trustee report
TRANSCRIPT
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The AboriginalEnhancement Agreement
The Richmond School District’s approach to the process of
developing an Enhancement Agreement and our ideas for
implementing Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Our Visions Our Voices
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Abstract 3
An historical overview of Aboriginal Relations 4
Residential schools 5
National Policies 6
What is Indigenous Knowledge? 6
Aboriginal Education in British Columbia 7
Aboriginal Enhancement Agreements: An overview 8My role in the district 9
The demographics of Richmond 10
Current Programming in our District 10
The Richmond School Districtʼs Experience in Developing an EnhancementAgreement
12
Continuing the Development of the Agreement 15
Action Plans for 2009/ 2010 16
Challenges we face in Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge 17
What are our Next Steps? 17
Some ideas for Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge 18
Integrating Indigenous Knowledge with Oral and Experiential Learning 20
A Holistic Approach to Aboriginal Education 21
References 22
Table of Contents
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THE ABORIGINAL ENHANCEMENT
AGREEMENT
The Richmond School District’s approach to the process of developing
an Enhancement Agreement and our ideas for implementing IndigenousKnowledge Systems
Report to the Richmond School Board Trustees
June 2010
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Abstract
Across Canada, it is generally accepted that the educational practices in schools are failing
Aboriginal students. Recommendations that will help bring Indigenous Knowledge Systems
together with Western Ways of schooling to improve both the academic and social success of
Aboriginal students in British Columbia will be developed using a framework called the
Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement (EA). The EA is expected to be developed in all school
districts with the development process being unique to each school district. A summary of the
EA process in Richmond, B.C. will be discussed as well as ways Indigenous Knowledge can be
incorporated in meaningful ways both in the district and in the classroom.
Diane Jubinville, Teacher Consultant, RSD #38
June 2010
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An historical overview of Aboriginal Relations
In Canada, the historical relationship between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people has been
one of dominance and subordination. When Europeans began to establish their own territory in
this vast and unsettled land, their attitude was one of righteousness and superiority. The treatmentof Aboriginal people since colonization has had an adverse effect not only on the Aboriginal
culture itself, but also on the opportunity for all Canadians to understand and appreciate a way of
knowing and being that encompasses a holistic understanding of the environment, of the
community and of oneself (otherwise known as Indigenous Knowledge). Looking back over our
short history, many events have contributed to the loss of Indigenous Knowledge but none more
so than the mandatory church-run, government-funded residential schools for Native children.
The residential school system which operated from 1879 to 1986, requires special attention if one
is to understand the current issues surrounding Aboriginal education.
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Residential schools
When Europeans began to establish
settlements on North American soil, they
saw Aboriginal culture as uncivilized and
savage-like. Lawmakers and church
leaders set about establishing laws to “get
rid of the Indian problem” 1. The Canadian
government saw it as their responsibility to
educate Aboriginal children in Western
ways. The government believed that by
removing children from their homes for
extended periods of time and disconnecting
them from their identity, language and traditional teachings, it would be able to integrate
Aboriginal people into European culture.
However, in the execution of their
assimilation scheme, both physical and
emotional abuse was inflicted on many
innocent children. Finally, after failing to
accomplish its objectives and having
inflicted much pain and suffering, this
brutal approach was ended and the
residential schools began to close in the
1960s. The last residential school closed in
1986. Twenty-two years later, on June 11,
2008, an historic moment occurred when
Prime Minister Harper issued an apology, on behalf of the Canadian Government, to those
families that endured the horrors of residential schooling “for failing them so profoundly” 2.
This event brought a large measure of closure to this unhappy period; however, the effects of
residential schooling continue to be seen in the lives of many Aboriginal people and their
families. Today survivors are sharing their stories and there are thousands of cases being settled
in the courts and through the Truth and Reconciliation Committee 3.
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National Policies
In 1991, the Federal government created the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Its
purpose was to propose specific solutions to the problems that confront Aboriginal people and
that plague intercultural relations. Five years later, a five-volume report recommended that
recognition be given to the moral, historical and legal rights of Aboriginal peoples to govern their
collective lives in ways they themselves determine (Castellano, 2000, p.22). Policy was to be
devised to improve every aspect of their lives including land and economic development, health,
family rehabilitation and education by ensuring:
- The participation of Aboriginal people
- The application of Indigenous Knowledge
- The incorporation of tradition to the extent aboriginal people deemed appropriate.
