Self Governence

 

Indigenous peoples practiced their own forms of government for thousands of years before the arrival of European and other settlers in what is today Canada. These forms of government reflected the economic, social and geographic diversity of Indigenous peoples, as well as their cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.  
The struggle for self-government has been ongoing for a long time. Prior to 1973, the Government of Canada refused to even entertain the concept of Indigenous self-government. It was the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling in Calder that caused a shift in policy.


Christou says that for self- government of Indigenous control of education to become a reality, we must have well prepared teachers who are able to work within their communities to develop curriculum and pedagogy that best meet the local needs.  (Morcomet al 2017).
I started to question how can I help support self governance of Indigenous communities?  One way is by becoming more informed about the two education agreements that involve over 35 indigenous communities.  

The Education Agreement in Nova Scotia and the Anishinabek Nation Education Agreement in Ontario.Another way is by having discussions with colleagues and peers about self governance. Of of my favourite quotes that I came across in the Federal Policy Guide while doing my research was the answer to Why do Aboriginal Peoples Want to Self Government?...  



As a teacher are you willing to work with and along side knowledge keepers, indigenous leaders and elders to make the much needed change for the education of all indigenous students in Canada?

" Perhaps a more accurate question would be “Why do Aboriginal Peoples want self-government back?” Long, long before European contact, Aboriginal Peoples had their own established political systems and institutions – they were self-governing. And Aboriginal Peoples have been trying to get back the right to govern themselves and preserve their cultural identities since the British North America Act in 1867." 


Federal Policy Guide: Aboriginal Self-Government – The Government of Canada’s Approach to Implementation of the Inherent Right and the Negotiation of Aboriginal Self-Government. (2015) 

Morcom, L. A., Freeman, K. & Davis, J. (2017). Rising like the thunderbird: The reclamation of Indigenous teacher education. In T. Christou (Ed.), Canadian Teacher Education: A Curriculum History (pp. 23-40). New York: Routledge. Permanent Link - http://proxy.queensu.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1574385&site=ehost-live&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_23

 Image.  Available at https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1502376429223/1542741448397

For self-government and Indigenous control of education to become a reality, we must have well prepared teachers who are able to work within their communities to develop curriculum and pedagogy that best meet local needs. Teachers and admin- istrators have effectively accomplished this in the development of educa- tional systems under SGAs such as the Mi’kmaq Kinamatnewey. 72 Sadly, aggressive assimilation has taken a toll on educational practices in some Indigenous communities. To achieve self-government, “the capacity that has been lost over the generations needs to be restored, so that Aboriginal families and communities can reassert their rightful place in educat- ing their children and in Canadian society.” 73 Indigenous education sui generis means not only including Indigenous content and pedagogy, but also having the freedom to choose how education will be conducted and having the capacity to carry out the development of appropriate educa- tional opportunities.

For self-government and Indigenous control of education to become a reality, we must have well prepared teachers who are able to work within their communities to develop curriculum and pedagogy that best meet local needs. Teachers and admin- istrators have effectively accomplished this in the development of educa- tional systems under SGAs such as the Mi’kmaq Kinamatnewey. 72 Sadly, aggressive assimilation has taken a toll on educational practices in some Indigenous communities. To achieve self-government, “the capacity that has been lost over the generations needs to be restored, so that Aboriginal families and communities can reassert their rightful place in educat- ing their children and in Canadian society.” 73 Indigenous education sui generis means not only including Indigenous content and pedagogy, but also having the freedom to choose how education will be conducted and having the capacity to carry out the development of appropriate educa- tional opportunities.

