Tag Archives: resources

M3P2: The Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association

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

Module 2: Post 5 – The Learning Circle

The Learning Circle is a resource full of classroom activities on First Nations in Canada. There are six units in this booklet: storytelling, the seasons, sharing, colours, games, and National Aboriginal Day. All of these units would be an amazing resource to use in my classroom. However, I want to take a closer look at the Storytelling Unit. Throughout this unit, students will get to understand the importance of Indigenous storytelling. During this unit, there is an activity that focuses on a Cree Story about a big fish who ate a granddaughter. Then the teachers will have a discussion with their students about what this story taught them, they will get to role-play the story, students will get to gather items from outside to create their own story. Then the last activity focuses on an Ojibway story called the Lilly Root. Educators can then do what they did with the first story through a variety of activities. There are questions provided for a class discussion.

These stories are exactly what I want to use in my classroom. I love how there are activities that go with each story. I would not just stop at the storytelling unit. I would absolutely complete this entire booklet!

Module 2: Post 4 – Thalit Sqwelqwel Stories of Truth

Thalit Sqwelqwel Stories of Truth has teacher resources from K-12. Since I teach primary students, I wanted to focus on resources suitable for K-3 students . There are four sections: Xwexwa’ls Xwe’Ilsolem precontact, Staleta Skwul Residental Schools, Shxwyayametel Reconciliation, and Shxwi’Aylexw Saliwes Worldviews.

When you click Xwexwa’ls Xwe’Ilsolem precontact there are areas that educators can explore with their classroom. In this section there is the Skwolkwelt Sememlat anchor resources, Kwoles Ye Selyolexwe elder’s corner, and the Lhe’a Kw’e Slilsleqalqel tour. In this area, there is an inquiry question (What are the many ways we can acknowledge the history and knowledge of the land pre-contact and work to share the knowledge with each other?) that educators can pose to their students and open the floor for discussion. Then there are videos of storytelling that can be watched, audios that can be heard, and a visual tour of Lhe’a Kw’e Slilsleqalqel. There are also five digital resources that teachers can use to to learn about different Indigenous cultures.

When you click Staleta Skwul Residental Schools, there are also anchor resources, an elder’s corner, and a tour. Educators can learn and teacher their students about residential schools by starting with an inquiry question (What are the many ways we can acknowledge Mission’s own part in the residential school experience by giving voice to our Elders and members of our community?), using lesson plans that are provided, listening to an elder’s experience at residential schools, and then there is a tour of a residential school.

When you click Shxwyayametel Reconciliation, there are anchor resources and an elder’s corner. The inquiry question in this area is What are authentic ways we can honour the reconciliation process in our hearts, thoughts and deeds? Students can then watch videos of students who participated in acts of Reconciliation at a site of a residential school. There are also lesson plans that teachers can use for Orange Shirt Day for K-12 students. Then in the elder’s corner, an elder discusses how Reconciliation occurs today and how Sq’ewlets are learning about their history, their own people, and their significance to the Sto:lo People.

Finally, when you click Shxwi’Aylexw Saliwes Worldviews, there are anchor resources and the elder’s corner. The inquiry question is How can our exploration of Aboriginal values across the globe promote change and create a positive learning environment for ourselves, our students, our families and our land? Teachers can show their students two videos: one is a documentary of Sto:lo Peoples in the past and present and the Seven Sacred Teachings. In the elder’s corner, elder’s share their stories, knowledge, and advice with youth.

This resource would be a great addition to add to the content I teach students each year.

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

Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives in K-12 Curriculum

Module 1 Post 5

This BC government site documents implicit and explicit links between Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives and specific curricular (or cross-curricular) areas according to B.C.’s redesigned curriculum, and the links can be applied to other provincial curriculums similarly. It also links the connection to the Math First Peoples Teacher Resource Guide, which provides specific activities with developed elements to support the integration of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives.

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (n.d.) Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives in K-12 Curriculum. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/indigenous-education-resources/indigenous-knowledge-and-perspectives-k-12-curriculum

First Nations Education Steering Committee. (2020). Math First Peoples. http://www.fnesc.ca/math-first-peoples/

Math Catcher Outreach Program and Resources

Module 1, Post 4

This website promotes math and science to elementary and high school students with a focus on story-telling and hands-on activities. The Math Catcher program is based in BC and was inspired over a decade ago to help improve the math completion rates of Indigenous learners. The program offers teacher training workshops, school visits, student summer camps, and instructional activities. There is an excellent collection of video stories that follow the antics of a 5-year-old boy, Small Number, and his mathematically themed adventures – and they have been translated into different Aboriginal languages also. Although the site suggests targeting an audience up to grade 12, the materials it offers are primarily elementary in nature. The Summer Math Camp Program appears to have ended in 2018 – it hosted grade 9 – 11 Aboriginal students in math and science day camps at SFU.

Math Catcher: Mathematics Through Aboriginal Storytellling. (n.d.). Home. http://mathcatcher.irmacs.sfu.ca/