Teaching Indigenous Education? Top 5 Concepts You Should Know

Tân’si! Sam nisihkâson. I’m the Indigenous Lead for Embodied Learnings and a teacher candidate in the Waaban Indigenous Teacher Education Program at York University. Being in this program has truly been a life changing experience. I’ve been given a very special opportunity to learn about who I am, while also learning about how to support students through transformative and culturally responsive practices. I’ve learned SO much over the past year that it’s really challenging to sum it up in just a few key points. That being said, I have done my best to outline what I believe to be the top five concepts all teachers should know about Indigenous education, and the value of integrating it into the curriculum. 

1. Self-Reflection 

Indigenous pedagogy encourages us to engage in ongoing self-reflection. 

Self-reflection is key for both students and educators alike. As educators, self-reflection allows us to think about our own biases and cultural frames of reference, both of which influence the way that we interact with and respond to students. Self-reflection needs to happen all through the day to help make pedagogical decisions. For students, I believe that self-reflection is key so they can begin to understand their own needs, wants, and strengths. Asking students to reflect, helps them to form new ideas and perspectives, while also helping them to form deeper connections with others. I also think it’s important to remember that reflection isn’t always about challenging our beliefs or experiences. Sometimes, it’s just about understanding them so that we can learn how to move forward in a positive way. 

2. Community Connections

Indigenous pedagogy asks us to look beyond ourselves.

A strong classroom community sets the foundation for learning. It’s the place where children come together from all walks of life to learn, play, and be together, five days of the week. From the beginning of the school year, students need to be given opportunities to share important pieces of themselves (e.g., their culture, their family, their experiences, etc.) so they can get to know each other and form meaningful connections. Whenever possible, bringing family and community members into the learning space to share their knowledge or taking students out of the classroom, helps them to see the relevance of their learning and understand the importance of a strong community.

3. Experiential Learning 

Indigenous pedagogy challenges us to look beyond standard ways of learning.

Educators know better than anyone that the needs of children are complex and can’t be met with a ‘one size fits all’ approach. This can be really challenging to navigate because it feels like you’re being pulled in a million and one directions. In my opinion, to be able to give all students a meaningful and engaging educational experience, they need to be placed in the center of their own learning. This means offering a lot of inquiry-based opportunities where students can choose the activities and assessment they feel will best demonstrate their strengths and interests. Taking students out onto the land to learn from the Earth is another great way to give them experiences that will encourage them to think about their learning in a different way, such as what can be taught from watching animals or bugs in their natural habitats. Indigenous pedagogy places value on giving students diverse learning experiences based on the understanding that we all have something unique to offer. 

4. The Arts 

Indigenous pedagogy encourages students to explore their creativity.

Encouraging learning through the arts allows students to explore the world in creative ways. Whether it be through dance, beadwork, painting, or storytelling, students are given the opportunity to reflect on the process of creating (e.g., how does it make them feel) and gives them the opportunity to make meaningful connections to the art forms. Creativity benefits students in many ways, one of them being that it can greatly encourage participation, motivation, and excitement about learning. The arts can support inquiry-based learning and critical thinking through student driven projects, and can also be utilized to support learning across every aspect of the curriculum. Indigenous education values the arts because it’s a really important part of our culture (e.g., Métis floral beadwork). With that said, the arts are embedded into every culture around the world. When students are given the opportunity to be creative and make art, they will learn about themselves, others, as well as time, place, tradition, history, geography, and so on.  

5. Pedagogical Support 

Indigenous pedagogy encourages us to ask questions. 

The struggle that we often hear is that teachers don't feel like they have enough support or enough knowledge to teach Indigenous content. While this is understandable, sometimes this results in teachers choosing to exclude Indigenous content from their curriculum all together. We know that in schools, inaction can cause a lot of harm! In other words, not addressing Indigenous issues for fear of not doing it “right” can send the message that it doesn’t matter. It’s important to know that when you’re teaching Indigenous content, it’s encouraged to ask questions and reach out for support. It can feel overwhelming to teach topics that are unfamiliar, but there are so many resources available for your own personal learning and for your students. This being said, it’s also important to allow Indigenous voices to speak for themselves. This is where it’s so beneficial to invite community members to come into the classroom to share their knowledge and experiences with your students. Not only does this ensure that the information is accurate, but it also makes the learning more meaningful! 

I truly believe that Indigenous education benefits ALL students, because it supports the whole child - physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. This is how we get to know who they really are and can build our curriculum around highlighting their gifts. It is through this that we are able to create spaces where children feel supported, uplifted, and excited to learn.

I hope this has been helpful! Is there something else you want to know? If so, ask away in the comments below. You can also call us! We offer FREE 30 minute discovery calls for lesson planning and professional development. Book yours now here. 

Want more great content? Follow us on Instagram! 

__________________________

Sam Murdoch-Rock, Board Director and Indigenous Lead. Read here to learn more about her work in education.