(ibid, p.22 )
From this, each Province was to consider policy directions to address the
underachievement of Aboriginal students in school. “Policy makers, Aboriginal leaders
and educators across Canada are striving to make a difference to the tragic national record
of lack of school success for Aboriginal learners” (Wells, 2005).
What is Indigenous Knowledge?
Indigenous peoples come to the table with something of value to offer to the world. Thissomething has come to be called Indigenous Knowledge. Indigenous Knowledge refers to the
long-standing traditions and sources of learning for a First Nations community. It is a collective
knowledge embedded in community practices, rituals and relationships. Many First Nations
people believe that learning is holistic, contextual, repetitious, and relational - it happens at
home, at school, in the community and on the land. There is a transmission of knowledge from
generation to generation and much of the teachings are passed on through the traditions - stories,
songs, dances, dreams and ceremonies. There is a belief that different people will learn different
knowledge – layers of knowledge are transmitted through various relationships until one finally becomes the teacher. (Battiste, 2008; Cajete 2000; Kundoque 2008; Young 2003; Tur and Tur
2005). The Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement Committee feels that the key to the success of
the Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement is linked to providing strong programs on the culture of
Aboriginal peoples to all students, not just the Aboriginal students. What are some of these
programs and how can they be implemented?
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Aboriginal Education in British Columbia
In 1999, the B.C. Provincial Aboriginal graduation rate was 37% compared to 76% for Non-
Aboriginals. (Aboriginal Report - How Are We Doing? 2003/04, http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/performance.htm ). At this
time, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the B.C Teacher’s Federation, B.C.
Ministry of Education and several provincial and federal Aboriginal organizations, which stated,
“We . . . acknowledge that Aboriginal learners are not experiencing school success in B.C. We
state our intention to work together within the
mandates of our respective organizations to
improve school success for Aboriginal learners in
B.C.” (B.C. Ministry of Education website: www.bced.gov.bc.ca/
abed/agreements ).
This Memorandum of Understanding led to
initiatives on the part of the Ministry of Education
to improve the delivery of Aboriginal Education.
One strategy was to establish a framework for the
creation of the Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement (initially known as Aboriginal Education
Improvement Agreement). Through this Agreement, new relationships and commitments were to
be made that would ultimately improve the educational success of Aboriginal students. “These
formal agreements set clear, joint expectations for student achievement gains over five
years” (Wells, 2005).
The Ministry had anticipated that all 60 school districts would have an Agreement in place by
2005. Today, in 2010, 48 districts in British Columbia have signed their first Enhancement
Agreement and some districts have signed their second. The latest statistics indicate that in
2007/2008, the Provincial Aboriginal graduation rate had risen to 49% (compared to 37% in
1999) and the Provincial Non-Aboriginal graduation rate had risen to 83% (from 76% in 1999).
(Aboriginal Report 2003/04-2007/08 - How Are We Doing?) http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/performance.htm ).
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Aboriginal Enhancement Agreements: An overview
An Enhancement Agreement (EA) is a collaborative agreement
between three groups: the Aboriginal community, the
participating school district and the B.C. Ministry of Education.At its inception, the main intent was to try to bridge the gap in
the graduation rates between Aboriginals and Non-Aboriginals.
It focused on academic success and was closely linked to the
District’s Achievement Contract. However, over time, as the
Agreements were developed and implemented in different districts, more insight was gained and
more data collected as to reasons why Aboriginal students were experiencing difficulty in school.
Enhancement Agreement Committees around the Province continued to hear that primarily
parents wanted schools to have some influence over their children’s attitude about school.Parents wanted their children to feel they were part of and accepted by their school community.
Even though this sense of belonging wasn’t a traditionally measurable goal for the purposes of
the Enhancement Agreements, it warranted consideration as being a worthy goal. As a result,
measures were developed (rubrics and survey forms) and the EA became a vehicle to discuss
non-academic issues as well. So, the focus of the EA is now less concerned solely with
graduation rates and more on defining what constitutes both academic and social success for
Aboriginal students in each community or school district.
The Enhancement Agreement is the first step in recognizing the part that we must all play in
supporting students in our community. As community members, it is important to accept the
cultural diversity of our population and to think about ways to respond to and respect our
differences. To ensure success for all of our students, it is incumbent upon educators to enhance
and support the unique talents that students bring to classrooms. It is critical that parents’ and
guardians’ voices are heard and visions are shared. It is necessary to validate students’
experiences in the school system and listen to their views and opinions on their definition of
success and how schools can help them be successful. It is important for new educators coming
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into the school system to understand school populations and to think about ways to improve
current practices to be inclusive of all cultures. Participants in the Enhancement Agreement
process (no matter who you are, we are all participants) will not only be more informed of
Aboriginal issues in education but also they will have a chance to share their thoughts and ideas
on what changes they would like to see in the school system for both Aboriginal and non-
Aboriginal students.
