EDUC 530: Indigenous Education

Decolonizing Education: A Teachers

Resource
Kaylee Leischner, Elizabeth Rowe, Amy Weekes, Robyn Ferguson, Lauren
Ewasyke, Patrick Nelson

About This Document:

Through our weeks of discussion for the “Looking Back, Looking Forward” project, many topics
have come up that have added to and enriched our understanding of Indigenous education. In this
document, we focus on topics where our previous understandings have been challenged, reinforced
and enlightened. In addressing the topics that have come up in conversation, we have compiled what
we believe to be authentic and meaningful resources to use as future teachers to be the driving force
in the movement to decolonize our classrooms. We explore resources that can be used at any level in
any school to either begin the conversation or enrich our current understanding of Indigeneity and to
present information that is historically accurate, honest and authentic.
 Addressing Trauma in Elementary
Classrooms

It can be hard as educators to bring complex social justice

How do we teach about
social justice issues so that
we are not traumatizing
our students, while also
remaining true to
historical experience?
issues into our classrooms, and begin conversations
centered around narratives of our minority communities.
Talking about racial trauma can be triggering not only for
students but also for teachers, and therefore is easy to gloss
over when teaching. However, if we can create an
environment that acknowledges historical and systemic
racism – it can create resilience and resistance in minority
youths (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, p.3).

This means that introducing conversations about Canadian history in regards to -

colonization and residential schools in elementary classrooms is not something that
we should shy away. It is important to foster open and emotional conversations with
our students as long as we do it in a safe space.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

has produced a document that can help teachers

(Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom)

in designing that safe space. Their document
Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom
should be consulted by teachers before beginning
a conversation about race and trauma that could
be triggering for students. This resource explains
the importance of having conversations about
historical trauma, and it describes how teachers
can create a safe space where their students can
process racially traumatic events.

Based on the recommendations from the National Child Traumatic Stress

Network- I would recommend using the book When We Were Alone
written by David Robertson to teach about residential schools and
assimilation in a K-3 classroom. This book offers students an authentic look
into what residential schools are, and their attempts at assimilation by
using examples and emotions that the students can relate to, and therefore
process meaningfully.
 History: Treaties, Acts & Policies

The TRC calls to action to create, “culturally appropriate

How can we honour curricula” (Truth and Reconciliation Canada, 2015) as
Indigenous history by well as the new Alberta Education curriculum (2018)
presenting an honest mean that we as teachers have to approach Indigenous
history from an authentic perspective rather than the
and authentic whitewashed, eurocentric perspective that many of our
representation of group members experienced in our own social studies
learning in schools. Additionally, we have to use
treaties, acts and resources that honour Indigenous history pre-contact with
policies? Europeans rather than just the colonial perspective.

Using a variety of age appropriate resources including treaty maps and other visuals helps shape this
understanding even in Kindergarten and as the material gets more complex when dealing with
specific Acts such as the Indian Act and other policies, more in depth resources can be used for
higher grades. The Treaty Tales series provides an entry point for younger students to gain a basic
understanding of treaties as new curriculum teaches about treaties and oral agreements in grades 1
and 2 (Alberta Education, 2018) and policies while the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada provides
an authentic Indigenous perspective on history pre and post contact with European settlers while
addressing specific areas with respect to treaties and other legislation.

Canadian Geographic (2018) Indigenous Peoples

Lynxleg, B. (2015) Treaty Tales Series [Online image] Atlas of Canada [Online image]
 Inclusion in the Classroom

As teachers, we are the foundation that ways to engage students in their

promotes inclusion in our classrooms. classroom community include extra
This may be as simple as accepting supports for students (such as
children for where they are, and that Indigenous Support Workers),
includes noting any engaging families in
potential generational How can we as their school
trauma, loss of teachers create communities in ways
language, age, and that build trust,
culture. According to
inclusive school leadership,
Alberta Education environments for all monitoring progress,
“the classroom must
students, including additional supports
become a dynamic, and training for
living space that those of Indigenous teachers (2017). Our
recreates itself backgrounds? goal of creating
continually. This re- inclusivity in the
creation should be classroom is
built on relationship, undertaken in promoting a sense of community where
dialogue with students and parents, and students feel safe to express their
based on students’ evolving learning personal stories while also building
needs” (p. 42, 2005). This is further positive relationships between the
supported by the OECD who claim that teacher, families, and students.

