Tag Archives: Treaty 7

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.

What is a Land Acknowledgement?

MODULE 1: ENTRY 1

As my role as Indigenous Ed Lead at my school, I am asked at the beginning of each staff meeting to read a land acknowledgement.

We acknowledge that we are, in all the schools and communities of SD, located within the traditional land of Treaty No. 6 and home of Métis Nation of Alberta Zone 2 and Zone 4. We also acknowledge the Inuit and other diverse Indigenous peoples whose ancestors have marked their territory since time immemorial, a place that has welcomed many peoples from around the world to make their home here. It is a vast area encompassing large portions of central Alberta & Saskatchewan, places we are blessed to live, work, and play every day.    (Aside to Shirley Anne …as a follow up to our conversation on territorial acknowledgments, I had not noticed ours included the live, work and play phrase in it.)

After reading the meeting goes on and nothing further is discussed. Is this meaningful? Is there anyone in the meeting that has a better understanding of the what the land they are living on was  used for and who lived there? The following video from the Calgary Foundation was the beginning of my search to find a different ways to acknowledgement the land during our meetings. It is presented by the people from Treaty 7 lands.

 “This land has to be acknowledged. The people that took care of this land or a long time have to be acknowledged. You know, at least find the truth about us.” 

             Beverly Hungrywolf      Kainai Nation, Blackfoot confederacy (Calgary Foundation, 2019) 

 

 

Reference:

Calgary Foundation.  (2019, January 27). Land Acknowledgement. [Video]. Youtube.  https://youtu.be/7re1r0FY-4Y