Running Head: Walking through History and Resilience

Walking through History and Resilience:

The Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail as Reconciliation Curriculum

Lauren Stelmaschuk
Education 5031: Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
Dr. Karen Densky
July 30 2019
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 1

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Introduction 1

Part 2: Scope & Sequence 2

Part 3: Lesson Description/Plan 9

Part 4: Theoretical Lens Paper 12

References: 21

Part 1: Introduction
Imagine, if you will, a quiet forest with clouds hanging low into the canopy, a chorus of

bird song and wind singing through the trees, sage and cedar smoke twirling a ballet of ceremony

around a group of learners, and the quiet reverence of receiving knowledge held closely to the

heart since time immemorial.

Within both the Legacy and Reconciliation sections of the TRC’s Calls to Action,

education plays a vital role (TRC, 2015). The term education appears more than 25 times

through the Calls to Action and is represented across every section (TRC, 2015). The educational

reforms requested by the TRC are not simply around learning about residential schools, but seek

to “[transform] education into a place where Indigenous experiences would be integrated, racism

and coloniality would be rejected and equal respect for Indigenous and Western epistemologies

could be demonstrated” (Cutrara, 2018). These Calls to Action asks educators to engage in

education that respects and celebrates Indigenous epistemologies as a way to counteract the

negative stereotyping and teaching about social identity and social location to better understand

society’s treatment of First Nations people, both past and present (Cutrara, 2018).

My proposal is simple in theory but complex and interwoven with traditional indigenous

knowledge, history, language, society, and reconciliation. A group of learners are to embark on a
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 2

month long, 420 km journey across what is known as the Grease Trail in British Columbia where

coastal and interior First Peoples travelled to trade the wares of their nations. The grease comes

from the Oolichan (The Trail, n.d.); oil from this fish staining the earth and demarcating the

pathway where traditions, artefacts, food and stories changed hands for as long as memory exists

in this land.

As the journey progresses, the grease trail becomes fragmented by highways, towns,

industry. A visual allegory of the impacts of colonization on Indigenous learning, these

fragments of “civilization” may mar the natural wonder of BC but have not completely

eradicated the trail, the people, or their knowledge. Community members of the nations

connected to the trail share their language and histories with the learners. The contextual nature

of language study demands that it be explored and learned upon the land it was birthed from.

The oral tradition of the knowledge holders twirls about the learners like the sage and cedar

smudge with no fixed curriculum or course.

The intentions for learning are as individual as the learners themselves who may be

taking this course to learn more for their personal journey towards reconciliation, to understand

Indigenous epistemology, deepen understanding of the history of Turtle Island, or perhaps to

connect with the land itself through the wisdom of those who were born from it. Learning

journeys are shared in circle at the end of each day, and personal journals are encouraged to

capture the experience. Ideally, the learners partaking in this course are comfortable in the

outdoors, have basic camping skills, and a desire to move deeply into Indigenous territories, both

physical and pedagogical.

WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 3

Part 2: Scope & Sequence

Scope:

Education in Canada has long been dominated by a Euro-centric model. It has also been

used as a tool of assimilation against Indigenous peoples (Battiste, 2015). The forced

assimilation by the Canadian government worked to systematically remove culture, tradition,

history, language and self-determination from Indigenous people through various governmental

avenues such as Residential Schools, institutionalized and systemic racism, and policies such as

the “60’s Scoop” that removed children from their home communities and culture (TRC, 2015,

Battiste, 2015). With the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action education has

become a forefront of combating these historical wrongdoings (TRC, 2015). This curriculum

draws from the lens of Decolonization and Indigenization to further the work of understanding,

celebrating and implementing Indigenous worldview and epistemology for educators.

Indigenization is a wide term with many interpretations. To some it will mean a turning

to Indigenous Epistemology as the underpinnings of learning, and to others it may mean a more

moderate introduction of Indigenous knowledge, ways of knowing and history. Decolonization,

in this document, is taken to mean a removal of the historically colonizing forces and

epistemologies specifically as it relates to education. Curriculum content has long been chosen,

represented by, and reflective of a white, male, western, capitalist, European and hererosexual

worldviews (Shay, 2016). “[T]he struggle to “decolonize” involves deracializing the systems of

power and facing off against historically oppressive constructions of racial identity. But tackling

these constructs alone will be superficial, because the tentacles of colonial power reach further

than mythologized race descriptors do.” (Reid, 2018). This proposed course seeks to step
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 4

towards this sentiment by offering educators an opportunity to walk along a historic trading route

of British Columbia. The Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail, or the Alexander Mackenzie Heritage

