Category Archives: MODULE 3

Module 3 Post 4: Emotions about Colonialism and Decolonization

I invite you to take a moment to watch this webinar series – “Alliance Building in the Academy and in the Community: The Role of Decolonizing and Indigenizing” (Simon Fraser University, 2020). Although my initial intentions were to find Indigenous voices, I am starting to realize that as a non-Indigenous educator I also need to hear the experiences of other non-Indigenous people. One of the main concepts I take away from this resource is about feelings/emotions. Emotions about colonialism and decolonization are tricky to deal with. We may feel anger, denial, fear, guilt, and so on. We also carry emotions from other aspects of our lives and these can have an impact on how we respond to colonialism and decolonization. These feelings play an important role in how we relate or don’t relate to each other.

I found this webinar very engaging and I hope you do too.

https://www.sfu.ca/cee/events/decolonization-indigenization.html

Reference:

Simon Fraser University. (2020 November, 10). Alliance building in the academy and in the community: The role of decolonizing and Indigenizing. In Decolonizing and Indigenization webinar series. https://www.sfu.ca/cee/events/decolonization-indigenization.html

Module 3 Post 3: Decolonizing and Indigenizing Curriculums

Indigenization

Here is a webcast recording from October 2020. It’s about what decolonizing and Indigenizing means to curriculum. These Indigenous voices are telling us that we need to learn from Indigenous people, not about them. We need to have cultural humility. We should learn to listen and listen to learn. Education needs to be humanized. Reconciliation means more than an informative process, it requires transferrable practice. Examples are given about what Indigenizing a curriculum looks like. Getting community members involved in curriculum development. Incorporating Indigenous languages into the curriculum. Using oral traditions. Include community events. If you think about building trust within the community, consider more community involvement throughout the curriculum. This webcast is very insightful. As you watch it, you will also learn about many key Indigenous curriculum principles. One of the principles is including Indigenous people to set curriculum agendas and giving space for nonIndigenous people as they may also have good insight.

What do you think about the ideas shared here? How do you see these ideas fitting into your curriculums?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqASXOfihAI

Reference:

Centre for Educational Excellence. (2020 November, 3). Interrupting the academy: Decolonizing and Indigenizing the curriculum. [Video]. Youtube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqASXOfihAI

MODULE 3 – ENTRY 2: HAVING MENTORS IN YOUR LIFE, CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE

I just wanted to show with this blog, a change for the better through education, culture and technology, and having mentors like Nelson Bird and Cree Agecoutay, who also had mentors like their mom, grandmother and teachers, all help pave the way for the next generations to come.

This site, celebrates Creeson Agecoutay, a news anchor on CTV, who was raised by a single mother on Cowessess First Nations. Creeson Agecoutay has attained his goal of working in journalism at CTV.  This particular individual exemplifies how positive role models and providing a strong educational foundation can lead you to any goal and path you want to take. “Education was a big thing in our home. That was the rule. If you’re in Mom or Grandma’s house, you have to go to school every day. So after we got home from school, our time together would be at the dinner table while CTV News was on.”  This quote by Creeson ties in culture, family, generations, education, tradition, and technology and reminded me so much of how my mom spoke to her students when she was teaching.

Nelson Bird, left, and Creeson Agecoutay are shown on the Indigenous Circle set. 
PHOTO BY PHOTO COURTESY NELSON BIRD

Ironically, I researched a little further to see that Creeson began his television journey on another show called “Indigenous Circle,” which gives a weekly in-depth look at news and issues facing the First Nation and Metis population of Saskatchewan, and it is hosted by award winning journalist Nelson Bird, who happens to be one of Creesons lifelong mentors.  He was born on the Peepeekisis First Nation and graduated from the University of Regina / First Nations University with a degree in Journalism and Indigenous Studies.  He started in 1995 as a video journalist, became a producer, and then anchor person. His job allows him to tell the stories of Aboriginal people from across Canada and beyond. Another part of his work, which he loves, is to train young aboriginal people and encourage them to be the best they can. He conducts motivational speeches at schools and universities.

Nelson Bird’s Mission Statement:

Our mission is to foster, in a holistic way, greater understanding between Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal people as to traditional values,

current issues and future directions of First Nations and Metis communities.

 Reference:

Bell Media. (2021). Indigenous Circle on CTV News Regina. [Site]. Retrieved June 16, 2021, from https://regina.ctvnews.ca/more/indigenous-circle

Vanstone, R. (August 6, 2020). Creeson Agecoutay savours his ‘dream job’ with CTV. [Site]. Retrieved June 16, 2021, from https://leaderpost.com/news/local-news/creeson-agecoutay-savours-his-dream-job-with-ctv

M3:Entry 2 – Indigenous Perspectives On Land Acknowledgements

Whenever, we as non-Indigenous people, address issues such as reconciliation, treaties or land acknowledgements it is important to seek out the perspectives of those in the Indigenous community. I thought the following article in Vice was interesting as it focused on the thoughts of Indigenous artists. A common theme was most of the land acknowledgments they heard were not authentic and they expressed the need for them to be active and address relationships with the land.

 

Reference:

Isador, Gregory. (August 9, 2019). Indigenous Artist Tell Us What They Think About Land Acknowledgements. Vice. https://www.vice.com/en/article/j5yxbd/indigenous-artists-tell-us-what-they-think-about-land-acknowledgements

 

M3: P2 Peeling Back the Asphalt of the City You Thought You Knew

https://nac-cna.ca/en/indigenouscities/city/vancouver

In addition to challenging familiar ideas of places and cities to use media to express stories and histories, I really appreciated that right from the beginning NAC is clear about the stories being curated by Indigenous artists and memory holders.

