Jo Chrona’s blog post ‘If Not Here, Then Where’ resonated deeply with me, and started a long reflection. The first point that I thought a lot about was a B.C. teacher saying that he doesn’t have any Indigenous students in his class, and there is maybe two in the whole school. This first made me wonder where he lives, and if there truly isn’t any Indigenous lineage or if that is only considering students with their status cards. Either way, his comment was ignorant, and Jo Chrona had a wonderful response.

“If the languages cease to spoken here, if the knowledges and perspectives are not taught and learned here, they do not exist elsewhere in the world” (Jo Chrona). This sentence deeply resonated with me. Although I know that this is true, reading it in this way highlighted to me how truly important it is to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and language into the classroom.

Additionally, it made me think of Canada’s colonial history and the quote from Senator Murray Sinclair, “Education got us into this mess, and education will get us out”. Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are from the land that we now live on, so it is essential that we not only honour that, but ensure we do not go down the same dark path we as a country previously did. The quote: “When we ensure that all Canadians know the truth of our collective histories and understand the contemporary contexts of the diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis (including the unique legal relationships between First Nations, Inuit, and Métis and the rest of Canada) we create the conditions to move forward as a country in a good way”. Is so important for all educators to remember (which is why I am including it in this post – so I can look back on it!).

The final point of Jo Chrona’s that particularly stood out to me is that Indigenous education is not multicultural education. This is important to remember that although we create a safe environment for all learners, highlight different cultures, and ensure all students can see themselves in the materials, that is simply not enough for Indigenous education.

This is connected to the sixth UVIC Teacher Competency, “practise respect for all learners from all cultures, including, specifically, Indigenous learners”. 

People are NOT Supports

Shelley Moore’s video ‘People are NOT Supports’ speaks to the fourth UVIC Teacher Competency, “demonstrate an understanding of the complexity of teaching and learning”. She speaks of the importance of utilizing your resources to give students tools and strategies that are needed to increase their independence.

Connection

Both of these two topics are incredibly important. They are connected through meaningful practice. As teachers, it is our duty to meaningfully include all students, and to meaningfully incorporate Indigenous knowledge, language, and histories into our classrooms. As educators, it is incredibly important that we are genuine in all of our practices, whether it is cultural responsiveness or equity and justice. Additionally, at some point we may have to have difficult conversations with co-workers, families, or students to ensure a safe and comfortable learning environment for all students. This is connected to the tenth UVIC Teacher Competency, “engage critically and creatively with ideas to be a change agent in society, especially with regard to equity and justice”.