Tag Archives: history

Mod 4, Post 2 – Ignored to death – Brian Sinclair

This is the second story (or might have been the first one, I can’t remember) that sparked my interest in learning more about discrimination and racism in health care and how this happens.  While I’m not an emergency room nurse, and never have been, I still find it disheartening that this still happens in today’s world. It’s disgusting and discouraging.  It wasn’t even a health care professional that discovered this man dead in the waiting room chairs, it was a visitor.

His death was so easily preventable, if only someone had actually assessed him or even spoken to him to find out why he was there, instead of just making erroneous assumptions.

It is especially discouraging to hear that this happened in an area that services a large population of Indigenous people. Is this assumption so ingrained in our system that this can happen, and continues to happen? Unfortunately, this is a story that continues to happen even today.

 

Geary, A. (2017, September 18). Ignored to death: Brian Sinclair’s death caused by racism, inquest inadequate, group says. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-brian-sinclair-report-1.4295996

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-brian-sinclair-report-1.4295996

 

MODULE 2 – Entry 4: FINDING MEANINGFUL RESOURCES

Early Years Indigenous Cultural Safety Resource Guide.  BC Ministry of Children and Family Development:

I feel, the earlier we can help support our Indigenous students the better their chances will be for success in every aspect of their lives. The purpose of this guide is to help educators who work with younger Indigenous children, families, and communities find appropriate and meaningful resources that will increase their ability to provide culturally safe and respectful care.

Where can I learn more about Indigenous people in Canada?:

This site includes resources for children of all ages.  It lists Indigenous themed picture books, comic books, reading books, video games, colouring pages, fun booklets, online crossword, interactive games, “Did You Know Q & A” and a bead amaze art activity.  If you click on “Explore the Indigenous Culture” it leads to more topics for children to go through, like the following: Indigenous History, Totem Pole info, Indigenous Resources, Fun Facts (Food, Language, Sports, Dance), First Nations (People, Books, Crafts).  CBC Kids’ Indigenous resources display items and activities that would expose the younger generation to the beautiful culture of the Indigenous peoples in fun, simple creative ways that would capture many children’s hearts and minds in an engaging and informative manner.

The BC Aboriginal Child Care Society (BCACCS)-Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care:

This particular site looks into helping Indigenous communities  develop high quality, culturally grounded, spiritually enriching, community child care services that are based in the child’s culture, language and history.  There is a team of dedicated people who help provide leadership, training, resources, and services to support Indigenous early learning and child care. They honour the memory and dedication of those that came before us and have joined them in this journey to support Indigenous early learning child care. There are amazing links to projects and videos linked to the BCACCS, for example the “The Documentation Project,” various workshops, curriculum kits and services like including hosting two preschool programs that provide quality demonstration and learning sites, outreach, networking, research, resources, and training to support early childhood educators and the Indigenous children and families they serve.

Public Domain Photo, taken by the University of Saskatchewan

References:

BC Ministry of Children and Family Development.(2018). The BC Aboriginal Child Care Society (BCACCS)-Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care.[Site]. Retrieved May 29, 2021 https://www.acc-society.bc.ca/about/

Canada Media Fund. (2021). Where can I learn more about Indigenous people in Canada? [Site]. Retrieved May 29, 2021,https://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/the-feed/where-can-i-learn-more-about-indigenous-people-in-canada

Province of British Columbia. (March 2021). Early Years Indigenous Cultural Safety Resource Guide.  BC Ministry of Children and Family Development.[Site]. Retrieved May 29, 2021,https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/family-and-social-supports/child-care/ics_resource_guide.pdf

MODULE 2 – Entry 3: Revising Teaching Practices in Canada with Respect to Indigenous Youth and History

In this presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbQGhP4xQkw, Anne Tenning tackles the issues faced by her own experiences and those of the Indigenous youth in the education system. She discusses approaches that educators can take to improve representations of and engagement with Indigenous peoples and their histories in the classroom.

This presentation by Anne Tenning is part of the “Teaching and Communicating Indigenous History” Panel at the 9th Canada’s History Forum, Engaging Authentic Indigenous Histories that was held on November 27, 2016 in Ottawa. This event was organized by Canada’s National History Society and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Anne speaks of educators who continue to commit themselves to seeing the reconciliation of Indigenous students and how she was given more opportunities to succeed because she knew one teacher who made a life-changing difference in her life.

Quote by Anne Tenning, found in the same link below.

