Module 3: Decolonization and Indigenous Property Rights
Entry 1: Why Indigenization Matters
This interview with Vianne Timmons, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Regina gives an overview of the definition of Indigenization and what is being done at the University of Regina to ensure that all students are provided with an education that better prepares them for a reconciled world.
In a follow up interview, Timmons provides a practical list of action items for Indigenization.
Looking further, the Office of Indigenization website provides links to the strategic plan of the University of Regina that provides more detail.
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.
“If there’s anything that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, it’s the sovereignty of joy. And how for so long our stories have been relegated to a time period and to a certain traumatic response baseline. I think it’s just time for us to realize that we can live in trailer parks and be happy. We can have successful jobs and still be indigenous. Joy is just so important. I’m so excited to see so many indigenous artists out there starting to explore what it means to be a modern happy indigenous person” (Tremblay, 2021, quoted in Cinema Femme)
As I continue to map out my final project, I began to think of Howe’s (1998) comment on the spiritualism dimension. He comments that the “spiritual dimension of tribalism guides the relationship between tribal peoples and their land” (Howe, 1998, p.23). The readings in Module 8 had me identify that film/photography can act as a catalyst for Indigenous filmmakers and artists. They allow stories of Indigenous peoples to be told by Indigenous peoples. Film seems to showcase this relationship in a subtle but eloquent way.
The discussion in Module 8 made me connect to the 12 minute story, “Little Chief”.
This short film was both written and directed by Erica Tremblay (Seneca-Cayuga) and showcases a teacher-student relationship at an elementary school on reservation in Oklahoma. The film follows a young school teacher who is overworked, tired, but has a deep affinity to her young students. Bear, a young boy, shares an instinctive connection with the teacher as she sees him walking to school with no jacket. She pulls over and offers him a yellow hoodie as they drive to school. During the day, the young boy is bullied for his stutter and immediately runs out of the classroom. As the teacher calls the office and declarers “we have a runner” she quickly grabs her jacket and runs to the boy.
The next scene the teacher and Bear are sitting together in a moment of silence. She makes a comment about alcohol and domestic abuse that is happening in the home, after Bear nods his head, she offers him a candy as she smokes a cigarette. Bear looks the most content in this scene versus the entire film.
This film reveals the connection between these characters. Although adult and child, there is an unspoken bond between them that this film eloquently reveals. When Tremblay was asked what motivated her to make the film, she called her her work, “a love letter to my mom and the sacrifices our matriarchs make for our communities. I am in awe of educators that are helping children through a bad day. They are going through their own healing, too”(Tremblay, 2021, quoted in Cinema Femme). She goes on to highlight how “Familial bonds and community ties are so important to all of us. It’s great to see projects come out that celebrate us as communities and cultures” (Tremblay, 2021, quoted in Cinema Femme).
To connect to my project again, I would use this film in Social Studies 9 to illustrate the curricular goal: “what evidence reflects that colonialism and imperialism still influence present day relationships? Using an Indigenous perspective like this film would be a great way to discuss this.
If you’re interested in other sources:
Erica Tremblay discusses learning her Indigenous language on the Six Nations Reserve: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/little-chief-a-conversation-with-erica-tremblay/id1502130853?i=1000469393870
My previous blog posts focused on resources related to theoretical frameworks and implementation strategies of Indigenous STEM and as I move on to the next stage of my project, I wanted to explore more resources for lesson planning and more specific and practical examples of classroom activities and resources. I’ve found several great websites and resources for STEM and STEAM related websites.
This is a platform where educators from all over the world share their lesson plans and there is a collection specifically dedicated to Indigenous Peoples. I checked out their other collections and it’s a great website to look for additional classroom resources.
In 1974, a number of nurses with Aboriginal ancestry joined together with others to form the Aboriginal Nurses Association in 1975, which then became the Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association.
As part of their mandate, the CINA helped inform the Federal/Territorial/Provincial Workforce committee on Health Workforce in their work with the Principle Nursing Advisors Taskforce in 2017 to develop a vision for the future of nursing in Canada that included Indigenous Health. In 2020, the report was published and included numerous strategies and recommendations for involving Indigenous people, Indigenous nurses and nursing schools to improve the health of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Despite this work by and for nurses, the systems involved are slow to respond, and Indigenous people continue to have poor health outcomes, higher rates of suicide, higher rates of drug and alcohol use, and higher rates of incarceration than the Canadian average (Statistics Canada, 2021). These indicators also clearly indicate symptoms resulting from a legacy of trauma.
While many governmental organizations have commitments to Indigenous health, acknowledgement of Indigenous peoples and multiple task forces and working groups, there doesn’t seem to have been much progress made to improve Indigenous health and well-being.