Through the process of listening to stakeholders and collectively deciding on goals for the
EA, all parties can take joint ownership of the initiative. This process exemplifies a collaborative
effort where “people sit together and talk meaningfully about how their Indigenous knowledge
could be effectively used for education and for living a good life and to think about possibilities
for overcoming problems experienced in their communities” (Archibald, 2008, p.81).
My role in the district
I have been a teacher in the Richmond School District in the French Immersion program for 18
years. As an RTA (Richmond Teachers’ Association) member, I had applied and was chosen to sit
on the Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement Committee for the school year 2007/08. In
the spring of 2008, the school district made a stronger commitment to the EA development and
decided to hire an individual with First Nations ancestry to help with the process. I applied for
the position and was fortunate to be selected. My decision to apply was twofold: first, I felt my
heritage would give me some credibility to speak for the Aboriginal community in Richmond as
we went through the process and second, I was taking my Masters of Education in
Administration and Leadership and I felt that perhaps this was a time to build on and apply some
of my leadership skills in the district. This new role would be an opportunity to learn how
initiatives such as this are built from the ground level (ideas into practice) and an opportunity to
get to know and to help the almost invisible Aboriginal culture in Richmond. In September
2008, I became the teacher consultant responsible for facilitating the development of the district’s
Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement.
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The demographics of Richmond
Richmond is a suburb of Vancouver with a population of approximately 175,000 and an
Aboriginal population of approximately 1,300 people, which is less than one percent of the city’s
population (Statistics Canada 2006 Community Profiles www.statcan.gc.ca). The Richmond
School District has an identified Aboriginal student population of 212 out of a total student
population of approximately 23,000 for the current school year (2009/2010). This number
represents approximately 1% of the whole student population in Richmond. Richmond is situated
on unceded traditional Musqueam territory and does not have it’s own First Nation Band. The
Aboriginal population in Richmond is a diverse group, representing nations from all over
Canada. However, the predominant Aboriginal groups are from the prairies and B.C.
In Richmond, the Aboriginal graduationrate for the past four years of data has been
the same as or above the Provincial
Aboriginal graduation rate. Also, in the
most current student performance data,
2007/08, the Aboriginal graduation rate in
Richmond was 74% compared to 78% for
Non-Aboriginal students (Aboriginal Report
2003/04-2007/08 How Are We Doing? SD 38 Richmondhttp://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/performance.htm). This
performance not only exceeds the
provincial graduation rate but it also has a big implication for Richmond’s Enhancement
Agreement. It means that we will be able to define student success in a broader sense than merely
in academic performance.
Current Programming in our District
Our district-based support service includes two First Nations Resource teachers who work
for the school district as well as a First Nation support worker who works for the Richmond
Youth Services Agency (RYSA) and is partially funded by RSD#38 through a Community Links
grant. Anyone who has self-identified as being of Aboriginal ancestry and would like to access
additional services outside the schools are welcome to consult directly with Pathways, the
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Aboriginal program of RYSA. In our elementary and
secondary schools, Aboriginal Education has for the most
part been seen as an addendum to the current curriculum.
Aboriginal children are either pulled out of their classes
individually or all the Aboriginal children in one school
are pulled out of their regular classes to come together to
discuss and learn about their culture. Occasionally,
classroom teachers work with one of the two First Nations
Resource teachers and together they teach aspects of Aboriginal culture to the whole class. The
district has also on occasion been able to offer the
Social Studies course “First Nations 12” in a couple
of the High schools but the percentage of students
who take this course is very low. From all the
community gatherings the EA committee has held to
date, the data reveal that learning about Aboriginal
history and culture is desirable and necessary for all
children in the school system, not just for Aboriginal
students. It is this integrating of Indigenous
Knowledge throughout the current curriculum that will
enrich our understanding of Canadian history and
culture and in essence help us to build a socially
responsible society that will not repeat it’s errors and
atrocities of the
past. “[It] is one of
the most important
things that we want
to do in the
educational system, which is why we call it a systemic
initiative; there is a need to broadly re-conceptualize and
revitalize Native knowledge and to integrate it thoroughly
…” (Kawageley, 2001, p.55).
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The Richmond School District’s Experience In Developing
an Enhancement Agreement
Like other Enhancement Agreement Committees, the objective of the Richmond School
District’s EA Committee is to generate goals that will help ensure the success of our Aboriginal
students. This objective aligns itself with the District’s core objective of continuous improvement
in student achievement and more specifically with the District’s policy of Inclusion, which is the
commitment to give all learners an opportunity to fulfill their potential and reach their greatest
success.
The EA committee is comprised of several members from the Richmond School District as well
as the community at large: the Education Consultant from the Musqueam First Nation, the
Richmond School Trustees, Richmond Museum and Heritage, Richmond Youth Services Agency,Vancouver Coastal Health, Richmond District Parent Association, an Area Superintendent, the
Richmond Teachers’ Association (RTA) president and RTA members, administrators, educational
assistants, parents and students. Our First Nation neighbour to the south is the Tsawwassen First
Nation, who do not wish to join our committee at this time. We have written letters asking for
their participation and I have visited them in person. It is not mandatory for them to sign our
Agreement as we are on unceded Musqueam traditional territory, however, their participation is
welcomed and there is always a chair for them at our meetings. The EA Committee was formed
in the spring of 2007 and continues to meet on a monthly basis throughout the school year. Itsmeetings are open to anyone who wishes to attend and the committee continues to gain
membership. In the first year of its existence, the bulk of the committee meetings were to clarify
the process of developing an EA. The committee heard from guests from other districts who
shared with us their EA development experiences. It took that first year for everyone to come to a
deeper understanding of what the mandate and process was all about.
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The main data gathering approach used in developing Enhancement Agreements is the
community gatherings. Community gatherings provide opportunities to hear the voices of all
stakeholders. In collaboration with these groups, EA goals are created, targets are set and
performance indicators are established which are then reviewed yearly for a period of five years.
In the fall of 2008, the EA Committee met with two members of the Ministry of Education
Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement Branch, Victor Jim and Eric Mahon, to formulate our
thoughts on how the Richmond EA process was going to begin. This was an invaluable meeting
as it was from here that we were able to articulate a plan for our first community gathering as
well as come up with the idea of holding student forums for our high school students. We felt that
this latter initiative was an important step in the process as Aboriginal students are clearly a key
stakeholder. Accordingly, they needed to be involved and their
voices needed to be heard.
The committee decided that one of our first steps should also
be to inform district staff of the EA process and development.
To this end, we developed a slide presentation to help define
the EA, explain the purpose behind it and outline what the
district’s process was in its development. I presented this to
both the RTA Executive Committee as well as to all the Elementary and Secondary School
Administrators in the fall of 2008. I also undertook to the administrators that I was available tocome to any school that would like a presentation on the EA.
In January 2009, the EA committee held its first
community gathering. It was an open invitation to the
community, to educators and to Aboriginal families to
attend a community feast and gathering to hear the
purpose of the Enhancement Agreement. Individual
invitations were mailed to each identified Aboriginal
family and posters were put up around the city in
community centres, the museum, libraries and in all
the elementary and high schools in the district. The
evening consisted of a salmon dinner, entertainment, speakers from the Ministry Branch of
Aboriginal Education and a special guest, Mr. Robert Davidson, the well-known Haida artist. A
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Musqueam Elder, Mrs. Rose Point, opened
the evening and First Nations protocol was
followed throughout the evening (gifts for
Elders, youth serving dinner to the Elders,
etc.) A breakout session was incorporated
into the evening where people formed small
groups and were asked to respond to the
following questions: who are asked to define
what success looks like for their children,
what is needed to achieve that success, and
how success will be measured. Facilitators recorded the answers and comments and we ended the
evening with door prizes. Approximately 150 people attended and by all accounts the evening
was a success.
The committee organized four additional community gatherings for the spring of 2009 –
one in each quadrant of Richmond. Again, invitations were mailed to all the identified Aboriginal
families in the district and posters were put up around the community. The
same format was followed at each meeting with different speakers and
different Elders opening the gathering. The group discussion questions
were also used in the presentations to the Aboriginal high school students,
to teachers in their school groups and to community groups (Richmond
Intercultural Advisory Committee: City of Richmond, UBC Conference:
“Investigating our Practices”, Richmond Youth Services Agency).
Additionally, all who attended the gatherings (community members,
parents, teachers, administrators and students) had the opportunity to fill
out questionnaires, which provided us with more specific data. By
providing all of these opportunities to hear the voices of all stakeholders and by soliciting
responses through questionnaires, the committee has to date gathered solid data that will be used
to establish specific goals unique to our district and our Aboriginal students.