St u dent
(Alberta Education, 2005) (OECD, 2017)
well-be
 Culture in the Classroom

Before we can introduce Indigenous culture

into our classrooms in an authentic and
meaningful way, we must first have an
How can we as accurate understanding of what Indigenous
educators bring culture is. As educators, that means
Indigenous culture into abandoning any stereotypes and
preconceptions we might have held before,
our classrooms in an opening our minds, and taking the time to
authentic and explore the culture and broaden our
knowledge base. This kind of exploration
meaningful way? requires reliable and extensive resources.
One resource that I have found to be helpful
to any educator is Our Way is a Valid Way, a
resource developed by the Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration
in Basic Education. This resource is intended to provide foundational knowledge of
Indigenous culture to educators who wish to expand their knowledge to a point where
they feel comfortable teaching the subject and bringing it into their classrooms in an
authentic way (WNCP, 2013).

Indigenous culture, like any culture,

is broad and can mean a lot of
things, so it is important that
educators explore multiple resources
in a variety of mediums. Tammy
Flanders, the library coordinator at
the University of Calgary Doucette
Library, has compiled and organized
an extensive collection of resources
for learning about Indigenous
culture on The Doucette Library
Pinterest page. She has separated
literature for educators to use in their
classrooms based on grade levels –
(WNCP, 2013)

K-4, 5-8, and 9 and up. She has also

included a section that focuses on
nonfiction literature. This is a great
resource because it allows teachers
to select from the library based on
the grade level they are teaching and
the topics they want to cover.
 Resistance Issues

Dwayne Donald addresses the hesitation that notions about why things are, “they way they
often comes with teaching Indigenous studies. are” based on one view. The national
He finds the most common reasons teachers narrative is such that Canadian civilization was
are hesitant to teach Indigenous education is “carved out of wilderness” (Donald,2007),
because they fear they do not have adequate with indigenous peoples being the
background knowledge on Indigenous issues “unfortunate remnants of the process”
(2007). We need to speak to (Donald, 2007). This
how we can transform our How does being aware has left them outside
previous connotations of of resistance to of the national
narrative that has
the national narrative and
Eurocentric ways of thinking
Indigenous been taught for
to bring in authentic education inform our many years. To help
education and mindsets into teaching practice? inform educators,
our classrooms. this article by Donald
The resistances as addressed are “deeply is on the resource list to help people
rooted in issues of identity, culture, and the challenge themselves to allow Indigenous
stories that Canadian students have been told cultures to contribute to the mainstream
in school for many generations” (Donald, education process.
2007). This resource can be beneficial to We now know that a spaced is being
inform educators about perhaps their past slowly opened to allow for Indigenous
experiences and grievances surrounding education into our schools. The space has
Indigenous education and the often general been created for us and it is up to teachers to
discomfort in teaching it. help break down the walls. The new policy to
The move for a lot of common bring in Indigenous ways of knowing as a
understandings for inclusion of Indigenous respectful and organic way of living with the
education in schools is for the very purpose land will be met with a reflection of difficult
of apologizing for past injustices and to bring terrain. As Donald says, “We need to identify
forth guilt (Donald, 2007) . Some see it as a
“dance of Indigenous victimization, white guilt
and political correctness” (Donald, 2007). This
however barely harbours the truth behind
Indigenous culture as a whole and leaves the
purpose of reconciliation and education on a
Donald, 2007

very superficial level. The main reason for

pushback from educators was that they didn't
feel they had enough background knowledge
on Indigenous education. This leaves, as
Donald describes, a very one dimensional way the holes in the story of our country and note
of understanding Indigenous ways of what has been left out. This is necessary, not
understanding and people with preconceived to lay blame, but to repair the story” (2007).
 Authentic Instruction

Including the natural world whenever possible is the

How can we, as simplest way to incorporate an Indigenous
perspective in the class experience. Host classes that
educators, explore expose students to nature and use these experiences
First Nations, Métis, as catalysts for conversations that relate to
Indigenous values (e.g. importance of protecting
and Inuit perspectives ecosystems, cycles in nature, naturally occurring
patterns). This can occur from a very young age by
and content as it simply bringing young students into the school field
relates to educational and having them become aware of the various things
they may take for granted and to get them
programming for all comfortable interacting with the natural world
students? (Government of South Australia, 2016).

