Module 1 Links: We Do Have Something to Offer With Respect to the Curriculum

For module one, I focused on Lee Brown’s discussions about the Indigenous healing process and how emotional awareness should be included in ever school lesson along with cognitive development. These are the links I found to be of importance to me as I completed module one:

http://tribes.com/about/

I came across this website as I was researching the Tribes Community Course for teachers. It is a course that touches on aspects of Indigenous theories of knowledge and suggests that oral communication or oral story telling plays an important role in the classroom. In this course, teachers are also taught that dividing the class of students up in small groups called Tribes will help to make the classroom environment more conducive to learning. The website contains videos of how the Tribes classroom would look like if the theory is applied in the classroom effectively. There are also samples of lesson plans that would accompany any tribes program which are useful for helping to add an Indigenous perspective in the classroom.

The Tribes philosophy is all about:

• Feeling included and appreciated
• Showing respect for all people
• Having students be engaged and involved in their own learning
• Having a positive attitude towards learning and an outcome of success for all students

http://www.naho.ca/blog/2012/03/27/education-first-nations-youth-identify-struggles-hope-for-the-future/

I was shocked to hear the statistics of the dropout rates of students in Saskatchewan. They can reach as high at 95%, and this would result in a whole generation of students missing out on a formal education. This blog and news article speak about First Nations and Mètis youth as many of these youths from across Saskatchewan came to Saskatoon for the three-day FSIN Youth Assembly. In Lee Brown’s discuss, he ended on a positive note, stating that “we have much to offer”. These types of assemblies for youth are a way to engage youths in a positive dialogue about the issues that matter the most to them. It is also a way of providing hope for youths who may be struggling by not just creating a long list of problems but also discussing solutions to these problems that are possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OIo3Hpma-o   Wehearyourvoice.mov

This inspiration video and song/composition was put on YouTube by Leland & Lorie Bell to support the awareness of Attawapiskat. I have a personal connection toAttawapiskat, as a friend from teacher’s college is now teaching there. He has been updating a blog and posting pictures of his classroom activities, as well as community activities. There has been a lot of news coverage around Attwapiskat of late, as MP Charlie Angus has been heavily involved in efforts to seek aid for the peoples of Attawapiskat so that they can obtain adequate shelter and homes. Many people across Canada, and abroad have been showing their support for the people who live in Attawapiskat. This relates to Lee Brown’s commentary in that the integration of healing as well as emotional awareness should be present in those schools in Attawapiskat. The 400 years of anger and fear felt because of colonization, as well as the reintroduction of those thoughts and feelings as a result of the Government of Canada’s efforts in making apologetic notions through a ceremony for reconciliation, are the same types of emotions felt by children going to school in Attawapiskat as well. Their schools have been relocated due to pollution and unsafe living conditions. Their new school is a system of portables, which can be broken into easily. The community has been engaged in efforts to raise funds for new schools, and one student took it upon herself to raise global awareness for her passion towards obtaining a new school in Attawapiskat as well.

http://news.ontario.ca/mci/en/2012/09/six-aboriginal-youth-take-home-bartleman-awards.html?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p

Again, relating to the idea that Indigenous peoples in Canada have much to offer not just their own communities, but the country as well as on a global scale, this article was put forth by the Government of Ontario to recognize the efforts of six aboriginal youth who have won Bartleman Awards. These awards recognize the creating writing talents of these people, and show that the tradition of storytelling is alive and well in communities in Canada and that we are grateful for the talents of these passionate and creative youths.

http://www.crystalinks.com/medicinewheel.html

This link is important in that it gives a depiction of an indigenous medicine wheel. Personally, when I first saw this medicine wheel I did not understand it. Upon reading the article I was enlightened by the knowledge that this medicine wheel contains. I began to realize that healing centres are an important aspect to indigenous cultures in that they are a healthy alternative to more modern forms of medicine. For example, a healing centre in British Columbia helped to heal 9000 people over a period of about 30-35 years. It is a holistic way of thinking about medicine, in that addictions are related to emotions that have not been expressed and communicating with the person seeking healing is very important to the process of healing.