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Continuing the Development of the Agreement
The committee met again in September 2009 to decide upon our next steps in the
Enhancement Agreement process. At this meeting, the idea of using a “four pillar” concept of
the Enhancement Agreement process was put forth. Many districts have used the Medicine
Wheel or the Circle of Courage from Dr. Martin Brokenleg as the model for their
Enhancement Agreement goals. Our four pillar model or a longhouse with four house posts
can be connected to the idea of four main groups of stakeholders in our Enhancement
Agreement process: children/students, parents/families, elders/communities, teachers/
educators. The voices of these four groups need to equally and comprehensively be sought and
considered in order to give this Agreement its clarity and vision. The number four has
significance to the local First Nations (four directions, four seasons, four stages of life, four
aspects of development, etc.) and this model resonates with these notions. It acknowledges thatif any of the voices are not heard, that the whole process is out of balance and therefore the
“roof” and protection of the structure cannot protect the inhabitants. The four posts can also be
imagined as the four human aspects of life: intellectual (educators), spiritual (Elders), physical
(family support) and emotional (individual students).
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With all the data that were collected in the spring
2009 and the four-pillar concept accepted by the
committee, our next meeting in the fall of 2009
was an evening session to begin to look at the
collected data. We divided the committee into 4
groups to correspond with the pillar groups:
students, parents, educators and Elders. Each
team answered the following questions:
1.What are some of the common themes found in
the data? 2. What do we still need to know/
should we know? 3. How do we get the needed
information? / How do we connect to each groupfor feedback?
The findings of each team were reported to the
larger group and suggestions and comments were
given. At the end of this meeting, the committee
decided action was needed in the following areas:
more relationship building with the Musqueam
First Nation Band; more dissemination of the
Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement process to
the Aboriginal community and school district
personnel; and more Aboriginal voice in the
process. This response led to some action plans
that would continue to move the process along:
i). A presentation to the Musqueam Chief and
Council on the EA progress to date;
ii). The creation of a social network or medium
to build a bigger profile of the EA in the district;
iii). Another community gathering for all families
to hear more Aboriginal voice in the process.
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Action Plans for 2009/ 2010i). In November 2009, Nancy Brennan, our Area
Superintendent and I gave an up-to-date progress report of the
EA development to the Musqueam Chief and Council. The
chief, Mr. Ernie Campbell and others on the Council were
impressed with our development and they were very pleased
we were involving them at this stage in the process. They
passed a motion to continue to support and guide us
throughout the process. This support is, and will continue to
be, important for the development of the EA.
ii). The second action plan for the committee was to
produce an interactive social network for the community
and district staff to access information on the
Enhancement Agreement as well as to respond to
questions or add their ideas. The blog created and
launched on the district website has a twofold purpose: to
inform the public about the Richmond School District’s
Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement development and
progress, and to serve as a resource for educators to
promote understanding of Indigenous Knowledge. The
Musqueam First Nation translated the title of our blog into the Hun’qumi’num or Musqueam language.
As well, they are also willing to continue to provide the district with resources as we need them.
iii).The third action plan for the EA committee, that of holding
another community gathering, took place on March 30, 2010.
This informal gathering was meant to encourage more of the
Aboriginal Community to become involved in the process. The
Aboriginal Youth Centre in Richmond, Pathways, hosted this
parent night and our session formed part of the evening. As a
committee, we presented the Enhancement Agreement process
to date and invited dialogue and feedback from the participants.
iv). Finally, in the latter part of this school year, the District organized an administrative task so that a 0.2
position will be added to support the Enhancement Agreement process. This is an indication of the
commitment to the success of this initiative. Andrea Davidson, a newly appointed Vice Principal in the
District, is a founding member of the EA Committee. She is on the writing committee, has taught First
Nations 12 and she has a passion for Aboriginal education.
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What are our Next Steps?
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Challenges we facein Incorporating IndigenousKnowledge
Incorporating Indigenous
Knowledge into the curriculumwould give all students, both
Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal,
to learn another way of
knowing different from that of
the dominant Eurocentric
knowledge system. Through
these connections and learning
opportunities, the district as a
whole could look forward to not
only continued and improvedsuccess amongst all students
but an increase in tolerance and
respect for Canada’s Indigenous
cultures and ways of knowing.
This would be the true meaning
of integrating Indigenous
Knowledge into the curriculum
rather than teaching Aboriginal
culture as a separate course or
only to Aboriginal students.
