Monday, February 9, 2015

Who Wants to Read "Decolonizing Our Practice -- Indigenizing Our Teaching" by Pete, Schneider and O'Reilly?

At the 2014 SAFE conference in Regina a group of teachers and professors sat in a circle and discussed, what can we do next? One of the suggestions was forming a reading group for activist educators. Thanks, Nicole!

I emailed those colleagues today with an article, "Decolonizing Our Practice -- Indigenizing Our Teaching" by Pete, Schneider and O'Reilly.

http://www.mfnerc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Section6_Decolonizing-Our-Practice-Indigenizing-Our-Teaching.pdf

I've just started the reading, and when I finish, I'll post a short reflection in the comments at the end of this post. Feel free to do the same.

For starters, though, I'd like to reflect on the opening section, "Situating Ourselves" by Dr. Pete who says the following:

"I have unapologetically re-centered Indigenous knowledge ways, privileged Indigenous scholars in my resource selections, structured learning activities and designed courses to ensure that my students will learn to teach Indigenous children and youth more effectively. I have had the privilege of working with elders, traditional knowledge keepers, storytellers, and other Indigenous educators. They have each in turn informed, and reaffirmed the approaches that I have chosen for my professional practices." p 101

I immediately thought of our 2015 grade ten participation in the magazine project, Kitoskayiminawak Pikiskwewak: Our Young People Speak -- The Holistic Edition.  Hats off to Sandy Pinay-Schindler of Prairie Valley School Division who has spear-headed this project, now in its fourth edition. This year we had teachings from five knowledge keepers, including Elder Sharon Bear, pictured below speaking with Bert Fox Community High School students and staff. I am thankful to have experienced some "re-centering".


 
 

4 comments:

  1. Hey, it's good to see you blogging again!
    Onto my blogroll you go.

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    1. Thanks so much for your support and encouragement! I feel a season of blogging beginning. Happy trails to you, Stubblejumpin Gal!

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  2. Hi folks, I finally got a chance to read this profound and articulate article. I am moved to see such a clear plan of what indigenizing means, and how it looks in theory, practice and the resistance. I would have liked to hear some success stories to encourage me. Often, I feel like it's an uphill battle, and am touched to know that others are doing this work elsewhere. I crave the day, when I have a team. I feel that the colonizing countires have put a national project of exalting the colonizers and silencing the Aboriginal peoples. Structurally denying their white and non-Aboriginal youth, only serves to situate them as colonizers. That in itself, is a huge burden to carry. Through indigenizing the academies, it serves to free both the colonized and the colonizers to begin to relate in human ways to one another. I am moed by this article, and sent it out to all of our treaty catalyst teacher trainees in our division and hope that somewhere, some way, that seeds are planted through the reading and sharing of this article. Thank you Shauneen, Bettina and Kathleen for positioning yourselves and reflecting on your practices. I appreciate it very much.. Kininaskimon. Tapwewin

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  3. Thanks, Michelle for your thoughts and for sharing the article with others in your circle. I like your idea of success stories. I think you've inspired a blog post with an invitation to share "Decolonizing and Indigenizing Success Stories". I think we all need a team and I'm hoping our little reading club plays a role toward that end.

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