The project also explains how to best connect with the stories with the listener being in the places as they listen, inviting interaction with the traditional landscapes.

I have only listened to little so far with my weekend plans being to go to one of the locations to walk, listen and learn

M3: P1 Land Back

https://davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/what-is-land-back

These videos were designed as part of the Indigenous-led movement, as a resource for to build understanding that “the colonial systems of governance that created these conditions for Indigenous Peoples are also root causes of the environmental crises,” to educate each other and to start conversations about land governance in Canada.

Finding that deeper understanding of land past, present and future helps develop a stronger sense of place for being Canadian.

MODULE 3 – ENTRY 1: The Indigenization of an Elementary School through Horticulture

This link, https://www.vsb.bc.ca/schools/grandview/Teaching-and-Learning/Programs/Pages/Community-Garden.aspx, shows a continuation of my final assignment.  It is related to some of my previous blogs in Module 1.  I am focusing on how the Indigenization of educational institutions are beginning to exist and make positive differences.  The ?Uuqinak’uuh/Grandview Community Garden project was created to improve the quality of life for the children in our neighbourhood. “It functions as a living laboratory and a model of an urban ecological school yard. This is a multi-generational place for children and people of all ages in the community to learn to live more sustainably in the urban environment.” Ultimately, their mission is to continue to create a healthier, positive neighbourhood environment to improve the community as a whole, which in turn will significantly influence the educational, socio-economical, emotional, psychological and economical well-being of the Indigenous peoples.

This link,  https://thinkeatgreen.ca/2012/06/27/grandviewuuqinakuuh-elementary-sets-a-high-benchmark/, shows how to nurture the next generation of young gardeners, while sharing stories of historical nature in regards to land, people and community.  It ironically, is where I grew up and how I see the massive amounts of beautiful transformations of the land and the people that live, grow, learn and teach there.

This link, https://www.cityfarmer.org/grandview.html, shows how the local Grandview Community Schoolyard project has converted an underused school field to improve the quality of life for children and other community members in an inner city neighbourhood. It literally is a living laboratory of an urban ecological school yard. This has become a multi-generational place for children and people of all ages in the community to learn to live more sustainably in the urban environment.  Ultimately, the mission here was to create a more healthy, positive neighbourhood environment and improve the livability of the community as a whole.

               Public Domain photo by Royalty-Free Photo

References:

Abangsund. (June 27, 2012). Grandview/¿uuqinak’uuh Elementary sets a high benchmark. [Site]. Retrieved June 17, 2021, https://thinkeatgreen.ca/2012/06/27/grandviewuuqinakuuh-elementary-sets-a-high-benchmark/

 

Grandview/?Uuqinak’uuh Elementary School, VSB. (March 5, 2019). Teaching and Learning-Community Garden. [Site]. Retrieved June 17, 2021, https://www.vsb.bc.ca/schools/grandview/Teaching-and Learning/Programs/Pages/Community-Garden.aspx

 

Penner, Tracy and City Farmer, Canada’s Office of Urban Agriculture. (January 25, 2000). Grandview U’uqinak’uuh Community School Yard. [Site]. Retrieved June 17, 2021, http://www.cityfarmer.org/grandview.html

 

 

 

Module 3, Post 2: Taking example from a non-Indigenous educator

Here is an article that talks about the role of a non-Indigenous ally in Indigenizing the curriculum of psychology. As a non-Indigenous educator, I have had similar thoughts/questions as Schmidt (2019). For example, is it appropriate and respectful to teach about Indigenous cultures? The lessons in this article don’t only apply to psychology. Some of the take-aways I got were the following (Schmidt, 2019):

  • Indigenous people also struggle to teach about Indigenous people when there are many different Indigenous cultures and they are only a member of one.
  • Educators need to look inward and work on our own decolonizing.
  • Build mutually respectful, humble, and trusting relationships with your students.
  • Understand that there are many diverse Indigenous cultures. There is also immense diversity that can exist within one Indigenous culture.
  • Two-Eyed Seeing – seeing the world from an Indigenous perspective and also an Eurocentric (scientific) perspective. This involves cooperation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, humbling themselves, and learning from each other.
  • Patience – understanding other perspectives.
  • Honesty – disclose to the students that you are not an expert, invite Indigenous guest speakers into the classroom, and encourage students to co-teach.
  • Decolonizing is active, intentional, moment-to-moment process that involves critically undoing colonial ways of knowing, being and doing.

Reference

Schmidt, H. (2019). Indigenizing and decolonizing the teaching of psychology: Reflections on the role of the non-Indigenous ally. American Journal of Community Psychology, 64, 59-71. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajcp.12365

Module 3, Post 1 – Decolonization cannot be done alone

Decolonization is a process. Decolonization means collaboration. Collaboration means listening, building trust, creating mutual relationships. Non-Indigenous educators often feel fear, fear of appropriation or misrepresentation. This fear may be caused by lack of trust and lack of relationships that we have with Indigenous colleagues and communities.

Reference

Sloan, W. (2018, January). Decolonizing the classroom is more than just a checklist. Ryerson Today, Ryerson University. https://www.ryerson.ca/news-events/news/2018/01/decolonizing-the-classroom-is-more-than-just-a-checklist/