Creating
a sense of need to incorporate
Indigenous Knowledge in a
school district that has such a
small percentage of identified
Aboriginal students will not be
an easy task. Through the
questionnaires in our data
collection, the responses
indicate that teachers already
endeavour to provide a rich,
diverse learning environment
for all students. However, there
remain challenges.
Through lack of time and
resources, teachers see the
implementation of an
Enhancement Agreement as
something more put onto their
plate. In fact, their question
becomes “What exactly are we
trying to enhance?” If teachers
have no Aboriginal students in
their class, or if administrators
do not have Aboriginal studentsin their school, they do not see
this as something in which they
need to be involved. Also, many
classroom teachers feel ill-
equipped to teach First Nations
culture much less to try to
integrate aspects of Indigenous
Knowledge into their pedagogy.
Only through education and
open discussions on
demystifying the culture and
explaining its importance in the
Canadian fabric will this feeling
of unresponsiveness change.
For all stakeholders, the
introduction of Indigenous
Knowledge needs to be done
respectfully, unassumingly and
gradually.
*Goal development: A small writing committee has been established to sort and analyze the data in more
detail. We have met on a number of occasions to identify what sort of themes are emerging. At our last
EA Committee meeting, we shared with the larger group what we have found to date. This process will
continue into the fall as we work on the draft goals that will be unique to our district.
*Approval of the draft goals: In the fall we will take the goals to the Richmond Aboriginal community
for their approval. We will also seek input from the Musqueam First Nation. Once the approvals fromMusqueam and the Ministry have been obtained, we will start the final drafting of the Agreement, which
will contain both the approved goals and a set of strategies for achieving those goals.
*Signing of the Agreement: With the Agreement completed, a signing ceremony will take place in the
district to mark the beginning of the implementation stage. This working document will be reviewed and
reported on every year for the next five years. It is our hope that the Agreement will be signed by the
summer of 2012.
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Some ideas for Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge
Our first Enhancement Agreement will have goals focusing on integrating First Nations culture
into the curriculum. Indeed, “Enhancement Agreements not only stress the importance of
academic performance but also make explicit how integral First People’s traditional culture and
languages are to Aboriginal student development and success. These values are reflected in one
of the fundamental elements of Enhancement Agreements, which requires school districts to
provide strong programs on the culture of local Aboriginal peoples on whose traditional
territories the districts are located”. (Morin, 2004, p.202)
• A working partnership with the Musqueam Education Department is most important so that
schools can seek guidance and support in providing a meaningful culture education program.The Richmond Museum has already developed a Musqueam Education Kit in collaboration
with the Musqueam Band. This kit could be made into multiple copies for the District and
show-cased to educators. Also, our blog could be expanded into a resource website where, with
Musqueam Band’s approval, people could learn simple phrases in the Musqueam language.
• More partnership programs and initiatives with the District’s
First Nation resource teachers and the support worker at
Richmond Youth Services Agency would be beneficial to the
students. By pooling resources and working together to plan
community events that highlight cultural activities such as
National Aboriginal Day, Pow Wows, carving and art projects,
drumming and singing events and many other experiences,
students would ultimately develop a strong sense of belonging
and pride in their cultural heritage and take more leadership
roles in their own community.
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• With the help of the Musqueam Education Department and other First Nations groups, ongoing
professional development with guest speakers, after school workshops, study groups and in-
class demonstrations would help all educators integrate aspects of Indigenous Knowledge into
their pedagogy. Assistance in lesson planning from the First Nations resource teachers as well
as school-based action research initiatives to encourage greater understanding of Aboriginal
Education could provide direct support to Aboriginal students. By readily offering the course
First Nations 12 to all high school students either at their school or on-line would enable more
students to learn about Aboriginal history. This year, our district is changing the name to British
Columbia First Nations Studies
11/12 in order to alleviate the often
misunderstood title (First Nations
Studies) that implies it is only for
First Nations students.
• Acknowledging we are on unceded traditional Musqueam territory at the beginning of public
meetings would go a long way in educating people about the local Aboriginal community and
respecting the Musqueam First Nation. Incorporating some of the aspects of the local First
Nations traditions whenever possible such as an Elder opening a district professional
development day, or a Witnessing Ceremony at a conference, at a workshop or in the classroom
is also another way to teach the traditions of the local culture without having to learn their traditions out of context.