The mandate of the CINA continues to work on this more specifically with nursing health professionals, as demonstrated by their key objectives. However, there is still much work to be done.
The Association’s key objectives were updated in 2010 to be more reflective of current changing health, social and political environment:
To work with communities, health professionals and government institutions on Indigenous Health Nursing issues and practices within the Canadian Health system that address particular interest and concern in Indigenous communities with a view to benefiting Indigenous peoples of Canada by improving their health and well-being, physically, mentally, socially and spiritually.
To engage and conduct research on Indigenous Health Nursing and access to health care as related to Indigenous Peoples.
To consult with government, non-profit and private organizations in developing programs for applied and scientific research designed to improve health and well-being in Indigenous Peoples.
To develop and encourage the teaching of courses in the educational system on Canadian Indigenous health, Indigenous knowledge, cultural safety in nursing and the health care system and/or other educational resources and supports.
To promote awareness in both Canadian and International Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities of the health needs of Canadian Indigenous people.
To facilitate and foster increase participation of Indigenous Peoples involvement in decision-making in the field of health care.
To strengthen partnerships and develop resources supporting the recruitment and retention of more people of Indigenous ancestry into nursing and other health sciences professions.
To disseminate such information to all levels of community.
Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association. (n.d.). Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association (C.I.N.A). Https://Indigenousnurses.Ca. https://indigenousnurses.ca/about
Statistics Canada. (2021, June 28). Indigenous peoples. Https://Www.Statcan.Gc.ca/Eng/. https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/subjects-start/indigenous_peoples
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.
As nurses, Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) is a foundational concept in our education and practice. We apply the standards of this practice to all of our clients, regardless of race, culture & ethnicity. I think it’s also important to apply this approach with Indigenous nursing students.
The BC Government website (n.d) defines TIP as: “…a strengths-based framework grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma. It emphasises physical, psychological, and emotional safety for everyone, and creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment”.
While this approach is used in nursing practice, it also applies to Indigenous nursing students and should be considered when designing any nursing curriculum to support student success while recognizing the impact of trauma, including intergenerational trauma.
Here is a brief overview of how TIP can be applied in education.
Government of British Columbia. (n.d.). Trauma informed practice (TIP) resources. Https://Www2.Gov.Bc.ca/Gov. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/mental-health-substance-use/child-teen-mental-health/trauma-informed-practice-resources
Free to Share photo by Creative Commons / People Matters Media
The transition into formal early learning settings, such as preschool and child care, represents a significant milestone for children and families.This particular paper that I found online, explores the perspectives of 25 Indigenous parents and family members and two caregivers who share and reflect on their transition of the Indigenous children from their home to an early childhood development program in a large urban centre in western Canada. The findings suggest that the transition experiences begin well before Indigenous children and families even join a program. There are multiple factors that facilitate their participation, such as costs, transportation and location. How these parents negotiate their transition is inevitably impacted by their historical experiences with schooling and the place of culture and language in supporting their children and families. As educators, and facilitators of supportive learning programs, we must all come to an understanding that the social, cultural and historical realities that shape the transition experience for Indigenous children and families, must be done with awareness, acknowledgment, empathy and respect.
Reference:
Hare, J., & Anderson, J. (2010). Transitions to early childhood education and care for Indigenous children and families in Canada: Historical and Social Realities. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 35(2), 19–27.[Site]. Retrieved June 22, 2021 from https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.1177/183693911003500204
Shannen´s dream was to have new schools built for all the Indigenous youth, so that they wouldn’t have to leave their homes, families and communities to get an education. Shannen was a proactive and intelligent Indigenous student, who utilized the various media platforms to speak up about the inequities the Indigenous kids are still dealing with everyday back in 2016 and still holds true today. She was the spokesperson for the young Indigenous students, and shared their stories to muliple politicians, pleaing for a change, for new schools to be built, and to be heard. Sadly, Shannen died at the very young age of 15 in a car accident. But her fight for equality and education for all Indigenous youths, lives on. This short video clip shows how Indigenous kids from isolated communities in Canada are forced to move away from their families – just to go to school and what the results are from being forced away from home to get an education. This reminded me of some of the stories my mother shared with me when I was a child. I remember her telling me how some of her students live away from their parents so that they can go to school in the city, and I remember how I felt confused, sad and scared for them. Being a child myself, at the time, to have the thought of not being near my parents made my heart beat fast, and that feeling of fear and loss of what those children were experiencing, I have never forgotten.
Reference:
Crime Beat TV. (Mar 5, 2016). FULL STORY: Failing Canada’s First Nations Children Retrieved on June 22, 2021 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhEh-D7IRQc
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”.
(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.
