Situating Myself
I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am a guest on the lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and of the Métis Nation. I acknowledge the harmful mistreatment, past and present, of the colonial worldview on Indigenous Peoples of this land. In collaboration with Indigenous People and in a spirit of respect and reconciliation, I dedicate myself to move forward. In this paper, I share my transformational shifts in teaching through a growing awareness of Indigenous wisdom and teaching. I will examine the traditional Eurocentric education system and the anti-colonial education system by looking at the various learning models and how we can potentially move forward in a good way.
I teach in a suburban neighbourhood in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in a primary classroom. The school is diverse, and 40% of my students identify as First Nations or Metis. I have a passion for working with children outside and learning about nature. Over my fifteen years of teaching, my perspectives and practices have metamorphosized through working with Indigenous Knowledge keepers, research and, most significantly, through being with the children. I no longer claim that I am an expert in nature, but instead, I learn “both from the land and with the land” (Simpson, 2014, p.7, italics in original). Throughout this paper, I will share this transformational shift in thinking and the importance as educators strive to be anti-colonial in our education system. Through my teaching practice, I strive to “re-imagin[e] fundamentally different approach to education that pays attention to the land, relationship, traditions, Elder knowledge, and place” (Root, 2010, p. 103). In this paper, I examine general differences between Eurocentric and Indigenous learning systems and share examples that advocate for changes towards a more respectful way that acknowledges and implements an anti-colonial education for all students.
Eurocentric Learning Model
There are many ways to describe the system of education in Canada: “Western,” “Colonial,” and “Eurocentric” are some of the descriptors that are widely used. Although there are differences between the provinces and territories, there are many similarities. First Nations, Metis, and Inuit describe their education as a place where they were humiliated and had to cope with someone else’s agenda. Residential schools are an example of this. The “attempted assimilation into the Western culture through measures such as residential schools have had a devastating impact on Aboriginal peoples” (Hatcher, 2012, p. 349). These colonial practices continue to be in practice today: racism, erasure of Indigenous history, settler history that lies and misconstrues facts, the duality of the material and non-material world, and the priority of humans are some of the barriers that Indigenous people continue to face in the current education system. As Simpson (2014) states, there was no “connection to my homeland, my language or history, nor my Nishnaabeg intelligence” (p. 6). Many authors share her sentiments. Instead, Western education focuses on individualism, hierarchical power and forcing one set of ideals to assimilate the colonial system (Battiste, 2013; Hatcher, 2012; Simpson, 2014; Kermoal & Altamirano-Jimenez, 2016; Wakita, 2018). Many authors share her sentiments. Battiste (2013), Hatcher (2012), Simpson (2014), Kermoal and Altamirano-Jimenez (2016), and Wakita (2018) all write about how Western education focuses on individualism, hierarchical power and forcing one set of ideals to assimilate the colonial system. The erasure of history and the prioritization of Western knowledge was a continued theme among the authors. Kermoal & Altamirano-Jimenez (2016) state that “knowledge from the west is a form of imperialism that disregards and erases other types of knowledge” (p. 5). Many Euro-Canadians regard Indigenous knowledge as backwards and no longer relevant. This attitude is used to justify colonialism (Kermoal & Altamirano-Jimenez, 2016). This is still evident in today’s education systems. Many educators try to piecemeal bits of Indigenous knowledge and use it as an “add-on” to learn when convenient to be inclusive, yet fall back to colonial methods.
To address this piecemeal incorporation of Indigenous knowledge, teachers need to question their “own assumptions…with conventional schooling. Including approved cultural content and books… to consider the power dynamics involved or their lack of Indigenous content” (Battiste, 2013, pp. 105-106). Reflecting upon my teaching over the last decade and a half, I have fallen, and continue to fall, to the pitfalls of colonial education systems. Seeing non-human items as natural “resources” to be used by humans is how I have perpetuated the Eurocentric views within my classroom. I taught in the past that we could view plants and animals as something to consume, when teaching reciprocity with the more-than-human world would have been a better approach (Kimmerer, 2013, p. 23-28). This teaching method situated me as the critical knowledge holder, placing other teachers and me at the top of the power structure. The current education systems are primarily designed to produce communities of individuals willing to uphold settler colonialism and uphold humans being apart from and above nature (Kimmerer, 2002; Simpson, 2014). This perpetuates a hierarchical view of education, honouring Western education above Indigenous knowledge. To move forward, educators must make a radical break from the current education systems by changing their pedagogy to centre around the land and change our language.
Traditional Learning Models: Land as Teacher
Traditional Indigenous ways of knowing use many terms such as “Decolonized Education,” “Indigenous worldviews,” and “Native Studies” (Root, 2010, p. 105). More recently, the term “anti-colonial” is used for those who are non-Indigenous and are working towards creating a new way forward. This term is used to demonstrate an anti-oppressive belief and way of acting as non-Indigenous folks must be actively disrupting the colonized system (Carlson, 2017). It is important to remember that Indigenous ways of knowing cannot all be lumped together as Canada has a wide range of beliefs and practices. Some commonalities include relationships, interconnectedness, and inherent value of all beings, place, and the importance of traditional and intergenerational knowledge (Battiste, 2015; Kimmerer, 2013; Monroe et al., 2013; Root, 2010; Simpson, 2014). The relationship between humans, non-humans, and the connection to the land is a fundamental aspect of Traditional Indigenous teaching.