• The Enhancement Agreement Committee believes it is necessary that the district demonstrates
we are committed to a long-term relationship with
the Musqueam First Nation. The EA committee
started this process by meeting with the Chief and
Council in the fall. Further relationship building
with Musqueam could be some sort of visualrepresentation of the Band in our Board Office, in
the schools and ideally in any new school district building. This acknowledgement could be in
the form of a plaque, welcome post, painting, weaving, or other art forms deemed appropriate
and would announce to the community and visitors our relationship with Musqueam.
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Integrating Indigenous Knowledge withOral and Experiential Learning Aboriginal communities in North America traditionally disseminated
information orally using what is know as The Oral Tradition. Laws,
subsistence practices, spiritual beliefs and genealogical records are just some of the types of information that have been passed down
orally for thousands of years. Traditional stories, legends and songs
are several common methods for oral knowledge dissemination. Although many Aboriginal
languages are extinct or disappearing, there is a resurgence of some languages at the university
level. “In September 1999, for the first time, the University of Winnipeg offered Cree and
Ojibway courses” (Young, 2003, p.103). Repetition and intergenerational teachings are important
aspects of the oral teachings. Providing students opportunities to make oral presentations is a way
to practice speaking skills and use a traditional dissemination method. In a language education
classroom oral teaching and learning is especially useful.
Place based, contextual and hands-on learning are
all examples of experiential learning, which is a
powerful way to activate multiple senses. Learning
that takes place in the natural world provides
students a change of scenery, stimuli and a way to
complement didactic learning. A strong connection
to the land is a common tenet found in Aboriginal
education theory and provides an opportunity for
teachers to bring learning to locations to which
students may have a connection outside the
classroom. Numerous examples could be shared
within schools of ways to integrate nature and learning. Organizing outdoor education camps,
planting outdoor gardens, and encouraging community projects are just a few examples.
A few examples of culture-based projects that I recommend based upon what I have learned from
the literature and from my experiences are:
-Have students share their culture and family traditions
-Invite Elders or other family members to talk about their occupations, traditions and
culture
-Establish an on-going participation of Elders in school activities
-Have all students research family history
-Have students identify their own strengths and needs to enhance life skills
-Have students explore their own values and identify and appreciate who they are and
their place in the world
-Make the school community inclusive of all cultures
-Encourage community projects
-Teach local cultural knowledge
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A Holistic Approach to AboriginalEducationCultivating a holistic
(intellectual, emotional,
spiritual, physical) framework
for the support and
development of relevant
Aboriginal curriculum and
resources will enable educators
to address the needs of all
students while integrating
Indigenous Knowledge.
Research has shown that
pedagogical practices or changes need to be system-
wide in order to be successful
(Jones et al., 2006) For change
to happen in an institution, it
must not be seen as something
separate but rather something
that can be integrated into our
everyday lives. In our school
district we see this in programs
that are being implementedacross the district in behaviour
support plans and
environmental sustainability. If
people see these initiatives as
something extra they need to
do, on top of everything else
that is demanded of them, they
won’t do it. The behaviour
support system is being
welcomed because staff are
looking to children to take
more responsibility for their
behaviour and the system has
proven to work. When the
whole school buys into it, then
it isn’t on the shoulders of only
a few people to fix the problem.“The ultimate test of the
validity of knowledge is
whether it enhances the
capacity of people to live
well” (Castellano, 2000, p.33)
As a society we need to be able
to engage with all types of
knowledge in order to live
together in harmony. When
authentic (not stereotypical)
Aboriginal culture is reflected
in textbooks and in the
hallways and classrooms of our
schools, when traditional
practices are celebrated, andwhen all Aboriginal students
feel pride in their heritage
because they know where they
come from and who they are,
then the healing process for all
Aboriginal people will have
truly begun. “The knowledge
that will support their survival
in the future will not be an
artifact from the past. It will bea living fire, rekindled from
surviving embers and fueled
with the materials of the
twenty-first century.” (ibid, p.
34).
By respecting the diversity of the
Aboriginal cultures represented in the district and
in the Province and continuously improving the
district’s Aboriginal programming, the desiredoutcome would be a greater connection of
Aboriginal learners to their culture and a feeling
of pride in who they are. Through the
Enhancement Agreement process of listening to
stakeholders and collectively deciding on goals,
all parties can take joint ownership of the
initiative. Trust has to be established again in the
school systems and
learning must be
made meaningful for
Aboriginal childrenand families if
authentic Aboriginal
culture is to be
integrated with
Western ways of learning. Clearly all children
would benefit from intercultural sharing and
living in a more respectful society.
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References:
Archibald, Jo-ann. (2008). Indigenous storywork: Educating the heart, mind, body and spirit .