For self-government and Indigenous control of education to become a reality, we must have well prepared teachers who are able to work within their communities to develop curriculum and pedagogy that best meet local needs. Teachers and admin- istrators have effectively accomplished this in the development of educa- tional systems under SGAs such as the Mi’kmaq Kinamatnewey. 72 Sadly, aggressive assimilation has taken a toll on educational practices in some Indigenous communities. To achieve self-government, “the capacity that has been lost over the generations needs to be restored, so that Aboriginal families and communities can reassert their rightful place in educat- ing their children and in Canadian society.” 73 Indigenous education sui generis means not only including Indigenous content and pedagogy, but also having the freedom to choose how education will be conducted and having the capacity to carry out the development of appropriate educa- tional opportunities.

or self-government and Indigenous control of education to become a reality, we must have well prepared teachers who are able to work within their communities to develop curriculum and pedagogy that best meet local needs. Teachers and admin- istrators have effectively accomplished this in the development of educa- tional systems under SGAs such as the Mi’kmaq Kinamatnewey. 72 Sadly, aggressive assimilation has taken a toll on educational practices in some Indigenous communities. To achieve self-government, “the capacity that has been lost over the generations needs to be restored, so that Aboriginal families and communities can reassert their rightful place in educat- ing their children and in Canadian society.” 73 Indigenous education sui generis means not only including Indigenous content and pedagogy, but also having the freedom to choose how education will be conducted and having the capacity to carry out the development of appropriate educa- tional opportunities.

or self-government and Indigenous control of education to become a reality, we must have well prepared teachers who are able to work within their communities to develop curriculum and pedagogy that best meet local needs. Teachers and admin- istrators have effectively accomplished this in the development of educa- tional systems under SGAs such as the Mi’kmaq Kinamatnewey. 72 Sadly, aggressive assimilation has taken a toll on educational practices in some Indigenous communities. To achieve self-government, “the capacity that has been lost over the generations needs to be restored, so that Aboriginal families and communities can reassert their rightful place in educat- ing their children and in Canadian society.” 73 Indigenous education sui generis means not only including Indigenous content and pedagogy, but also having the freedom to choose how education will be conducted and having the capacity to carry out the development of appropriate educa- tional opportunities.

or self-government and Indigenous control of education to become a reality, we must have well prepared teachers who are able to work within their communities to develop curriculum and pedagogy that best meet local needs. Teachers and admin- istrators have effectively accomplished this in the development of educa- tional systems under SGAs such as the Mi’kmaq Kinamatnewey. 72 Sadly, aggressive assimilation has taken a toll on educational practices in some Indigenous communities. To achieve self-government, “the capacity that has been lost over the generations needs to be restored, so that Aboriginal families and communities can reassert their rightful place in educat- ing their children and in Canadian society.” 73 Indigenous education sui generis means not only including Indigenous content and pedagogy, but also having the freedom to choose how education will be conducted and having the capacity to carry out the development of appropriate educa- tional opportunities.

For self-government and Indigenous control of education to become a reality, we must have well prepared teachers who are able to work within their communities to develop curriculum and pedagogy that best meet local needs. Teachers and admin- istrators have effectively accomplished this in the development of educa- tional systems under SGAs such as the Mi’kmaq Kinamatnewey. 72 Sadly, aggressive assimilation has taken a toll on educational practices in some Indigenous communities. To achieve self-government, “the capacity that has been lost over the generations needs to be restored, so that Aboriginal families and communities can reassert their rightful place in educat- ing their children and in Canadian society.” 73 Indigenous education sui generis means not only including Indigenous content and pedagogy, but also having the freedom to choose how education will be conducted and having the capacity to carry out the development of appropriate educa- tional opportunities. 74

For self-government and Indigenous control of education to become a reality, we must have well prepared teachers who are able to work within their communities to develop curriculum and pedagogy that best meet local needs. Teachers and admin- istrators have effectively accomplished this in the development of educa- tional systems under SGAs such as the Mi’kmaq Kinamatnewey. 72 Sadly, aggressive assimilation has taken a toll on educational practices in some Indigenous communities. To achieve self-government, “the capacity that has been lost over the generations needs to be restored, so that Aboriginal families and communities can reassert their rightful place in educat- ing their children and in Canadian society.” 73 Indigenous education sui generis means not only including Indigenous content and pedagogy, but also having the freedom to choose how education will be conducted and having the capacity to carry out the development of appropriate educa- tional opportunities. 74

For self-government and Indigenous control of education to become a reality, we must have well prepared teachers who are able to work within their communities to develop curriculum and pedagogy that best meet local needs. Teachers and admin- istrators have effectively accomplished this in the development of educa- tional systems under SGAs such as the Mi’kmaq Kinamatnewey. 72 Sadly, aggressive assimilation has taken a toll on educational practices in some Indigenous communities. To achieve self-government, “the capacity that has been lost over the generations needs to be restored, so that Aboriginal families and communities can reassert their rightful place in educat- ing their children and in Canadian society.” 73 Indigenous education sui generis means not only including Indigenous content and pedagogy, but also having the freedom to choose how education will be conducted and having the capacity to carry out the development of appropriate educa- tional opportunities.

For self-government and Indigenous control of education to become a reality, we must have well prepared teachers who are able to work within their communities to develop curriculum and pedagogy that best meet local needs. Teachers and admin- istrators have effectively accomplished this in the development of educa- tional systems under SGAs such as the Mi’kmaq Kinamatnewey. 72 Sadly, aggressive assimilation has taken a toll on educational practices in some Indigenous communities. To achieve self-government, “the capacity that has been lost over the generations needs to be restored, so that Aboriginal families and communities can reassert their rightful place in educat- ing their children and in Canadian society.” 73 Indigenous education sui generis means not only including Indigenous content and pedagogy, but also having the freedom to choose how education will be conducted and having the capacity to carry out the development of appropriate educa- tional opportunities.

Residential Schools and Policy

 Do formal residential schools still exist in Canada?  No.  But are there still systematic issues of cultural genocide and a white washing of our education system.  Absolutely! 

 I couldn't agree more with Battiste as she boldy states that "in order to remedy the colonial mentality that predominates in Canadian educational curricula and erodes Indigenous knowledge and its linguistic base, the federal government needs to provide a clear policy statement about Canada’s new constitutional vision." (Battiste, 2002) 

What do you think this clear policy statement would entail?  How would it be created and implemented?  

Two primary objectives of the residential school system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. These objectives were based on the assumption Aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal. Indeed, some sought, as it was infamously said, “to kill the Indian in the child.” Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, official apology, June 11, 2008 

 The policies of assimilation were wrong! And so were many others....

The federal government supported schooling as a way to make First Nations economically self-sufficient. Their underlying objective was to decrease Indigenous dependence on public funds. The government therefore collaborated with Christian missionaries to encourage religious conversion and Indigenous economic self-sufficiency. This led to the development of an educational policy after 1880 that relied heavily on custodial schools. These were not the kind of schools Indigenous leaders had hoped to create.

 


What are some things I can do in my classroom to teach my students about the harmful effects of residential schools?
Participate in Orange Shirt Day and explain the relevance. http://www.orangeshirtday.org/
Find reliable resources like http://www.fnesc.ca/irsr/
Read books like

I Am Not a Number

by Jenny Kay Dupuis,

  Kathy Kacer

Gillian Newland (Illustrations)

When eight-year-old Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school she is confused, frightened, and terribly homesick. She tries to remember who she is and where she came from, despite the efforts of the nuns who are in charge at the school and who tell her that she is not to use her own name but instead use the number they have assigned to her. When she goes home for summer holidays, Irene's parents decide never to send her and her brothers away again. But where will they hide? And what will happen when her parents disobey the law? Based on the life of co-author Jenny Kay Dupuis’ grandmother, I Am Not a Number is a hugely necessary book that brings a terrible part of Canada’s history to light in a way that children can learn from and relate to. 

Battiste, Marie. [2002]. Indigenous Knowledge and Pedagogy in First Nations Education: A Literature Review with Recommendations. "http://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/education/24._2002_oct_marie_battiste_indigenousknowledgeandpedagogy_lit_review_for_min_working_group.pdf">http://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/education


https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/the_residential_school_system/

The Importance of Indigenous Knowledge

According to Battiste, in the last decade the acceptance of Indigenous knowledge by scholars and policy makers generated an explosive growth in the number of publications on the relevance of Indigenous knowledge in a variety of policy sectors and academic disciplines.

As such international policy makers developed principles and guidelines for protecting Indigenous knowledge, and Indigenous knowledge and its pedagogies have generated a decolonizing and rethinking of education for Indigenous peoples.