Trail, acts as a physical metaphor and classroom for starting to pull apart the myths of settler

superiority. The landscape, the history, the elders and the journey provide tangible links to

Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy. The trail, broken in places by highways, roads and

settlements, and travelling through provincially and crown-governed parks represents the

disruption and governmental ownership of Indigenous territory and history. The scope for this

project is wide, and seeks to use this paradigm to examine personal biases as well as offer the

opportunity for experiential and place-based education as delivered by Aboriginal Elders and

Knowledge Keepers via Indigenous pedagogy. To this end, four goals and eight driving question

lead the work.

Goals:

● Foster self-discovery and reflection of epistemologies, pedagogies, intersectionality,

social location/privilege and diversity

● Highlight the importance of indigenous knowledge epistemology and pedagogy

● Provide tangible experience of land and place-based education

● Foster awareness of reconciliation, language and cultural revitalization, and

decolonization/indigenization

Driving Questions: Bridging Occidental and Indigenous Pedagogy

● What is the same, what is different?

● What are the underlying values of each?

● How do your values align with these two modalities?

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● What is “Learning”?

● What does learning feel like in occidental vs indigenous pedagogies?

● What does this learning journey mean to you?

● What can you take with you?

● What do you do with what you have learned?

Sequence:

The curriculum and journey are meant to be a personal discovery without a requirement

to meet specific learning objectives. The sequence for this learning, then, is personal and cannot

be prescribed. The physical journey, some 400 kms will take approximately 6 weeks, hiking 10

km a day. We begin in Bella Coola and ending in Quesnel following the Alexander Mackenzie

Heritage Trail aka Nuxalk-Carrier Route, with food and supply drops by helicopter every 50 km.

Along the trail Community Culture Keepers from 6 neighbouring nations (Nuxalk Nation (Bella

Coola), Ulkatcho Nation (Anahim Lake), Lhousk’uz Dene Nation (Kluskus), Nazko Nation,

Lheidli T’enneh, and Lhtako Dene Nation (Red Bluff)) offer their knowledge and history of the

land (The Trail, n.d.). Each community keeper will have their own personal expertise to share

but may include songs and drumming, storytelling, language, culture and traditions, traditional

use species, and the history of the people and how they connect to the land.

Along the Trail:

When comparing western and Indigenous ways of knowing and learning, the differences

are structural and diametrically opposed. Whereas learning is individual, done formally through

institutions and focussed on movement through standards and learning objectives within

Occidental pedagogy, Indigenous Knowledge stems from a deep knowledge of the land, one’s
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 6

place within it, the interrelation of all things, and is used for the good of the community (Madiji

& Restoule, 2008). Marie Battiste links learning in an indigenous capacity to be, “nonintrusive

and subtle, and reflected in the cultural values and well-being of the community. … This kind of

knowing … is a foundation for a knowledge system that recognizes wholeness and

connectedness” (2015 p. 161). An immersive experience of living in and with nature guided by

indigenous knowledge keepers and community culture keepers is key to meeting the goals and

driving questions of this curriculum. The sequence of lessons is more of a sequence of

experiences without a stringent standards based model to adhere to. There are goals and driving

questions, to be sure, but how, where and when these are responded to is an individual

experience of learning.

Fig 1: Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail Map, taken from http://www.greasetrail.com/home, (The

Trail, n.d.)

Reflection and Assessment of Program Goals

As the journey along the trail progresses, students will capture their experiences in a

personal record. These may include journals, scrapbooks, video diaries, or any combination
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 7

thereof. A nightly sharing circle will also offer the opportunity to debrief, share and explore the

deep themes of epistemology, pedagogy, and self. These circles will follow the circle

methodology taught to me by knowledge holders in my home community. The circle opens with

a prayer and sometimes a smudge of sage smoke, and the leader begins by introducing a topic. A

talking piece is moved along the circle inviting participants to listen to their compatriots and

respond in turn. Circles provide equality within the group as no one is placed above anyone else,

and each person has the right to speak or to listen as they see fit. Within the circle, knowledge is

held as sacred and unshared without expressed permission. Tolerance, patience and humility are

the values of circle discussions. A circle continues for as long as there is material to discuss, and

ends with a prayer. The informal nature of circle provides a formative assessment tool for the

elders and course developers to reflect on how the learning is progressing, and if the goals are

being met. The formal assessment comes from the learning journals kept by participants, and

their reflections on the driving questions. Ascribing a “mark” to this work would defeat the

purpose of personal discovery; thus, the formal assessment will be made via a pass/fail where

success is gauged by the completion of the journey.

