Educators respect and value the history of First Nations, Inuit and Metis in Canada and the impact of the past on present and the future. Educators contribute towards truth, reconciliation and healing. Educators foster a deeper understanding of ways of knowing and being, histories, and cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Metis.
I am a learner with respect to Indigenous history, protocols, culture, perspectives, and ways of being. Although I am not the course instructor for EDUC 346 and EDUC 446 that are courses specifically focused on Indigenous history and pedagogies with respect to teacher education, I do feel that it is important to embed, learn, and demonstrate as a non-Indigenous person what this could look like in the teacher candidate’s future practice and explore the First Peoples Principles of Learning in context to BC’s Curriculum and K-12 Education in BC.
I feel honoured and privileged to collaborate with instructors in the teacher education program to teach and learn about Indigenous history and ways of being. The first image was EDUC 394 and our first class learning outside and on the land. I was collaborating with Dr. Daniel Sims who was teaching EDUC 346. We co-facilitated the Blanket Exercise. The impression and impact this experience made on the Elementary Cohort was profound. We concluded the session in a circle to reflect on the experience and understand the importance of this work to our practice. The most memorable comment from the teacher candidates was the idea that learning about it in a course did not compare to learning about it like this.
The second image, I collaborated with Lecturer Susan Johnson who taught the Secondary Cohort EDUC 405 and I taught the Elementary Cohort. It was the day before the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and it was an opportunity for us to engage in a learning experience with the university fire circle and the UHNBC Drummers. The word got out and the executive meeting was postponed so that staff members and faculty outside of the School of Education participated. The circle invited others to join and the circle got larger and larger. The energy, the drumming, and the singing were powerful. Dr. Daniel Sims also offered a few words and teacher candidates participated with building the fire and gifts. It was a very memorable. Many of us stayed behind to chat further to honour this day.
The third image are some of teacher candidates who stayed behind after the evening presentation of DƏNE YI’INJETL – The Scattering of Man. We naturally formed a circle and started reflecting on the presentation and the impact or impressions it had made. I appreciated this opportunity to reconnect with the teacher candidates after such a powerful presentation about land and rights. It was startling to know that this flooding happened so close to where we are and to imagine that the village they grew up in no longer existed. It’s all under water. Horrifying but so important to listen and hold space for this documentary. The content is heavy, but it is the truth that needs to be shared for reconciliation.
The final image is Kelsey MacDonald, the K-12 Land Based Educator in the school district but also a teacher education alumni. She continues to give back to the program and her generosity has not gone unnoticed. Kelsey was a leader in the program and continues to be a leader in the K-12 program. Although she shared her experience as a new educator and recent graduate, but her work is within the Indigenous Education Department. She tours schools within the school district with drumming and works with teachers and students in K-12. Kelsey is an inspiration. She inspired the teacher candidates to embrace Indigenous Education and that they can create what they want to see when they enter the profession.
I have no image, but I concluded the term in EDUC 394 with a lesson on anti-racism. Last year I invited members from the District Student Advisory Committee who were part of the development of the “Raising the B.A.R. (Bystanders Against Racism)” video series. This year, I invited one of the graduates, Victoria Schinkel, to present the video series and facilitate a discussion with the teacher candidates. The video series was in response to the concerns of students in the school district but DSAC members were not able to visit classrooms at the time due to the pandemic and COVID-19 safety protocols. The video series was very successful and extended to other school districts in the province. The video series gave voice to equity seeking groups and awareness to those who are not, that racism exists.
