With the recent introduction of a new curriculum in BC, teachers are being given an incredible opportunity to help foster reconciliation, inclusion, and cooperation between all of our students. An important part of fostering reconciliation is learning to indigenize our classrooms. With the inclusion of First People’s content and the First People’s Principals of Learning into the new curriculum, we are now, more than ever acknowledging the importance of including the culture and practices of our local First Nations peoples into our classrooms. However, I will admit that as a non-indigenous individual, the concept of indigenizing my classroom can feel like an overwhelming task. Ultimately, I have no intention of overstepping my bounds or sharing information that is not mine to share. Nevertheless, I was recently reminded by one of my professors that there is no perfect way to go about indigenizing our classrooms. As a province, we are just beginning to work towards a more inclusive future. What is most important, is simply that we as teachers are open to learning about, and actively taking steps to include, Indigenous content and pedagogical practices in our classrooms.
With this in mind, I am excited to be gaining some new insight and ideas on how to go about indigenizing my teaching practices, while also learning more about the history of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. Below I have summarized some of the most important things I have learned over the last few weeks with regards to understanding the history of Canada's Indigenous people. I have also made some notes on how I can share what I am learning with my students. Furthermore, I have collected some online resources that I have found helpful in learning about and better understanding the Indigenous Peoples of BC and their history.
Acknowledging Our Local First Peoples
We as teachers are tasked with the important responsibility of finding resources that are local and meaningful to our students. As such, it is important to understand that when including local First Nations content into our classrooms, we need to be mindful that we are not considering all First Nations people as the same. We need to explain to our students that our country and province is home to many unique nations of Indigenous Peoples, each of which has unique attributes. Below I have included some resources that may be helpful in understanding and explaining this.
Territtorial Acknowledgement for the Okanagan:
"We would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional ancestral, unceded, territory of the Okanagan People."
From: https://aboriginaleducationsd23.weebly.com/
First Nations Map of BC
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/learn/first-nations-studies
Victoria is located on the traditional land of the Coast Salish, Nuu chah nulth, and Kwakwaka'wakw peoples.
My Home town of Kelowna is located on the traditional land of the Okanagan (Syilx) peoples.
Finding Appropriate First Nations Sources:
When we as teachers look to share stories from First People's cultures, here are some important considerations we should make:
Is it by a First Nations author and/or illustrator from the nation that is closest to you?
Does the book give some background information or a written explanation of where the story comes from and permission to share the story?
Websites to help find books publish by North American First Nations authors:
General Resources
National First Nations Resources:
TRC Summary Report:
TRC Overview:
Residential Schools Overview:
Provincial First Nations Education Resources:
Okanagan - Syilx Resources:
Okanagan Aboriginal Education: https://aboriginaleducationsd23.weebly.com
Okanagan Nation Alliance Website: https://www.syilx.org/about-us/syilx-nation/
“Syilx: The Indigenous Peoples of this Land” Article: https://syilx.org/images/pdf/ONA_tourism_guide.pdf
Residential Schools – The Syilx Nation Perspective: https://www.syilx.org/wellness/indian-residential-school/
Video about Syilx language revitalization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctW-1TvvRu8
Okanagan First Nations Authors:
Jeanette Armstrong
Denise Lecoy
Barbara Marchand
Comments