The educator situates themselves as the primary teacher in colonial education, creating a social hierarchy structured through the classroom’s physical architecture. In Indigenous education, the land itself is a teacher and classroom, as it supports the learner and connects the surroundings to the spiritual connection. The land teaches the learner to listen. “Ultimately, listening, understanding and connecting to the Land will teach learners to be protective of the health and wellbeing of the natural environment” (Nesterova, 2020, p. 1048). Simpson (2014) shares the story of Kwezen discovering maple syrup by carefully watching and learning from the squirrel and the trees. To learn about something, one needs to take their body onto the land and do it. We need to move from the colonial practice of sitting at desks and being quiet; we must embody learning by interacting with nature. Going outside, however, is not enough. Many educators who engage in outdoor education believe it to be connected to land-based Indigenous teaching, yet it often misses the mark. Wakita (2021) explains:
Land-based knowledge is a holistic way. It is not only going out into the bush, not just about being outside and learning from the outside. It is about learning about the inside of you. Land-based knowledge is a profound physical, mental, spiritual way to connect with our human and non-human relatives.
It is imperative to include all aspects of land-based Indigenous knowledge and not just spend time outside as educators. Many educators attempt to teach Indigenous ways of learning in packages for them to feel comfortable. Yet, this “Eurocentric, or Western scientific knowledge is passed on as a package, using books, videos and multitudes of supports and props...Indigenous knowledge can be described as ‘ways of knowing’ and is acquired through a creative, participatory involvement with Mother Earth” (Hatcher, 2012, p. 346). Teachers must engage with nature and connect with it in various aspects and not just in pre-packaged programs. Educators can access and must listen to Knowledge Keepers, Elders, and the voices of the youth to move forward.
Another aspect of traditional Indigenous ways of learning ensures that learners of all ages grow to become “community-minded, interdependent, brilliant, loving citizens, who at their core uphold our ideals around family, community and nationhood by valuing their intelligence, their diversity, their desires and gifts and their lived experiences.” (Simpson, 2014, p. 23) This will allow children to grow to find their own joy and centre this in their lives. Discovering ways for learners to find meaningful action ensures that we are on the right track moving forward (Wakita, 2018). A decolonized or anti-colonial education system allows for people to succeed in the various aspects of their lives instead of just coping or surviving the system. All people will benefit from the opportunity to act on their gifts and intelligence. Using metrics that are familiar in the Eurocentric and colonial education system, Hattie (2015) collected empirical data showing that by focusing on community, feedback, mastery teaching and learning, outdoor education, and honouring all voices, students perform better academically. As well, students who attend a school that respects and supports a child’s culture and language demonstrate significantly better outcomes (Monroe et al., 2013). In addition to learning from the land and finding meaningful ways to share the lands’ gifts, there are ways that educators can move forward, actively being anti-colonial in their teaching.
Meaningful Actions Moving Forward
As Battiste (1998) points out, “languages are the means of communication for the full range of human experiences and critical to the survival of the culture and political integrity of any people” (p. 18). In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015), our school division offers language programs such as the early Ojibwe language program that is for all kindergarten to grade two students. There are evening language programs for community members for various skill levels and books that are available to all students, families, and community members. Through advocacy work at the Manitoba Teacher Society, the land acknowledgment is now available in the First Nation languages traditionally spoken in Manitoba. Many schools in our division now offer after-school Powwow Clubs that teach both the language and the culture unique to our area, including the creation of Regalia. Including books that pair French or English and the Indigenous language of the area are other important ways to build Indigenous culture and work towards reconciliation.
The disruption of colonized education systems benefits all students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. Implementing “Indigenous education disrupts...the social and ecological injustices of colonialism while emphasizing the value of all beings, traditional knowledge and intergenerational knowledge, and the knowledge that is to a particular place” (Root, 2010, p. 107). One change I have made is acknowledging we share knowledge from all things around us. In this way, “everyone has something to learn, and everyone has something to teach” (Coulthard, 2017, p. 58). Changing the language is key to this. Consider the following stories from my classroom over the last month:
While examining various plants and their primary uses by humans, it is explained that the plants are giving us different teachings or gifts. For example, the aloe plant gifts us medicine for digestion and skin, birch grants us medicine for many ailments, and many plants gift us food. As they are viewed as a gift, they are unique and honoured for their generosity and that humans will be generous back by protecting their land and the water they need to grow. Plants and other animals are not consumed or taken; instead, they are gifted; humans are to be gracious receivers of these gifts and only use what we need.
