Educators respect and value the history of First Nations, Inuit and Metis in Canada and the impact of the past on 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.
During my four-week practicum, I demonstrated this standard through inviting an Aboriginal Support Worker into the classroom. While we were learning about bears and their adaptations, the worker was able to flesh out this topic using her knowledge of the uses we have for bears. She talked about how bears contribute to our ecosystem. The students also learned about the respect they should have for bears, how indigenous communities honour the bear through using the entirety of its carcass, and we even got to see a bear jaw! She paired this learning with the story “Spirit Bear.” This was a wonderful learning opportunity for the students and it tied perfectly into the unit. A success!
During my ten-week practicum, this standard was met through a sharing circle as we talked about goals that we have met and goals we are setting. The students were very respectful of each other, understanding that when we sit in a talking circle, our focus stays on the speaker. We also discussed our personal ties to land when learning about the water cycle. We talked about how water anchors us to the land, and the respect we must have for the water. Students brainstormed some ways to preserve and protect the water.
Below I have a document containing some of the research that I did before tying the water to indigenous knowledge. These quotes helped me to understand the significance of water, and I connected this with our local Prince George water systems. The Lheidli T’enneh translation to English means “people from where the rivers flow together.” This shows how important water is for indigenous culture!
Research on water: