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My asynchronous learning experience was learning about an organization called the Ballantyne Project. This is an organization that is focused on spreading the message around what life looks like on a remote northern reserve. One thing that I really liked about this organization is that the founder, Dwight Ballantyne, is extremely passionate about working with youth to share his story of living on a remote northern reserve. His passion for working with youth is why I wanted to look more into the Ballantyne Project, and really look at it regarding education and how I could include the public materials into the classroom. It is fantastic that so much of the content is geared towards the age group we are teaching and that there are examples in the video showing him working with other students. Hopefully, this would make any students I teach see the value of the work being done, and that it is possible for them to do it. I feel like this important to include in a social studies classroom because it provides an excellent jumping off point to discuss a multitude of Indigenous issues in Canada. Furthermore, I think it is a fantastic way to show students what life looks like when you get out of the Lower Mainland and help them expand their horizons and respect the perspective of Indigenous peoples.

Another part of my asynchronous learning was researching the Haudenosaunee people. This was also done because I am looking for ways to directly impart knowledge from Indigenous peoples, and finding a way to do that that is authentic.

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My asynchronous learning experience was through the “Reconciliation & Decolonization in Classrooms” seminar. The seminar really made me challenge my existing beliefs about the education system and it gave me a new perspective into the privilege that has existed in my life thus far. Even if I have experienced negativity and racism due to my skin colour, it is nothing compared to what the Indigenous people have gone through. As we are about to embark on our long practicum, the 9th Standard is something that we can all incorporate into our teaching practice as a way to help make change. Seeing the 9th Standard in action thus far throughout the BEd program has given me some ideas as to how I want to incorporate it into my PHE classroom through the use of teaching about Indigenous games and incorporating Indigenous learning when giving my students the opportunity to have outdoor education. The link to “Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in BC” is an amazing resource that I will be using as a way to help push my practice towards decolonizing education and the 2nd module regarding the use of First Peoples Principles of Learning is exactly what I was looking for when Robert asked what we were looking forward to in this class on the very first day. It was really impactful to hear Kelly’s story about being a grade 12 student at Nanaimo District Secondary School and her experiences. The example of her struggles as a high school student and feeling unsupported until she found her place in the Indigenous support room. Her story was very powerful and seeing her teacher shed tears as she listened to Kelly speak to over 150+ listeners is something that I won’t ever forget. It really demonstrated the impact that teachers can have on students but also the vice versa with the student impacting a teacher for the rest of their life. It was incredibly inspiring to listen to and I am glad Robert recommended this seminar to listen to.

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Last week, I attended the “Decolonizing Together Symposium” for my asynchronous learning. Like a couple of students have noted in their padlet entries, I was also intrigued when Carolyn Roberts was breaking down the insufficiencies of a lesson plan. In short, she used “dams” as a metaphor to dissect a lesson plan. For the most part, people tend to think of dams as positive, but there can also be underlying issues within a dam. This is the same as a lesson plan. This analogy is extremely important for me as a future PHE (Physical and Health Education) teacher. Because PHE can expose a student’s body in uncomfortable ways (i.e., some students don’t like to wear shorts because it shows their legs), I need to be cognizant in how I approach the managerial portion of my classroom rules (i.e., gym strip). An example of this occurred when I was teaching during my short practicum. Although my School Advisor enforced a strict gym strip policy, I was a bit more lenient. In his previous classes, the kids that did not change into gym strip just sat on the side and did not participate. I was not a fan of this and made it my mission to get everyone to participate. Hence, I told the students they could participate if they were able to move efficiently - they ended up having a sweaty blast. What I have learned from this symposium is that we need to take a holistic approach in regard to our lesson plans. As educators, we need to dive deeper and ensure that we mitigate as much risk and fear as possible. We need to be aware of all of the underlying issues that can come up within our lesson plans.

If I have learned anything from this symposium, it is to view everything I do as a future educator with multiple viewpoints. Just because I think something is positive others might not feel the same way. At times, I will have to check myself and be humble in acknowledging that I made a mistake. My growth is the growth of my future students.

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I attended the 'Reconciliation & Decolonization in Classrooms', event. During the event, a grade 12 student spoke and shared her experience as an Indigenous student in a Vancouver High School. She shared how hard it has been for her, faced with racist comments, lack of support from multiple teachers, etc. But something she said that helped her during her difficult experience in high school, was the Indigenous resource room where she could feel safe and welcome. Alongside the student, was her teacher who was in charge of the Indigenous support room. Together they showed strength, support, and care towards one another. Seeing the strong student-teacher relationship really empowered me, and inspired me to be that teacher for my own future students. Even though I am white, I can still provide care, support, and empathy for my students - and after attending the event, that makes all difference.
To add a personal note, I felt guilty after attending the event. I feel guilt that I don't nor have experienced that level of discrimination and racism... No child/student/human should have to experience that, and it hurts knowing that it happens every day.

I also attended the Decolonizing Together Virtual Symposium and the walking circles following the Williams Lake First Nation press conference. My heart hurt the entire duration of the conference and after. I felt honored and privileged to be present and to hear the voices and stories of those affected.

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I attended the Decolonizing Together Virtual Symposium and the talking circle following the Williams Lake First Nation press conference. Let me begin by expressing my love for everyone who was there that day, who held space, listened, shared, and grieved. I learned so much that day from Robert in the talking circle about what it means to be in community and what moments of vulnerability can be if you have the capacity. This isn't to say the pain and trauma my family, and all Indigenous families have experienced as a result of residential schools is to be consumed. It is not owed. It is not all, not even close, to all that we are. I resonated with something Robert said about, why does it have to be bodies? Why aren't the stories our families have been telling about their experiences at RS enough? I felt that anger in my body deeply.