Reference:

Canada’s History. (January 13, 2017). Revising Teaching Practices in Canada with Respect to Indigenous Youth and History. [Video].YouTube. Retrieved May 24, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbQGhP4xQkw

 

Module 1: Post 3 – Project of Heart

Source: Project of Heart (2015)

Project of Heart shares the hidden history of residential schools. It is important for us as educators to understand and share the truth about residential schools to students so that the healing can start and continue to be recognized. As a student growing up in Vancouver, I did not learn about residential schools until University. That is not OK. This has to and must change.

There is history that is shared, stories from elders describing their experience, and explaining the Project of Heart. This project allowed elders to come into schools to tell their experience of being in residential schools. Students were given wooden tiles to draw what they had learned, paid tribute to those children who had died, and to also honour those survivors. Those tiles were then collected to be used in a large piece of art which became a powerful healing piece. Tsleil-Waututh carver, Derrick George, created a canoe which was where those wooden titles were placed. This piece is called the Project of Heart Commemoration Canoe which can now be found in Alert Bay at the U’mista Cultural Centre. This piece is absolutely beautiful, touching, and powerful. Below is a screenshot from the PDF that is linked to this post.

Source: Project of Heart (2015)

This resource also discusses “heart gardens” for residential school survivors. This is a project that I believe all schools should be doing each year to honour survivors and to let the healing begin and continue on.

M1 P2: Indigenous History in Burnaby

This resource provides the Indigenous history for many parts of the city of Burnaby. Students often learn about the history of their province in a wide scope but there are limited resources available for their local environment. Growing up and now teaching in Burnaby, it was very interesting learning about the history of my city in a different lens and seeing how the land of each of the different regions in Burnaby was used. Hopefully this type of resource becomes more popular with the other cities as it would be very interesting to learn about the history of those areas as well!

https://www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca/EN/main/about/resources.html

https://www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca/assets/Resources/Indigenous%20History%20in%20Burnaby%20Resource%20Guide.pdf

Indigenous History From an Indigenous Perspective

Module 1, Post 2

The is an online professional learning community formed between the First Nations, Metis & Inuit Education Association of Ontario (FNMIEAO), and the Mathematics Knowledge Network. Their goal is to promote Indigenous education in Ontario for the Indigenous community and all learners in education.

There is a General Webinar Section that has 17 webinars, all a bit over an hour, presenting such topics as the colonization of North America, oppression of Indigenous people, the Truth and Reconciliation Project, and many others. It is hosted by members of the Indigenous community and is an authentic self-representation of their Indigenous experiences and issues.

First Nations, Metis & Inuit Education Association of Ontario. (n.d.). General FNMIEAO Webinars [Video]. YouTube http://www.fnmieao.com/events/

 

Module 1 Post 5 – start by learning the truth

As I research the Indigenous culture, I have noticed a common theme: it is important for Canadians to learn about Indigenous history and come to know the truth about colonization. As a child, I recall learning about Indigenous history in school. Their unique way of life seemed attractive and interesting. I don’t remember learning anything about the darker part of Canadian history. It’s possible I didn’t learn about this darker side because it was still taking place when I was young. I was just starting high school when the last residential school was closing its doors for the last time. I recognize the need to learn the complete history of our country, including the truth about the way Indigenous people were treated, and the pain and suffering it has caused them.

What do you currently know about Indigenous history? I have a hard time recognizing how I can make a difference until I understand the truth. I want to be open minded and remember that learning will always be ongoing. The following sources were helpful for me, but I know it’s just a start.

Neylan, S. (2018). Canada’s dark side: Indigenous peoples and Canada’s 150th celebration. Origins, 11(9), 1-2. https://origins.osu.edu/article/canada-s-dark-side-indigenous-peoples-and-canada-s-150th-celebration/page/0/1

Canada Guide (n.d.). The Indigenous peoples of Canada. Chapter 7. https://thecanadaguide.com/basics/aboriginals/

Al Jazeera English. (2017 June, 13). Canada’s dark secret. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peLd_jtMdrc

Module 1 Post 4 – Authentic Indigenous Voices

Are you a fan of CBCs Cross Country Checkup? You may recall a lively conversation they had a few years back about treaties, reconciliation and Indigenous history in Canada (CBC, 2017). There’s concern about Indigenous knowledge being lost and many myths are out there about Indigenous people. It is important that authentic Indigenous voices be heard. One way of doing this is by bringing guest speakers into the classroom. They need the opportunities to share their stories. As an educator, I briefly touched on Indigenous history in class. The conversation was very superficial and lacked meaning. Fortunately we had a wonderful guest speaker join us who was able to make the history come alive. Suddenly the knowledge had more meaning and purpose.

