Tag Archives: #UBC

M4, P5: The Role Educators Play Towards Reconciliation

The First Peoples Principle of Learning, “Learning recognizes the role of Indigenous knowledge” highlights the importance of us as educators making sure we educate ourselves first when it comes to Indigenous knowledge before trying to integrate Indigenous perspectives and content in our teaching practices. Jo Chrona (2016), who is the Curriculum Manager for the First Nations Education Steering Committee, when explaining the significance of this principle, states that there needs to be a “willingness of educators to see themselves as learners, and seek to develop their own understandings first.” I think taking this course, for me, is one way I can do that, as well as through my own research, but that is not enough. I realize this learning continues. I found that there is a free 6-week MOOC available through UBC on Reconciliation through Indigenous Education, which seems to offer much value through the course description. I see there are also similar courses offered at other universities in Canada as well.

Have any of you taken this course or a similar MOOC—if so, how did you find it?

Chrona, J. (2016). First Peoples Principles of Learning. https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/

Reconciliation through Indigenous Education. (2021). Reconciliation MOOC. UBC. https://pdce.educ.ubc.ca/reconciliation/

MODULE 4 – ENTRY 2: PART II-GARDENS & EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

I feel this a full circle moment, in that the school I have attended for most of my adult life, the University of British Columbia, has undergone many vital changes over the last few decades. I came across another related website, that again ties in with my final assignment and my own personal experiences, which has brought back many memories of my educational journey, from 2006-2007, when I was learning to become an educator. I had an opportunity to visit a place where teaching, learning, and research, was interconnected with Indigenous knowledge and sustainable food growing. There was an idea that was planted on campus, which focused on Indigenous food sovereignty, food security, and traditional plant knowledge. Here, the students, like myself, could gain a wealth of knowledge and have access to both traditional and non-traditional plants/food uses of the Indigenous peoples.

Public Domain photo by PXhere

This garden today has become a guide on the principle that ‘food is medicine’ and follows the research ethic framework of the “4R’s: respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility” and a holistic understanding of health and healing. It has become grounds for an international, community-based research and land-based teachings, where the garden engages with numerous regional Aboriginal schools, communities, and organizations. This life motto has always resonated deeply with me, and I had no idea how much of it has had a positive influence in my life, not only as an educator, but as a learner.

Reference:

Indigeneous Research Partnerships. (2014). Highlights from the Indigenous Health Research & Education Garden: 2014. Retrieved July10, 2021, http://lfs-indigenous.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2015/03/2014-Highlights-from-the-Indigenous-Health-Research-and-Education-Garden.pdf

MODULE 4 – ENTRY 1: PART I-GARDENS & EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The UBC’s Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Musqueam People. The Xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden (Indigenous Health Research and Education Garden) has been at the UBC farm since 2007. Ironically, I remember vividly that I was a returning student at UBC, undertaking my Bachelors in Education in 2006/2007, and my cohort and I had a wonderful opportunity to partake in a fieldtrip to an Indigenous garden. It was in its beginning stages of being planned and created by wonderful humanitarians, students, and teachers of Indigenous backgrounds just before the main campus, near a secondary school is what I can recall. I remember walking down a street and there was an opening of land. This is where our fieldtrip began.

Public Domain photo by Wallpaper Flare

I remember a feeling of nostalgia and hope coming over me when I saw what was being done. I remember having goosebumps on my arms, because it reminded me of what my mother did at her school…she began growing a garden for the children at her school in 1976 and when I was born, she would take me with her to her school and I would watch her garden, while I played with the other students. In 2014 the Xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden received a traditional name from Musqueam Indian Band. Xʷc̓ic̓əsəm is pronounced phonetically as “Hw ‘ts i ‘ts u sum-”. The hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word means “The place where we grow” and it provides a reassertion of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Musqueam land-based protocols and principles informing land-based practices. It reminded me of the place I grew, along with the other Indigenous students at ¿Uuqinak´uuh aka Grandview Terrace Daycare Centre. This is a 3 part blog, in relation to my final assignment, which focuses on experiential learning.

Reference:

Indigenous Research Partnerships (2007). Xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden. Retrieved July 10, 2021, https://lfs-iherg.sites.olt.ubc.ca/the-garden/

M1: P5: Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education taught by Jan Hare through Associate Dean for Indigenous Education at UBC

This course came to my attention through an ETEC 512 discussion on “How will MOOCs (massive open online courses) revolutionize education?” It is also offered by one of the authors of this week’s readings, Jan Hare. I have yet to take Hare’s course, “Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education”, but I vowed to look into taking it after I finish this program, rationalizing that it “provides a vessel to reach out to Canadians to address the issues facing our country’s history.” Although this may not be a resource accessible right now to us in this course, it is important that educators consider joining a course like this to reach out to and connect with students that we have in our classrooms.

Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education at UBC