In early June, we had a virtual visit with the chicks and eggs at the farm. We were trying to figure out what sex the chicks were and if the eggs were fertilized and growing. One of the six-year-old students exclaimed, “I guess we will just have to wait until the chick shows us who they are as they grow up.” I shared the teachings of Robin Kimmerer (2013), who said that “we must look to our teachers among other species” (p. 9). We needed to be patient as we cared for these living things as they came into who they were meant to be. Our teachers, the eggs and the chicks, also share their gifts and wisdom with us by just being who they are. Elder Jules Lavallee (2016) has taught us that wisdom is doing what we need to do and what we are designed to do. As a teacher, I remind students of this teaching, and students see the teachings in the various living things that we encounter through our learning opportunities.
Later in the week, we discussed how to act on the class chats, and the conversation circled back to the chicks and eggs we are caring for the next couple of weeks. We were reminded that we needed to care for things and treat all with respect to grow into who we are meant to be. In this case, we needed to be patient with one another and continue developing into the people we want to be. The chicks were able to teach us this lesson better than this old teacher saying it repeatedly during the meeting. Students could connect their learning from the chicks and eggs, apply this to new situations, and be reminded of how to grow and act in a respectful and caring way.
The above examples show how all items share their gifts and that humans can learn from our non-human relatives. Both humans and non-humans can offer these gifts and together all “need to step into generosity and share our gifts” (Wakita, 2021). These items are not resources to be taken. Changing the language educators use to discuss nature and non-human relatives has been a powerful way to reflect. Finding ways to go back to learning from the land and having “the land ...once again become the pedagogy” (Simpson, 2014, p.14). Nature-based education programs must be more than going outside to play and explore if we are to take steps towards being anti-colonial; it is learning from the land and non-humans who inhabit these spaces.
Decolonized or anti-colonial Indigenous education is framed within the concepts of dialogue, respect, and diversity. It is about deconstructing decisions about curricular knowledge and re-energizing education to include the context of lives lived (Battiste, 2013). Honouring the importance of place, an essential aspect of Indigenous Education, is working towards the decolonization of our current system. Having Elders come and teach about the important stories to our community is vital to an Indigenous insurgence. “It is important to note that programs built on Indigenous knowledge and values by and in collaboration with Indigenous people would also be beneficial in teaching non-Indigenous learners” (Nesterova, 2020, p. 1051). Through consultation of local Knowledge Keepers and Elders in our community, our school division has storytime that teaches our community’s stories, which is offered both in-person and virtually. Through this, we learn about the teachings of the Seven Sacred Animals, the Circle of Courage, and the stories of First Nation and Metis people of the past and present. All of this is woven into all subject areas. We are teaching this in a way that is respectful and not appropriation.
The United Nations (2019) argue that the greatest threat to human and non-humankind is climate change. We need to live and work more sustainably, which is why Western eyes are turning towards Indigenous ways of understanding. One of the critical components is education. The incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems into environmental education and education is essential for many reasons. Nestervoa (2020) highlights two important places where Indigenous education is crucial in combating climate change. First, “it can help us to close some gaps in our knowledge about the environment that will enable us to counter the threats to the natural environment” (p. 1051). Second, within the younger grades, I engage the students with the environment and share with them through the simple actions of presence, observation, and understanding that they have a connection with the world.
Children who are more engaged in nature are more likely to be advocates for its protection both now and in the future. Zelenski & Nisbet (2014 found that “people who feel connected to nature want to protect it” ( p. 4). Within my class, students are often outspoken advocates for the protection of our environment. While creating a pollinator garden for our school, these children spoke against various harmful sprays to bees and butterflies to much older students and adults. As the students connected with all aspects of nature, they felt they had a duty to protect it for the sake of all living things. The students see themselves as co-existing with nature and live with the understanding that nature is a part of us, not apart from us.
Nesterova (2020) further asserts that introducing “ Indigenous knowledge into education can support the processes of transitional and historical justice to heal the damage inflicted on Indigenous peoples during colonialism and reconciliation and the building of new, just, and equal relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups” ( p. 1051). Through addressing the many injustices, we have an opportunity to move forward in a different direction. We cannot change the past, but all non-Indigenous people must acknowledge the land, past and present traumas inflicted, and work towards a more just society by becoming better aware and educated.
Conclusion
All of Canada is the traditional territory of Indigenous People. By taking the steps listed above, educators will begin to create a more sustainable, just, and fair society for all, but specifically for those marginalized due to the colonial education system. The Eurocentric system only works by keeping those who already have power in power and acknowledges only one way of thinking and learning. As educators, we must change this for all of our students but specifically for our Indigenous students. By changing how we talk about nature, how we look for gifts from our more-than-human relatives, bring back language and culture into the classroom, and actively work against the oppressive colonized education system.
In settler or colonial societies, education must work towards an Indigenous insurgence or anti-colonial system to reconcile as recommended in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015). “Through decolonization, there is hope for empowerment...pride, belonging, knowledge, confidence, and a strong identity deeply entrenched in Indigenous ways of being. A decolonized approach can enable...peoples to be educated in a way that honours identity and culture” (Monroe et al., 2013, pp. 331-332). There are practical steps that educators can take while working with Knowledge Keepers and Elders to build a new way forward. This anti-colonial or Indigenous insurgence takes continual work, re-examination, and a willingness to admit mistakes and ask for help. Still, it will be worth it for our generation and for those to come.
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