Tag Archives: traditional knowledge

M2 P2: The story of the Hummingbird

This story was suggested to me by Shirley in relation to my research question about barriers in nursing education for Indigenous students. I think it really illustrates not only the message of the story (perseverance, that every little bit can help, even if the problem seems insurmountable, even the smallest of us can contribute, no act of kindness is too small), but also how media is used to tell a story that otherwise might not be accessible to anyone outside the community that it’s from. It’s such a beautiful story and I’m grateful to be able to experience it.

https://www.hummingbird.vancouveropera.ca/story

Yahgulanaas, M. N. [mnyhaida]. (2013, April 8). Flight of the hummingbird – Haida manga [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/naj6zZakgEg

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/

Indigenizing Curriculum and Instruction

Module 1, Post 3

The Aboriginal Perspectives website contains information to help teacher infuse their instruction with traditional aboriginal perspectives. It includes 7 different lessons each consisting of several smaller video segments, featuring aboriginal role models that give interviews about their careers, education, and a bit about them as a person, plus demonstrations of traditional activities such as tipi building, birch bark biting, and counting in Cree. The site includes materials for 35 different math activities (grades 4 & 6) from delivered workshops, along with 13 different Aboriginal games and a shortlist of references.

Aboriginal Perspectives. (n.d.). Introduction. http://aboriginalperspectives.uregina.ca/introduction.shtml

Advancing STEM Knowledge in an Indigenous Professional Learning Community

Module 1, Post 1

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 Knowledge systems in the context of mathematics, science technology engineering & mathematics (STEM) and advance Indigenous education in Ontario for Indigenous community and all learners in education.

“We Come From the Stars” is a 6-part webinar series. Each segment is approximately 1.5 hrs. It is a community of elders gathering and sharing their Indigenous traditions, stories, and knowledge. This is an interesting example of how an Indigenous community can create connection in a digital space.

“Indigenous Knowledge & Mathematics Community of Practice” is a collection of 5 videos, each approximately 5 minutes long, demonstrating the integration of math concepts through Indigenous culture and traditions (drumming, building a lodge, and medicine walk).

First Nations, Metis & Inuit Education Association of Ontario. (2021, May 28). Revitalizing Star Knowledge Webinars. http://www.fnmieao.com/initiatives/

First Nations, Metis & Inuit Education Association of Ontario. (2021, May 28). Indigenous Knowledge & Mathematics Community of Practice (Exploring Math Through the Construction of a Lodge Part 1) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHGi8YXqS7w&list=PLC-h5KFwALU2nI4lL7gu4xRjSPfDBiX8W&index=2&t=5s

M1, Entry 4:Indigenous Knowledge in Science

Photo by Emily Hopper from Pexels

Module 1: The Global and the Local in Indigenous Knowledge

Entry 4: Indigenous Knowledge in Science

Many readings in Module 1 talk about science being viewed as culturally neutral from a western perspective, but argue that science does, in fact, present a biased view when viewed through the lens of Indigenous cultures. I found two articles about scientists who are using Indigenous knowledge in their scientific research. These articles are not from peer-reviewed journals, but provided me with a starting point for additional research.

CBC Radio: Earth Day Indigenous Scientists, Academics, and Community Members Take the Lead in Environmental Causes

Narwhal Article: Meet Scientists Embracing Traditional Indigenous Knowledge

References

CBC Radio. (2018, April 22). ‘Every plant and animal is useful to us’: Indigenous profession re-thinking how we deal with invasive species. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/earth-day-indigenous-scientists-academics-and-community-members-take-the-lead-in-environmental-causes-1.4605336/every-plant-and-animal-is-useful-to-us-indigenous-professor-re-thinking-how-we-deal-with-invasive-species-1.4605344

Thompson, J. (2019, June 20). Meet the scientists embracing traditional Indigenous knowledge. The Narwhal. https://thenarwhal.ca/meet-scientists-embracing-traditional-indigenous-knowledge/