(Vermillion Lakes, 2018)

When teaching from an Indigenous Perspective, the Ojibwe “Good Life Teachings” make for
a good foundation from which to build one’s teaching practice. The main tenets of these
teachings are: Love, Respect, Bravery, Wisdom, Humility, Honesty, Truth (Toulouse, 2008).

It may be difficult to come up with lessons that incorporate an indigenous perspective on

your own, luckily there is an abundance of lesson plans that do exactly this, available through
the Alberta Regional Consortia online learning portal. Lessons in core subjects (ie. Sciences,
Social Studies, English, and Math) for grades K-12 that connect both to Indigenous culture
and the Program of Studies are available and can facilitate coming up with authentic
Indigenous lessons (Alberta Regional Consortium, 2018). “Education is our Buffalo” is a
resource for teachers released by the Alberta Teacher’s Association. It is a resource designed
to further a teacher’s understanding and ability to teach from an Indigenous perspective
(ATA, 2017)
 Works Cited
Alberta Education. (2005). Our words, our ways: Teaching first nations, metis, and inuit learners. Retrieved from
https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/1db7d737-1486-441b-a49a-d62506a4bf39/resource/78a7d033-9c08-4e84-b617-
ea10f778343c4/download/our-words-our-ways/pdf

Alberta Teachers’ Association, 2016. Education is Our Buffalo. Retrieved from

https://www.teachers.ab.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/ATA/Publications/Human-Rights-
Issues/Education%20is%20Our%20Buffalo%20(PD-80-7).pdf

Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom: A Resource for Educators. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Alberta Regional Consortium, 2018. ARPDC First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Moodle Courses for Grades 1 - 12.
Retrieved from
https://learning.arpdc.ab.ca/course/index.php?categoryid=7

Donald, D. (2007). Aboriginal curriculum perspectives. Unpublished paper, University of Alberta. Retrieved
from: https://sites.ualberta.ca/~cjackson/EDEL335/aboriginaperspectives.htm

Dunlap, N. (n.d.). Bison Grazing on Grass Near Mountains During Daytime [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://unsplash.com/photos/-f2-10Ih7NQ

Government of South Australia, (2016). Let nature be your teacher. Retrieved from
www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/files/...and.../let-nature-be-your-teacher-bro.pdf

Lee-Shanok, P. (2017) GTA book publisher accused of whitewashing Indigenous history. CBC. Retrieved from
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/childrens-textbook-includes-inaccurate-account-of-indigenous-history-
1.4315945

Lynxleg, B. (2014). Treaty Tales: The Handshake and the Pipe. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba First Nations Education
Resource Centre.

Lynxleg, B. (2015). Treaty Tales: We are all Treaty People. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba First Nations Education Resource
Centre.

Lynxleg, B. (2015). Treaty Tales: The Friendship. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre.

OECD. (2017). Supporting success for indigenous students. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/education/Supporting-
Success-for-Indigenous-Students.pdf

Robertson, D., & Flett, J. (2016). When we were alone.

Royal Canadian Geographical Society. (2018). INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ATLAS OF CANADA. S.l.]: KIDS CAN
PRESS

Toulouse, Dr. P., (March 2018). Integrating Aboriginal Teaching and Lessons in the Classroom. Literacy and
Numeracy Secretariat. Retrieved from
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/Toulouse.pdf

Truth and Reconciliation Canada. (2015). Honouring the truth, reconciling for the future: Summary of
the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Winnipeg: Truth and Reconciliation
Commission of Canada. Retrieved
from:http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Actio
Vermillion Lakes. (2018) n_English2.pdf
. [Digital Photo]. Retrieved from https://www.tripadvisor.nl/LocationPhotoDirectLink-
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WNCP. (2013). Our Way is a Valid Way: Professional Educator Resource.

Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/563981/our-way-is-a-valid-way.pdf