The fires in Australia made me really think about the importance of indigenous knowledge in terms of the environment.  The general knowledge of the environment is being lost in communities around the world, and there is an urgent need to conserve this information to help develop mechanisms to protect the earth’s biological diversity. Battiste stated that the The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity recognizes the importance of Indigenous knowledge to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, acknowledges the contributions of Indigenous knowledge as innovative approaches to environmental studies, and recognizes the validity of Indigenous science. It also recognizes the value of Indigenous knowledge,innovations, and practices to scientific knowledge, conservation studies, and sustainable development.

 Indigenous leaders, who have been warning about a bushfire crisis for years, are calling for a radical change to how land is managed as Australia faces some of its worst bushfire conditions on record.One such man Mr. Steffensen said burning was a crucial way that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders cared for the land. He said it involved learning to read trees, soil types, wind conditions and developing an "intimate" relationship with the landscape. "It's like a doctor. You're there at the country to look at a specific ecosystem," (Faa, 2019)

 

 

So reflecting back to my own practices how can I integrate more indigenous knowledge into my science curriculum specifically?  To enhance Aboriginal students' educational opportunities in sciences, culturally relevant science curriculum has been examined and practiced in Western Canadian science classrooms. Finding a way to educate using the best of both forms of education yet still meet provincial standards can be challenging. Some science lessons lend themselves well to a merging of knowledge. One way to achieve this is for students to learn first from the Indigenous perspective and then transcribe that information to western terms. 

Battiste, Marie. [2002]. Indigenous Knowledge and Pedagogy in First Nations Education: A Literature Review with Recommendations. http://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/education/24._2002_oct_marie_battiste_indigenousknowledgeandpedagogy_lit_review_for_min_working_group.pdf">

 Faa. M. (Nov, 2019) Indigenous leaders say Australia's bushfire crisis shows approach to land management failing https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-14/traditional-owners-predicted-bushfire-disaster/11700320

http://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/education/24._2002_oct_marie_battiste_indigenousknowledgeandpedagogy_lit_review_for_min_working_group.pdf">

Making science relevant to Indigenous students. (2019). Available Online at https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/making-science-relevant-to-indigenous-students

Policies

 Policy Learning and Unlearning...

As I enter a new Masters course and thankfully my last one... I was asked what is policy?  Initially I answered that to me a policy is an action proposed by the government.  However I have since broadened my understanding about policy...that it does not only (& should not only) come from the government. 

I have learned that I can be developing policies as an educator and member of my community collectively and collaboratively with others.   I look forward to examining and analyzing indigenous education policies that exist  and re developing these for change.  As pointed out by my professor Mary Drinkwater,  "Critical policy analysis asks some key questions:  Who is the policy being written for? In whose interest? For what purpose? Who benefits? Who is marginalized?" 

While there has been marked progress toward embedding Indigenous education into Ontario’s schools though policies, there are still challenges to be addressed:

• The majority of schools do not offer Indigenous education activities such as language programs, cultural support programs, guest speakers, and ceremonies.




• Secondary schools have a much higher rate of participation in Indigenous education initiatives than elementary schools.




• Rural areas are more likely to provide Indigenous education and supports than urban communities (this may be a reflection of the higher proportions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students in rural schools).




• Some survey respondents commented that their schools contained too few First Nations, Métis or Inuit students to warrant a specific focus on Indigenous education, illustrating the need to ensure that educators understand that Indigenous education is important for all [1]

Indigenous Education Policy can help to guide the revitalization of language by providing a framework.  The vitality of most Indigenous languages in Canada at serious risk.  While no ideal policy model is possible due to the diversity of different language and community contexts, there are numerous factors that have been identified as closely linked to its success; immersion and community control of indigenous education.  (DeKorne, 2009).

How are your teaching practices effected by education policies? 

Indigenous education: Moving toward reconciliation. [Online] Available at https://peopleforeducation.ca/report/indigenous-education-2016/

De Korne, H. (2009). Indigenous language education policy: Supporting community-controlled immersion. MA Thesis, University of Victoria. http://hdl.handle.net/1828/1721.