her feel terrible and the details of the conversation revealed how misinformation, stereotypes, and stigma are very present today. Even today, people still use a generic paintbrush to project false opinions about Indigenous populations. To counteract this display of racism, Tami advocates the importance of being proud of who you are and “It’s not about fitting in or being someone that you are not — be proud of who you are and where you come from.” Her personal story makes it clear to me the need to dispel stereotypes of Indigenous people through education and proper representation.

Next, I started wondering about “systemic racism” because it is something that I have been hearing a lot lately. Therefore I looked at how Indigenous people have been affected by racism which landed me at this paper that looks at Indigenous experiences with racism and its impacts. This paper takes an insightful look at racism with respect to government policies (including residential schools), healthcare, and the judicial system and how these impact Indigenous people. Indigenous people have been racialized by most (all) levels of government which continues to be a problem today. “Systemic racism” is something I am just beginning to understand and how big the problem really is. Directing racism at one person is small and perhaps manageable, but racism on a scale that includes all levels of modern society is hard to wrap your head around.

References

Loppi, S., Reading, C., & de Leeuw, S. (n.d.). INDIGENOUS EXPERIENCES WITH RACISM AND ITS IMPACTS. https://www.nccih.ca/. https://www.nccih.ca/docs/determinants/FS-Racism2-Racism-Impacts-EN.pdf.

Pierce, T. (2018, June 8). Racism. Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. https://indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca/article/racism/.

A perspective on Hegemony

Module 4, Entry 4

Tyler Ohashi

While investigating how Indigenous culture is affected by hegemony, I came across this paper by Frank Deer from the University of Manitoba. This paper aligns well with the concepts we are discussing in ETEC 521. This paper discusses how the ideas of people at any age are the ideas that align with the ruling class (Western view). Other useful topics in this paper include:

how colonization resulted in the “Europeanization” of Indigenous people and the role education (schools) played in this process.
an interesting dilemma about trying to construct a national identity that reflects Canada due to Canada being so diverse.
how immersion in Western (Eurocentric) society can make developing a sense of identity tricky
discussions about multiculturalism and how it affects Indigenous identity
how Canadian education has failed to reflect Indigenous identity in its education system, therefore, promoting the ‘status quo’.
how ‘perspective’ can counteract ‘tokenism’

This paper is useful to help understand the effects of a dominant, ruling class can have on other cultures (namely Indigenous culture). It is well cited, well, written paper.

Acknowledgement is necessary to move forward.

Module 4 – Entry 3

Tyler Ohashi

Acknowledgment is necessary to move forward

My research statement has me looking at Indigenous knowledge closely. As a middle-aged, white educator, when I think back on going through the school system, I had relatively few problems. As I research and learn about Indigenous experiences with the school system, it is clear that they did not have the same experience. Many (all) Indigenous students experience racism as it is built into the system (Lanson-Billings and Tate, 1995) and that a lot of the racism is invisible so it is difficult to bring it to the surface and address it (Hogarth and Fletcher, 2018). This is why my experience in school when I was younger was a pleasant experience, I did not know I was in a system that oppressed Indigenous people. I was in a system that legitimized the exclusion and segregation of Indigenous people into horrible institutions such as residential schools. Therefore, that horrible truth lived in the background until it was “found” by the news stories that are revealing the truths about residential schools. “We cannot begin to right a wrong, or grieve a loss, or mend a system, without first acknowledging the wrong that has been done, the loss that has occurred and the system that is broken (Hogarth and Fletcher, 2018).”

When I saw Manitoba’s new Indigenous relations minister’s comments about residential schools, I was a bit shocked! Is he a product of the same education system that I experienced? Does he really believe that residential schools had good intentions?

“Residential schooling was intended to root out and destroy Indigenous knowledge, languages, and relationships with the natural family to replace them with Eurocentric values, identities, and beliefs that ultimately were aimed at destroying children’s self-esteem, self-concept, and healthy relationships with each other and their families (Battiste, 2017, p.56).”

Therefore, I am validated in the importance of reworking my practice to be inclusive of Indigenous knowledge. I would like to expand my practice to be more inclusive to all my students. Historically, teachers are the ones that have been used to try to assimilate Indigenous peoples (Jones Brayboy & Maughan, 2009) so we can be the ones to make a change in a positive direction, one that is more inclusive.

References:

Battiste, M. (2017). Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit. Purich Publishing.

Ladson-Billings, G., & Tate IV, W. F. (1995). Toward a critical race theory of education. Teachers College Record, 97, 47–68.

Hogarth, K., & Fletcher, W. L. (2018). A space for race: Decoding racism, multiculturalism, and post-colonialism in the quest for belonging in Canada and beyond. Oxford University Press. (Read Chapter 1- Race, racism and antiracism in Canada– pp. 1-23).

