Educators respect and value the history of First Nations, Inuit and Metis in Canada and the impact of the past on the 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.
For my first practicum, I did my best to incorporate Indigenous content and connect with the Indigenous education department.
In my lessons regarding respecting others and the environment, I emphasized the importance of Indigenous ways of knowing. We had class discussions on how some Indigenous communities did not have safe drinking water. Students were able to communicate the impacts of drinking dirty water and they learned how to filter dirty water. In another lesson, I read the students the book “Be a Good Ancestor”. The class discussion was emphasized around how we as individuals can protect the environment for the future and ways we can limit our own garbage consumption. I emphasized how the Indigenous Peoples viewed the land as a sacred entity as it held spiritual connections and fundamental teachings of life. Most of my lessons incorporated reading an Indigenous book to the students as a introduction to the lesson activity. It was a great way to spark curiosity in students and honor Indigenous history and culture.
Another lesson I did with my students was based on the Indigenous storytelling with rocks. Indigenous people used to carve on rock caves, tell the events that took place and communicate how they felt. I read the book “Trudy’s Healing Stone” which shares how Indigenous Peoples share their knowledge of the spiritual and healing connections of the land with their ancestors. Mother Earth’s gifts of enlightenment and healing are shown in this book as the little girl uses rocks to process her feelings.
I also communicated with the students that Indigenous People believe there are many gifts of nature that help us when we are feeling sad/angry. I gave some of my own experiences where nature has helped me process my own feelings. When I am angry I go into the woods as the tall trees make me feel protected and safe. When I am sad, I like to listen to the creek water flowing or watch the waves by the lake as it is soothing and comforting.
Another lesson where I incorporated Indigenous culture is through Indigenous artwork. I showed the students a book on Indigenous animals with crest designs. “Sharing Our World: Animals of the Native Northwest Coast”. I wanted to share the local animals that we see around Prince Rupert and the ones that students may recognize. While reading the book, students did a great job guessing the animals. Afterwards, students were shown the variety of Indigenous crest shapes and instructed to create their own animals and patterns. The students displayed their creative abilities on their colorful papers. This is a great activity for students to do on their own as it involves no gluing and pasting. They can just move around the various pieces and create their own artwork.
My first lesson was on Indigenous sharing circles. I read the students the book “The Circle of Sharing and Caring” first and we discussed what it means to share in a circle. I went over the importance of active listening while others are speaking and how the talking stick works in the circle. Most of my lessons after this ended with a sharing circle where the students highlighted the expectations of a sharing circle. It was a nice way to end the lesson where each student got to share what they learned and enjoyed about the lesson.