Vancouver: UBC Press.
Armstrong, Jeannette. (2008). An Okanagan worldview of society. In Melissa Nelson (Ed.),
Original instructions: Indigenous teachings for a sustainable future (pp. 66-74). Vermont:
Bear & Company.
Augustine, Stephen Hereditary Chief of Mi’kmaw Grand Council. (2008). Preface. Oral history
and oral traditions. In Renee Hulan & Renate Eigenbrod (Eds.), Aboriginal oral traditions:
Theory, practices, ethics (pp. 1-5). Halifax: Fernwood Publishing with the Gorsebrook
Research Institute.
Battiste, Marie (2008). The struggle and renaissance of Indigenous knowledge in Eurocentric
education. In Malia Villegas, Sabina Rak Neugebauer, & Kerry R. Venegas (Eds.), Indigenous
knowledge and education: Sites of struggle, strength, and survivance (pp. 85-91). Cambridge,
MA: Harvard Education Review Reprint Series No.44.
Castellano, Marlene Brant. (2000). Updating Aboriginal traditions of knowledge. In George Dei,
Budd Hall, & Dorothy Rosenberg (Eds.), Indigenous knowledges in global contexts: Multiple
readings of our world (pp. 21-36). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Cajete, Gregory. (2000). Indigenous knowledge: The Pueblo metaphor of Indigenous education.
In Marie Battiste (Ed.) Reclaiming Indigenous voice and vision (pp. 181-191). Vancouver:
UBC Press.
Freeman, Milton M.R. (1992). The Nature and Utility of Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
Northern Perspectives 20(1), (pp.1-7).
Jones et al. (2006). Culturally Responsive Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Support: A Case Study
in One School With a High Proportion of Native American Students. Multiple Voices, 9(1),
(pp. 108-119).
Kawageley, Oscar. (2001). Tradition and education: The world made seamless again. In Keith
James (Ed.), Science and Native American communities: Legacies of pain, visions of promise (pp. 51-56). Lincoln Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press.
Krohn, Elise. (2008) Teaching in Indian Country. Journal of Democracy & Education. 17 (2),
(pp. 39-43).
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Kundoque, Green, Jacquie. (2008). Reclaiming Haisla ways: Remembering oolichan fishing.
Canadian Journal of Native Education 31(1), (pp. 11-23).
Morin, Heather. (2004). Student Performance Data and Research Tools to Ensure Aboriginal
Student Success. In Aboriginal policy research: Setting the Agenda for Change: (Vol. 1 and 2
pp. 193-206). Toronto: Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
Settee, Priscilla. (2008). Indigenous knowledge as the basis for our future. In Melissa Nelson
(Ed.), Original instructions: Indigenous teachings for a sustainable future (pp. 42-47).
Vermont: Bear & Company.
Tur, Ngitji Ngitji Mona & Tur, Simone Ulalka. (2005). Conversation: Wapar munu mantaku
nintiringanyi – Learning about the dreaming and land. In Gus Worby & Lester-Irabinna
Rigney (Eds.), Sharing spaces: Indigenous and non-Indigenous responses to story, country
and rights (pp. 160-179). Western Australia: API Network, Autralian Research Institute,
Curtin University of Technology.
Wells, Nancy. (2005). Synthesis of Aboriginal Education Across Canada Policy Directions. SAEE
- Society for the Advancement of Excellence in Education. Retrieved from
http://www.saee.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=619&Itemid=55 June 2010.
Young, Mary. (2003). Anishinabemowin: A way of seeing the world, reclaiming my identity.
Canadian Journal of Native Education 27(1), (pp. 101-107).
Footnotes
1Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/529578/Duncan-Campbell-Scott,
June 2010. Head of the Department of Indian Affairs and founder of the Residential
School System, 1920.
2 Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Text of Apology, 2008. Retrieved from
www.fns.bc.ca/pdf/TextofApology.pdf . June 2010.
3 A cornerstone of the settlement agreement is the Indian Residential Schools Truth and
Reconciliation Commission. This commission presents a unique opportunity to educate all
Canadians on the Indian residential schools system. It will be a positive step in forging a newrelationship between Aboriginal peoples and other Canadians, a relationship based on the
knowledge of our shared history, a respect for each other and a desire to move forward
together with a renewed understanding that strong families, strong communities and vibrant
cultures and traditions will contribute to a stronger Canada for all of us. (Prime Minister
Stephen Harper, Text of Apology, 2008. Retrieved from www.fns.bc.ca/pdf/ TextofApology.pdf ! June 2010.