Indigenizing the Curriculum: Land Acknowledgement, Terminology and Resource Selection
This slideshow is adapted from the Indigenizing the Curriculum through Digital Resources slideshow and professional development session created by Bertha Lansdowne and Kristie Oxley. If you have questions about the content, please feel free to contact koxley@sd40.bc.ca.
Why Acknowledge Land? •Take a moment to appreciate the meaning behind the words we use: •Traditional: recognizes lands traditionally used and/or occupied by First Nations people. •Ancestral: recognizes land that is handed down from generation to generation. •Unceded: refers to land that was not turned over to the Crown (government) by a treaty or other agreement.
Acknowledgement or Welcome? Acknowledgement: • recognizes that the land on which an event is happening was traditionally or is currently used/occupied by indigenous people • an acknowledgement is done by the host of the event • students can do the acknowledgement instead of the host Welcome: • is only done by a member of the indigenous group with traditional claims to the land • for larger, special events, Chief Rhonda Larrabee should be invited to do the welcome • it is important to give a gift to the person doing the welcome
Qayqayt First Nation In New Westminster, there was an established Qayqayt village, but the NW City Council wanted the people out of the city core, so in 1859 they moved them to three villages outside the city. In 1916, the government began “closing” these villages, without compensating the First Nations. The Qayqayt married into or relocated to surrounding villages, so there were only a few Qayqayt members left. These are the ancestors of Chief Rhonda Larrabee.
Terms of Reference Aboriginal was the term used to refer to the three distinct indigenous groups in Canada: the First Nations, the Metis and the Inuit. Sometimes, the term First Peoples was also used. The term aboriginal was put into use by the government. Indigenous is now the preferred collective term, as indicated by indigenous groups across Canada. It is also acceptable (and encouraged) to use a specific First Nations name, such as Qayqayt.
Changes to Professional Standards The following was added to the Professional Standards for BC Educators guiding document.
To learn more about these topics or how to infuse indigenous education principles into your teaching, consider booking a workshop through the BCTF at https://bctf.ca/AboriginalEducation.aspx?id=45199.
Authentic Resources When selecting indigenous resources for use in classrooms, it is important to select authentic indigenous resources. Such resources: ● ensure legitimate information and avoid harmful generalizations and ‘othering’ ● avoid cultural appropriation ● increase ‘cultural capital’ of indigenous peoples ● honour indigenous voices and culture ● help place an emphasis on contemporary culture and dismiss the notion of Indigenous groups being of the past
Considerations for Selecting Indigenous Resources The resource is authentic.
Reflects themes that are Was it written/illustrated/created by an important to Indigenous an indigenous person? cultures. If not, was it informed through meaningful consultation with Protocols for sharing have been indigenous communities? followed and copyright The resource is local or it can be placed in the context of a specific nation at a specific time. Avoid resources that generalize aboriginal experiences across North and South America.
obtained. The resource is culturally responsive. The resource doesn’t ‘other.’ Stories contain techniques and features important to indigenous peoples.
Support for Selecting Resources
If you are looking for support in selecting authentic indigenous materials, consider: • consulting Focused Education’s K-12 Evaluated Resources Database for resource suggestions • using a tool such as FNESC’s Literature Evaluation Checklist (starts on page 135) or Indigenous Resource Evaluation: Five Big Questions to evaluate resources you currently own or use • taking Focused Education’s Learning Resource Selection course • consulting your school’s teacher-librarian