Detractors, or those unable to practice tolerance, humility and patience required of this

course will undoubtedly attend. Changing the minds of dissenters to this way of learning is not

the goal of this project. Cruel, bigotted and/or abusive language or actions will not be tolerated,

however, and the participant may be asked to leave should they pose a risk of harm. Discord and

disagreement can foster reflection and growth, however, should it be shared in positive ways. To

limit the number of serious detractors, I propose an “activating” assignment for entry into this

curriculum as described in the next section.

WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 8

Part 3: Lesson Description/Plan

Description of the learners:
- Prospective adult students wishing to take this course:
- Educators, allies, anyone who wishes to explore indigenous ways of knowing and
teaching
Goals/objectives/outcomes for the lesson
- Introduction to the concepts of Indigenous Ways of knowing, the trail itself, and
exploration of self
- Introduction of Driving Question and Project Goals
Timing
- Self-paced lesson, used as entry into curriculum journey
Required Resources:
Interactive Trail online at: http://www.greasetrail.com/
● Video and photo galleries along the route of knowledge holders
● List of traditional use species found along the trail
TTrail. (n.d.). Retrieved July 10, 2019, from http://www.greasetrail.com/trail
White Privilege:

McIntosh, P. (1990). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Independent School,
49, 31–35.
Miller, L. A., & Harris, V. W. (2018). I Can’t Be Racist--I Teach in an Urban School, and I’m a
Nice White Lady! World Journal of Education, 8(3), 1–11. Retrieved from
https://ezproxy.tru.ca/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=
eric&AN=EJ1182572&site=eds-live
First Peoples Principles of Learning:
Chrona, J. (2016, April). First Peoples Principles of Learning. Retrieved July 29, 2019, from
https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/

Kerr, J., & Parent, A. (2018). The First Peoples Principles of Learning in Teacher Education:
Responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. Canadian
Journal of Native Education, 40(1), 36.
Comparative Education:
Madjidi, K. & Restoule, J. P. (2008). Comparative Indigenous ways of knowing and learning. In
K. Mundy, K. Bickmore, R. Hayhoe, M. Madden, & K. Madjidi (Eds.), Comparative and
international education (pp. 77–106). Toronto, ON: Canadian Scholars Press.
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 9

Suggested Resource:
Battiste, M. (2015). Decolonizing education: Nourishing the learning spirit. Saskatoon: Purich
Publishing Limited.
Instructions/Directions

- Prospective students will produce a document of their own choosing addressing their

history, education, and experiences to indigenous education. These may include essays,

personal histories, video recordings, presentations, or photo journals. Students are

expected to review the material and connect the scholarship to their own experiences.

Additionally, this document will explore why these prospective students wish to take on

this course of study, what they hope to learn, as well as how they will carry the learning

forward.

- There is no requirement for length, but the depth of these items must be explored in such

a way that the assessor is able to make clear connections between the scholarship and life

experiences within the documentation.

Assessment of the learning

The essays produced by the students will be assessed for commitment to learning,

openness to new ideas, and implementation of their learning into their own contexts based on the

Medicine Wheel found below. I created this tool with a colleague in 2017 as a way to

holistically assess student portfolios of the core competencies in BC’s redesigned curriculum.

This assessment tool combines the First Peoples Principles of Learning, and the Core

competencies embedded within the Medicine wheel. Increasing the sophistication of these

competencies towards the center of the wheel marks a movement towards balance. The closer

the evaluator ranks each competency towards the center, the more holistic and sophisticated the

product is deemed to be. Adding to the authenticity of this evaluation tool, using Elders and
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Community Knowledge keepers to support this evaluation is recommended.

WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 11

Part 4: Theoretical Lens Paper

Philosophical Underpinnings:

Decolonization is a monumental task, and this curriculum is but one small step towards a

more holistic education model. The theories of Dewey and Montesorri connect this learning

modality to community, and to experiential learning. Experimentalism is the idea that students

must be engaged with their environment, experimenting with the world around them, in order to

make sense of it and learn. These experiments lead to learning as the person “adapts to the

environment in a unified way” (Gutek, 2015, p. 284). The reflective thinking of students then

capitulates these experiences as young children form their understanding of the word around

them using, “what”, “how”, and “why”. These thoughts begin the life-long survey of the world

as students, in Dewey’s epistemology, practice reflective thinking by taking an active, persistent

and careful examination of their beliefs and the conclusions these beliefs lead to (Gutek, 2015 p.