Jones Brayboy, B. M., & Maughan, E. (2009). Indigenous knowledges and the story of the bean. Harvard Educational Review, 79(1), 1-21.

Re-Learning is Required

Module 4 – Entry 2

Tyler Ohashi

This post is kind of backward because I was thinking about how I can reform my practice to be more inclusive and I search for media that supported my thinking. My research question has me thinking about how to bring more Indigenous perspectives into my practice which has been based predominantly on Western principles. Much of the content used in teaching leaves out the knowledge of Indigenous peoples. To implement change, there is going to need to be more Indigenous perspectives in teaching and learning in all areas rather than in one-off tokenistic events (Kouri, 2020). I am beginning to understand that I am going to have to make some fairly large changes in how I do things. I am going to have to do some re-learning. I hesitate to use the term “un-learn” because I don’t feel that everything I have done up to this point is invaluable, consequently, I like re-learn.

As a result of my search, I share this video that demonstrates how difficult this journey might be. Re-learning how to ride a bike is a difficult task! However, with determination, it can be done. Like Destin’s determination to ride this backward bike, I am determined to update my practice with pedagogy that will benefit all students in my classroom. Note at the end of the video, he rides a regular bike again. This demonstrates that old knowledge should not be thrown away because it can be useful. Now, Destin can ride both types of bikes and he has grown in his capacity. For me, I am going to keep old practices that are worth keeping and work on bringing new practices that will move my teaching abilities forward.

Enjoy the video 🙂

I can see myself using this video as a provocation for a growth mindset.

Reference

Kouri, S. (2020). Settler Education: Acknowledgement, Self-Location, and Settler Ethics In Teaching and Learning.International Journal of Child, Youth & Family Studies, 11(3), 56-79.

Indigenous Sports Heroes Education Experience

Module 4 – Entry 1

Tyler Ohashi

Indigenous Sports Heroes Education Experience

While watching yesterday’s Global News, an interesting story came up that spoke about Indigenous sports heroes and their journeys. The Indigenous Sports Heroes Education Experience is a national education initiative that will be available to educators at no cost. It will highlight the stories of 14 Indigenous Hall of Famers.

I find this an interesting initiative because it will cast light on what is possible for young aspiring Indigenous athletes. I look forward to looking at this resource with an educator lens. I want to see how they engage their learners, the types of media they use, how they incorporate Indigenous voices in meaningful, respectful ways, and how they utilize technology. This website is the culmination of many great minds working together to create something great, therefore, I look forward to seeing how this effort raises Indigenous awareness.

This resource goes live, August 9, 2021, but they already have a lot of resources available to view already.

Here is a promotional clip from YouTube:

Joining the Circle

Module 3 – Entry 5

Tyler Ohashi

Joining the Circle

As I continue my journey looking for how to incorporate Indigenous education into my practice I have come across this “Guide for Educators” produced by COPA.

COPA is a Francophone not-for-profit organization, offering services in both French and English. Founded in 1995, we are a recognized center of excellence in the field of violence and bullying prevention by advocating for equity and inclusion.

What landed me at this document was a search for barriers that Indigenous people face with respect to education. What I found was an entire section titled “Facing Barriers” that looks at:

Culture and Identity
Language
Spirituality
Contribution to Canada
Land, Treaties and Relocation
The Indian Act
Residential Schools
Intergenerational Trauma
Bullying and Racism
Bullying and Suicide
Lateral Violence
Internalized Racism
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Marginalization
Indigenous Children and Youth in Care
Study Away from Home
Working in Reserve Communities
Parents in Prison

Obviously, there is a lot to unpack here. The good news is that this document highlights each of the above briefly. I like this because there were many barriers here that I had not thought about till coming across this document.

Furthermore, the next sections of this document look at “Caring and Sharing” and “Moving Forward”. Finally, there is an entire section dedicated to a “Film Guide” that can be used to facilitate discussions using short animated films with provided discussion questions and strategies for teaching.

Short animated films can be found here –> Films

Overall, a very useful document.

Reference

COPA. (n.d.). Joining the Circle – A Guide for Educators. https://www.metisnation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/educatorsguide_en.pdf.

Promoting Educational Change

Module 3 – Entry 4

Tyler Ohashi

Priorities for Accelerating Change – Executive summary link

In my quest to further understand how to bring together Indigenous education and Western education, I came a study by the OECD (2017) where they looked at:

Identifying promising strategies, policies, programs, and practices to support improved learning outcomes for Indigenous students
Evidence-based on what works to support Indigenous students succeed
Ways to assist provinces and territories in Canada to learn from each other to close educational gaps for Indigenous students

For me, I was interested in the priorities they identified to promote change. To promote systemic change in education, there must be a focus on:

Student well-being
- The well-being of all students is critical in success rates
Participation rates
- A deliberate effort needs to be made to increase participation rates
Student engagement
- Closely tied to participation, student engagement sets foundations for success because it promotes interest in school
Early learning
- Getting kids into Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programs will help prevent Indigenous students from entering school later than non-Indigenous students
Supporting teachers and leaders
- Educators can learn from each other. On-going professional development to grow and share our learning is going to be important
Engaging families
- Communication with families can promote gains in student well-being, engagement, and participation.

