Indigenizing Learning
On November 1, 2019, I attended a transformational conference held at the Art Gallery of Ontario, called “A Good Path to Indigenizing: Planting Seeds of Possibility.” The conference was a collaboration between Pickering College and the organization Facing History And Ourselves.
It started with a traditional smudging ceremony performed by Anishinaabe elder Kim Wheatley. Smudging is common to many First Nations, and involves burning one or more sacred medicines: tobacco, sage, cedar, and sweetgrass. The ceremony allowed attendees to stop, slow down, and become mindful and centred. We were asked to let something go, in order to allow new knowledge in.
Through speakers, breakout sessions and a gallery tour, we learned that we, as teachers, have a responsibility to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. TRC Commissioner Murray Sinclair said in 2015 that “education got us into this mess, and education will get us out of this mess.” But how do we undo 150 years of injustice in only 110 hours in the classroom?
The message we heard was hopeful. The solution lies not necessarily in what we teach, but how we teach. We’re already doing many things right at Crescent. Many of us practise mindfulness with our students, beginning each class with a “Mindful Minute,” a meditation or a moment of reflection. We focus on relational teaching and learning, as well as building community both within our school but also with the larger community beyond our walls.
At the conference, the speakers were in agreement that we must begin by teaching our students the beauty of Indigenous cultures, before burdening them with the story of oppression. One key to this is appreciating Indigenous languages. There are over 700 First Nations communities in Canada, yet how many of us know how to greet our Indigenous neighbours in their language? Students in my Grade 10 English classes read Moon of the Crusted Snow, a novel by Anishinaabe author Waubgeshig Rice, and are acquiring words like miigwech and anniin, thank you and hello. The elder Kim Wheatley was very moved when I thanked her for the smudge by saying “Chi-miigwech.”
I am looking forward to weaving more of what I learned at the conference into my classes, as well as sharing resources and ideas with colleagues in other departments.
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Through speakers, breakout sessions and a gallery tour, we learned that we, as teachers, have a responsibility to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. TRC Commissioner Murray Sinclair said in 2015 that “education got us into this mess, and education will get us out of this mess.” But how do we undo 150 years of injustice in only 110 hours in the classroom?
The message we heard was hopeful. The solution lies not necessarily in what we teach, but how we teach. We’re already doing many things right at Crescent. Many of us practise mindfulness with our students, beginning each class with a “Mindful Minute,” a meditation or a moment of reflection. We focus on relational teaching and learning, as well as building community both within our school but also with the larger community beyond our walls.
At the conference, the speakers were in agreement that we must begin by teaching our students the beauty of Indigenous cultures, before burdening them with the story of oppression. One key to this is appreciating Indigenous languages. There are over 700 First Nations communities in Canada, yet how many of us know how to greet our Indigenous neighbours in their language? Students in my Grade 10 English classes read Moon of the Crusted Snow, a novel by Anishinaabe author Waubgeshig Rice, and are acquiring words like miigwech and anniin, thank you and hello. The elder Kim Wheatley was very moved when I thanked her for the smudge by saying “Chi-miigwech.”
I am looking forward to weaving more of what I learned at the conference into my classes, as well as sharing resources and ideas with colleagues in other departments.