284).

The foundational core of each pedagogy of Montessori and Dewey is that the student

directs their learning (Flinders & Thornton, 2017, ch. 2&3). Within each of these systems, one

would expect to see the educator alongside the children, not lecturing from the front of a

classroom. In the Montessori method the children would be left to explore their environments

and materials, using the items to develop their cognitive, social, and moral skills (Lee, 2013).

The educator would prepare the environment for learning, but the learning itself is done by the

students.

Dewey focused on the experiential needs of children in order to learn (Flinders &

Thornton, 2017, ch. 3). In my teaching practice the importance of experiential learning cannot
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 12

be oversold. I am a firm believer that “doing” teaches far more effectively than passive

absorption of information. Further in his work, Dewey outlines the importance of community,

social learning and social reform (Flinders & Thornton, 2017, ch. 3). Social responsibility asks

community members to act with the needs of the greater society in mind. To Dewey, democracy

and social engagement are ideals whereby education and its goals are situated firmly within the

social constructs of the community and problems are solved via collaborative group problem

solving (Flinders & Thornton, 2017, ch. 3).

Indigenous knowledge stems from a deep knowledge of the land, one’s place within it,

the interrelation of all things, and is used for the good of the community (Madiji & Restoule,

2008). This deep connection to the Land, “Indigenous people represent a culture emergent from a

place, and they actively draw on the power of that place physically and spiritually (Standing

Rock Sioux scholar Vine Deloria Jr. & Yuchi Muskogee scholar Daniel R. Wildcat, 2001, p.

32)”. (As cited in Scully, 2018). Land-based education within an Indigenous lens is formed by

the relational understanding of learner and teacher and is found through the stories and histories

of the knowledge keeper and the land on which these stories were birthed (Betasamosake

Simpson, 2014). “Indigenous education is not Indigenous or education from within our

intellectual traditions unless it comes through the land, unless it occurs in an Indigenous

context using Indigenous processes” (Betasamosake Simpson, 2014, p. 9). It is the goal of this

project to introduce educators to what this sentiment means via an immersive experience of

living with the lands and Peoples who originally sprung from Turtle Island.
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 13

Land Based Education

If the land is at the center of Indigenous understandings, education based in on and about

the land is necessary. Currently explorations of land-based education in an Indigenous lens

heralds this modality as decolonizing and revitalizing culture and language (Hansen, 2018, Red

River College, 2018, Edge & Lesard, n.d., Betasamosake Simpson, 2014). When indigenous

students are given the opportunity to experience their language and culture within the context it

springs from, high school graduation rates have increased, and language is revitalized

(Betasamosake Simpson, 2014, Edge & Lasard, n.d.). A number of programs have begun to

reshape curriculum, school calendars and learning objectives to reflect a contextual land-based

education (Red River College, 2018, Edge & Lasard, n.d., Hansen, 2018). These programs take

students onto the land with traditional knowledge holders, elders, and teachers and follow a

non-prescriptive curriculum that highlights the interconnectedness of all things and the relational

aspect of learning. Relational understanding is at the heart of Indigenous epistemology and can

be a beacon for reconciliation (Kerr & Parent, 2018). These studies and schools highlight the

importance of reimagining education within an indigenous lens to support not only aboriginal

students, but allies and future allies as well.

Why it matters:

This re-imagining of education places the focus of education away from just “what do

you know?” to “what do you do with what you know?” This new foundation of inquiry allows

us, then, to look more critically and compassionately at the hardships of the world around us.

What do you do with what you know about the injustice in the world – historic and
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 14

contemporary? What do you do with bigotry and prejudice? It’s not enough any more to keep the

skeletons of uncomfortable truths in the closet.

Multiculturalism is an aspect of Canadian life that cannot be ignored and is reflected in

the diversity within classrooms today. Educators have an important role in shifting societal

narratives towards inclusivity as well as in dismantling the negative stereotypes of their students.

However, in order to achieve this requires teachers to be able to navigate the often murky waters

of identity, politics, and cultures other than that of the dominant society (Banks, 2009). Teachers

may not feel able to address the complex and often controversial philosophies of cultural

diversity let alone translate them into practice (Szelei et al., 2018). Culture, for example, is often

viewed as a fixed item. When explored without understanding how dynamic this concept truly is,

educators hesitate to include cultural activities, othering students from diverse backgrounds, or

unconsciously silencing and stereotyping students (Szelei et al., 2018). Student voice is a key

component that can ameliorate the harmful ways in which multicultural education is enacted in

schools which draws parallels to the calls for inclusivity of Indigenous voices and experiences in

media (Szelei et al., 2018; Guo, 2012).

