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.
Throughout the Education Program at UNBC, we have been fortunate enough to be in contact with several educators who between them share personal history, ancestry, and an admirably high degree of reverence for indigenous knowledge, reconciliation, and the synthesis of these within the field of education. We have also had the privilege of hearing from a variety of guest speakers who specialize in this content, and have had a wonderful and inspiring portfolio of learning opportunities offered to us. I count myself fortunate to have entered the program with a considerable amount of knowledge on these subjects, born from connections I have retained from my home town, as well as focus from my prior degree – focusing on community based archaeological repatriation for the Babine community.
When it comes to the practicum experience, I think there has been a variety of manifestations across our cohort, which only serves to reflect how these topics are still very young within the larger field of education. For some, the ideas we brought were met with open-mindedness and encouragement, but this was not unanimous. Fortunately, I personally feel that even during the 10 weeks I was present during practicum, I was able to observe progress in the general acceptance of issues regarding repatriation, reconciliation, and the inclusion of indigenous knowledge. Personally, I fully intend to continue advocating for the continued adaptation and inclusion of these ideals, and to emphasize my own development towards an environment as inclusive and holistic as I can create.
Specifically geared towards this commitment, I have begun developing a unit with an intentional focus on the deeper understanding of each of the FPPL. Throughout the program, we have often referred to Jo Chrona’s writing when discussing these principles, and so I have drawn heavily from this in the preparation of the unit. In the end, I would like to include other varieties of source material which share similarities with the FPPL, such as the Indigenous ways of knowing, included below. Most importantly, is that I will ensure that the resulting unit is approved by the appropriate bodies and knowledge keepers prior to my instructing it, to ensure that I have not misrepresented or failed to understand any of the component parts. This work is ongoing, but is something that I am very excited about and am thankful to the faculty at UNBC for their part in inspiring this work.