When I work to develop future learning experiences for my students, I will keep these priorities in mind so I increase the likelihood of success for my students. The best part is that the study also revealed that what worked for Indigenous students also worked for non-Indigenous students so everyone wins.

However, a thought…

All of these priorities seem obvious. Why did take a study to reveal this? To me, it seems like there is something missing in the middle. Are Indigenous communities missing these priorities or are these priorities just not a priority for them? Do they have other needs that take precedent?

Reference

OECD (2017). “Executive Summary”, in Promising Practices in Supporting Success for Indigenous Students, OECD Publishing, Paris.

OECD – Supporting Indigenous Students

Module 3 – Entry 3

Tyler Ohashi

OECD – Supporting Indigenous Students

As mentioned in my previous post, our school district highly values the 7 Principles of Learning from the OECD. In my journey to learn how to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into my practice, I found that the OECD has also looked into how to support Indigenous students.

This article outlines how educators can align their practice with what Indigenous students are reporting is important to them. Indigenous students are reporting that they would like to see schools that:

Care about them and who they are as Indigenous people.
Expect them to succeed in education.
Help them to learn about their cultures, histories, and languages.

Therefore, schools should include practices that include:

Extra support for students: Finding ways to change the experiences of individual students goes a long way.
Engaging families: Mutually respectful relationships between schools and parents can have significant benefits for students.
Monitoring and reporting: Tracking progress with data helps educators and families understand where progress is being made.

Teaching to Indigenous students should include teaching in a holistic manner that promotes well-being, participation, engagement, and achievement.

This article also includes links to other resources located in the OECD library that provide information on how to incorporate Indigenous education in your practice.

Reference

Supporting Success for Indigenous Students. OECD. (2017). https://www.oecd.org/education/Supporting-Success-for-Indigenous-Students.pdf.

7 Principles of Learning

Module 3 – Entry 2

Tyler Ohashi

The Organization for Cooperative and Economic Development (OECD) had developed “The 7 Principles of Learning” that highlight some features of powerful learning environments. Our school district has embraced these learning principles for a number of years now and these learning principles are being expected to be used.

Here is a link to an executive summary for the 7 Principles of Learning called, The Nature of Learning (2013) which is taken from the full publication “Innovative Learning Environments”.

OECD 7 Core Principals of Learning

(Image from OECD)

The executive summary, The Nature of Learning (2013), looks at a socio-constructivist viewpoint for how people learn. Implementing the 7 Principles of Learning into classrooms should yield better experiences for teachers and learners.

I am interested in looking at how these principles (which our school district expects) can be used to support Indigenous ways of teaching and learning. I am hoping to find commonalities that will allow me to develop lessons that will engage my Indigenous learners and my non-Indigenous learner at a high level.

Reference

Dumont, H., Instance, D., & Benevides, F. (2013). The Nature of Learning – Executive Summary. In Innovative learning environments. essay, OECD.

Indigenous Epistemologies and Pedagogies

Module 3 – Entry 1

Tyler Ohashi

Refining my search to look more closely at Indigenous knowledge systems, specifically how knowledge is created and taught and what type of pedagogies are used, I came across the BC Open Textbook Project. On their website, I found a book called, “Pulling Together: A Guide for Indigenization of Post-Secondary Institutions.”

Cover image for Pulling Together: A Guide for Curriculum Developers

One chapter, “Indigenous Epistemologies and Pedagogies” stood out to me because it highlights some of the very things I am looking to understand better. This chapter sheds light on key Indigenous epistemologies such as relationality, the interconnection between sacred and secular, and holism. There is also a section on Indigenous pedagogies with information on personal and holistic learning, experiential, place-based learning, intergenerational practices.

I find the information on this website closely related to my revised research question where I will be looking at how to integrate Indigenous ways of learning into Western education in a manner that will benefit all students.

As a final note, I like how this website has some activities with vetted resources to facilitate further investigation. One activity that I see as useful is looking at First Peoples Principles of Learning are used by different Indigenous cultures and how could these principles impact your own curriculum development/lessons.

Reference

Antoine, A.-na-hi, Mason, R., Mason, R., Palahicky, S., & Carmen Rodríguez María del. (2018). Curriculum developers: pulling together: a guide for indigenization of post-secondary institutions. BCcampus, BC Open Textbook Project.