Calls to Action and Changing Education

I see the TRC's Calls to Action as a watershed moment in both the greater societal

zeitgeist as well as within the world of education. Call to Action #62 in particular is redefining

the educational landscape in British Columbia as we indigenize the curriculum as an attempt to

correct the ramifications of colonialism (Kerr & Parent, 2018). British Columbia is in the

process of welcoming a new paradigm into the educational landscape (BC’s New Curriculum,

n.d.). In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action (Kerr &
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 15

Parent, 2018), BC's new curriculum implements Indigenous ways of knowing, content, and

culture into the classroom across every course and grade.

As an educator, these curriculum changes that have been implemented by the Calls to

Action are challenging; they ask us to step outside of our comfort zone and move in ways foreign

to our more Western upbringings (Banks, 2009). This seismic shift in the sensibilities of Western

education are long overdue. Judge Murray Sinclair said, “Education got us into this mess and

education will get us out” (Watters, 2015, para 18). Uncovering the painful past of residential

schools, the 60’s Scoop and decades of legislation designed to diminish the autonomy and

authority of Indigenous, Metis, and Inuit people is necessary to heal as a nation. In a fragmented

and polarized country where promises to the indigenous communities are broken as often as they

are made, educators are asked to use the wisdom and guidance of the First Nations people to

chart a more holistic and welcoming landscape.

Teaching the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada is important for reconciliation and

as important in recognizing the contemporary culture and revitalization efforts. This shift

requires, however, a thoughtful and critical lens to enact. Szelei et al. (2018) suggests educators

reflect on their own cultural biases and privilege while incorporating a critical reflection on

societal and media treatment of non-mainstream cultures and engage students in pedagogy.

Peggy McIntosh's seminal work on White Privilege seems an apropos start because she

recommends recognizing cultural biases in order to tear down the walls of white privilege

(McIntosh, 1990).

Within both the Legacy and Reconciliation sections of the TRC’s Calls to Action,

education plays a vital role (TRC, 2015). The term education appears more than 25 times
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 16

through the Calls to Action and is represented across every section (TRC, 2015). The educational

reforms requested by the TRC are not simply around learning about residential schools, but seek

to “[transform] education into a place where Indigenous experiences would be integrated, racism

and coloniality would be rejected and equal respect for Indigenous and Western epistemologies

could be demonstrated” (Cutrara, 2018). This radical shift in the settler-constructed educational

models disrupts the status-quo of Western ideologies which mirrors the oppressive societal

norms that continue and propagate racially biased beliefs and deficit ideologies (Friere, 2015,

Gorski, 2010). Cutrara (2018) criticizes contemporary history educational models of Western

epistemologies and offers solutions for reconciling the Indigenous experiences as told through

story and history into Canadian classrooms. This analysis asks educators to engage in history

education that respects and celebrates Indigenous epistemologies as a way to counteract the

negative stereotyping and teaching about social identity and social location to better understand

society’s treatment of First Nations people, both past and present (Cutrara, 2018).

Call to Action #62, making funding and providing education on Indian Residential

Schools from Kindergarten to Grade 12 mandatory (TRC, 2015, p. 7), is redefining the

educational landscape in British Columbia as we indigenize the curriculum in an attempt to

correct the ramifications of colonialism (BC’s New Curriculum, n.d.; Kerr & Parent, 2018). Kerr

& Parent (2018) use the First Peoples Principles of Learning to address the educational

requirements directed by the TRC’s Calls to Action as a means of pedagogically addressing the

history, legacy, and reconciliation for Canada and Indigenous peoples. Szelei et al. (2018)

suggests educators reflect on their own cultural biases and privilege while incorporating a critical
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 17

reflection on societal and media treatment of non-mainstream cultures, and engage students in

pedagogy.