Reference:

CBC. (2017 April, 26). Treaties, reconciliation and Indigenous history in Canada [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9KJM3pjvKg

M1, Entry 2: Foundational Knowledge Resources for Educators

Module 1: The Global and the Local in Indigenous Knowledge

Entry 2: Foundational Knowledge Resources for Educators

I want to take the opportunity to share 3 resources that have been provided to me as an Alberta educator. These resources have been helpful to me on my learning journey and I respect that they have been developed in partnership with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and our educational and professional institutions. These specific resources are focused on the Indigenous communities located within Treaty 6, 7, 8 lands. They are very extensive and are not meant to be consumed in one sitting, but they will be important to my learning this semester. As a student of this course, tasked to research a specific question related to Indigeneity, education and technology, I view building my foundational knowledge related to Indigenous ways of knowing as paramount to my ability to complete my research task. 

Here is a brief overview of each resource in the order that I have used and will use them in my journey. 

  1. Education is our Buffalo. This thorough resource was published by our provincial teachers’ association and was my introduction to Indigenous Foundational Knowledge in Alberta when I started teaching here. This book helped me to build an awareness of the worldview, ways of life, and traditions of Indigenous people who live, work, and play in an area that was new to me. The value to this resource for me was giving me some confidence as a non-Indigenous educator. 
  2. Walking Together, Learn Alberta. This extensive website developed with Indigenous leaders and Alberta Education provides foundational knowledge for educators through a dozen topics that are explored through four phases: Beginning together, Respecting wisdom, Observing practice, and Exploring connections. The value of this website is elevated by the videos of Elders and Knowledge Keeps speaking on topics that range from wolview to Residential Schools to Pedagogy. Our school and city does not have a connection to a First Nation and as such does not have Elders who can visit our schools. This is one way technology can support my students by letting them hear the wisdom of these Elders. I will be using this resource this year. 
  3. Stepping Stones. Our provincial teachers’ association has been working with Elders and Knowledge Keepers to develop resources to assist educators in taking steps to develop their foundational knowledge. Each publication on topics ranging from Elder Protocol, to Alberta Metis settlements to the Sixties Scoop is intended to help educators move one step further along their path of building foundational knowledge. These resources are used at PD sessions that I attend regularly. 

The significance of these foundational knowledge resources has become apparent to me since exploring the Indigenous connection to the land juxtaposed against the individualism that is promoted through the use of technology (Bowers et al., 2000) in Module 1. I have shifted the way I am viewing this professional learning from a “course I have to take” to a “journey I will travel along a path” to help increase the authenticity of this experience. 

References

Alberta Education (n.d.). Walking Together: First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Perspectives in Curriculum. https://www.learnalberta.ca/content/aswt/ 

Alberta Teachers’ Association (n.d.). Education is our Buffalo: A Teacher’s Guide to First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Education in Alberta. https://www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca/public/download/documents/55705

Alberta Teachers’ Association (n.d.). Stepping Stones Series.https://www.teachers.ab.ca/For%20Members/Professional%20Development/IndigenousEducationandWalkingTogether/Pages/Resources.aspx

Bowers, C.A., Vasquez, M., & Roaf, M., Native People and the Challenge of Computers: Reservation Schools, Individualism, and Consumerism.  American Indian, 24(2), 2000, 182-199.

MODULE 1-Entry 3:  Covid-19 & How It’s Affecting the Indigenous Communities Around the World:

Published March 25, 2016, Free Domain Picture from the MI’KMAW Spirituality website.

I always felt it is important to know what is happening in our own backyards, but in others’ backyards as well.  Humanity has been struck with a pandemic called COVID–19.  Since November/December of 2019, and it continues to affects us all, but not equally. Below are some links I researched, to get an idea of how the Indigenous peoples around the world are being “treated” or not treated at all…

Canada-COVID-19 vaccines and Indigenous peoplesof Canada- May 2021

https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1606941379837/1606941507767

South America-Indigenous South Americans and COVID-19-March 2021

https://www.borgenmagazine.com/indigenous-south-americans-2/

Asia-Indigenous Peoples in Asia Battle COVID-19 on Many Fronts-

https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/indigenous-peoples-asia-battle-covid-19-many-fronts

USA-Indigenous populations: left behind in the COVID-19 response-June 2020

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31242-3/fulltext

CDC data show disproportionate COVID-19 impact in American Indian/Alaska Native populations-August 2020

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0819-covid-19-impact-american-indian-alaska-native.html

Australia-Protecting Indigenous Populations From Covid-19: The Australian Example-May 2021

https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2021/05/05/protecting-indigenous-populations-from-covid-19-the-australian-example/?sh=29a6adc1801f

Reference:

Muin’iskw (Jean) and Crowfeather (Dan). (March 25, 2016). MI’KMAW Spirituality. http://www.muiniskw.org/pgCulture2c.htm