Disruption of Settler Grammar

The educational reforms requested by the TRC are not simply around learning about

residential schools, but seek to “[transform] education into a place where Indigenous experiences

would be integrated, racism and coloniality would be rejected and equal respect for Indigenous

and Western epistemologies could be demonstrated” (Cutrara, 2018). This radical shift in the

settler-constructed educational models disrupts the status-quo of Western ideologies which

mirrors the oppressive societal norms that continue and propagate racially biased beliefs and

deficit ideologies (Friere, 2015, Gorski, 2010). Cutrara (2018) criticizes contemporary history

educational models of Western epistemologies and offers solutions for reconciling the

Indigenous experiences as told through story and history into Canadian classrooms. Settler

grammar within historical narratives often ignore Indigenous story-telling and oral history as

relevant to history, but by responding to the histories shared in the TRC testimony and their

impacts within the Calls to Action, reconciliation may yet take root (Cutrara, 2018). This

analysis asks educators to engage in history education that respects and celebrates Indigenous

epistemologies as a way to counteract the negative stereotyping and teaching about social

identity and social location to better understand society’s treatment of First Nations people, both

past and present (Cutrara, 2018).

First Peoples Principles of Learning

In order to orient oneself into the massive mindset shift required, an examination of the

First Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPLs) can assist in making sense of Indigenous
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 18

epistemology, pedagogy, and educational values. The BC Ministry of Education and the First

Nations Education Steering Committee came together in 2006 to create English First Peoples as

a new curriculum (Chrona, 2014) The FPPLs can be applied broadly to learning and education in

general. They are:

● Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the

land, the spirits, and the ancestors.

● Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on

connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).

● Learning involves recognizing the consequences of one‘s actions.

● Learning involves generational roles and responsibilities.

● Learning recognizes the role of indigenous knowledge.

● Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.

● Learning involves patience and time.

● Learning requires exploration of one‘s identity.

● Learning involves recognizing that some knowledge is sacred and only shared with

permission and/or in certain situations.

These principles do not represent a lesson plan, or course of study. Rather, they provide

the opportunity to examine the context of learning. Additionally, the values around the

importance and function of education can be examined to seek common ground between

Occidental and Indigenous pedagogy. These principles are not ascribed to a singular Nation, and

do not hold equally for specific Nations, but can provide an introductory foray into

understanding Indigenous educational models as a whole (Kerr & PArent, 2018). The values of
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 19

these principles, community-mindedness, holistic views of learners, identity, relationships, and

connectedness, are near universal. Learning is inherently risky, and learning in a framework

foreign to settler grammar even more so. Taking the risk to examine one’s own role in education

-- both historic and contemporary -- demands that these risks be taken to move forward towards

Indigenization and Reconciliation.

WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 20

References:
Banks, J. A. (2009). Human rights, diversity, and citizenship education. Educational Forum,

73(2), 100-110. doi:10.1080/00131720902739478

Battiste, M. (2015). Decolonizing education: Nourishing the learning spirit. Saskatoon: Purich

Publishing Limited.

BC's New Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2019, from

https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/overview

Betasamosake Simpson, L. (2014). Land as pedagogy: Nishnaabeg intelligence and rebellious

transformation. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 3(3), 1. Retrieved

from

https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=100017620&site=eds

-live

Chrona, J. (2016, April). First Peoples Principles of Learning. Retrieved July 29, 2019, from

https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/

Cutrara, S. A. (2018). The Settler Grammar of Canadian History Curriculum: Why Historical

Thinking Is Unable to Respond to the TRC’s Calls to Action. Canadian Journal of

Education, 41(2), 250-275.

Flinders, D. J., & Thornton, S. J. (2017). The curriculum studies reader. New York: Routledge,
Taylor & Francis Group.

Freire, P., Ramos, M. B., Macedo, D. P., & Shor, I. (2018). Pedagogy of the Oppressed 50th

Anniversary Edition. New York: Bloomsbury USA Academic.

WALKING THROUGH HISTORY AND RESILIENCE 21

Gorski, P. (2011). Unlearning deficit ideology and the scornful gaze: Thoughts on authenticating

the class discourse in education. In R. Ahlquist, P. Gorski, & T. Montaño (Eds.), Assault

on kids: How hyper-accountability, corporatization, deficit ideology, and Ruby Payne are

destroying our schools. New York, NY: Peter Lang.

Gutek, G. L. (2015). Philosophy & history of education. Toronto, ON: Pearson, Custom
Textbook.

Guo, Y. (2012). Exploring linguistic, cultural and religious diversity in Canadian schools.

Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education, 7(1),.4-23.

Hansen, John. (2018). Cree Elders' Perspectives on Land-Based Education: A Case Study. 28.

74-91. 10.26522/brocked.v28i1.783.

Kerr, J., & Parent, A. (2018). The First Peoples Principles of Learning in Teacher Education:

Responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. Canadian

Journal of Native Education, 40(1), 36.

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