Robert gave me a gift that day by showing me what leadership can look like when you walk in two worlds. My dad attended day school and was later unjustly removed from his home. His trauma has echoed through my life. Moments of healing can be going for a walk or having a good laugh around a kitchen table.  It can be making food to share. It can be angry. It can be a gentle moment with the water. It can be sitting in circle to share, cry, and hold space for the grief.

I've been thinking a lot this past week about what my role is as a future teacher and what moments of healing might look like with students of my own one day.

During Carolyn Roberts talk for the "Decolonizing Together Symposium" I inspired by the way she brought examples to the language of anti-colonial education. I love how she framed a "decolonization rebuild" as an anti-colonial education that is relationship based. Many of the things I have been struggling to put into words she captured. Since her talk, I have been reading a book she recommended titled, "The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize The Creative Classroom" by Felicia Rose Chavez. This book is reminding me that the moments of check-ins and connection ARE the big moments of community building. These are the moments worth making time for everyday. I've been struggling and feeling doubts about my approaches to planning and pressured to hit core competencies in a lesson or contain my lessons (because that is what it feels we are largely being taught in this program) but as I listened to Carolyn and have been reading this book, I'm reassured that it largely the moments that extend beyond (that are holistic), that are relationship based that are at the heart of what makes learning meaningful. I will leave this reflection with a quote from the book that comes from bell hooks that I've been thinking about, "“I enter the classroom with the assumption that we must build community in order to create a climate of openness and intellectual rigor,” bell hooks explains in Teaching to Transgress. “I think that a feeling of community creates a sense that there is shared commitment and a common good that binds us.”

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For the asynchronous learning this week, I watched several of the courses that Robert recommended including the introduction to Place-based Education, Continuing our Journey, and Reconciliation throughIndigenous Education. As a future social studies educator, learning about Indigenous ways of knowing and learning and incorporating them into the classroom is of the utmost importance to my educational practice as many of the topics I will be helping students learn about are directly connected to the intersections between Indigenous peoples and colonial powers. From these courses, I gathered three main takeaways.

First, one of the principle parts of Indigenous pedagogy is found in the connection between what one does in the course of ones day, the practices of life, and its meaning to the culture and history of which it is a part. In attempting to teach students to understand the cultures that existed in what would become North America since time immemorial, deriving meaning from daily practices and acts and from cultural knowledges should be at the centre of what I am teaching. Helping students draw connections between these acts and the way that it informed and shaped Indigenous societies. Rather than looking at a society from the top down, as we often do for Western societies and others, and to see them as distinct from the practices of the people and their daily life, looking at societies from the ground up can give us insight into what a society means to the people who are a part of it. This practice need not only be applied to Indigenous societies. It can also be used to examine other societies and understand how the daily habits and rhythms of life shape society.

Secondly, a circular framework to understand history is invaluable in the study of history and how it has shaped and been shaped by society; one of the key features of the social studies curriculum. Many of the topics that I will be choosing to cover with my students are connected to the modern world, and seeing the circularity that is inherent in historical trends will help students to grasp why it is important to examine and learn from the stories we tell about the past. In addition, one of the Principles of First Peoples Learning is that learning should benefit the learner. Being able to help students understand and comprehend the world they live in now by examining the past, seems lie a way not only to make social studies relevant, but also beneficial to students.

Thirdly, one of the repeated ideas was that of being a learner as well as a teacher. In studying and learning and teaching we need to be humble and to be open to learning as teachers. Letting my students act as guides and giving them greater agency and choice as well as listening to them and their needs is something that I want to be central to my practice as a teacher. As one of my professors in the B.Ed program is fond of reminding us: The word assess comes from the latin word which means to sit beside. Sitting beside my students as we both journey into learning together and building a relational practice seems like an excellent way to build a classroom where everyone will be able to be successful in what every way is important to them.

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During this week I attended the Decolonizing Together Virtual Symposium and the talking circle that Robert hosted after the press conference held by Williams Lake First Nation on the findings on the land at St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School. The press conference and the talking circle were beyond eye opening to me, I felt very privileged to have been able to be a part of it. I had heard about the findings on the sights of other past residential schools and it was horrifying but it becomes a whole other experience when you hear people talk about their own traumas. It is hard for me to reflect on the talking circle because it was such an emotional experience for me. With that said, I recognize that my experience was not near as intense as someone who has trauma associated with the topic. I want to thank Robert and everyone that spoke because it was surely something I will never forget. I don’t know if I have had such a strong emotional reaction to anything at university as I had with that. The talking circle was such a safe and caring space, it was so compassionate. It was a space where anyone was welcome to talk, discuss or just listen and I think that is what a classroom needs to be. Students need to feel that sense of compassion and relationship. I felt like I was a part of something more than a classroom during the talking circle; I felt really accepted that people would talk so openly and share so openly with me even with how difficult of a topic it was. I am still trying to absorb all the information from the press conference and the talking circle, it was a lot to take in and process but I think the key for me is to never stop trying to learn more. Prior to this course and prior to this program, I had not participated in many discussions around Indigenous topics. It had not been a huge topic of conversation during my undergrad and even less so during my high school experience. I am glad that universities have started to require teachers to be educated on the topic so that the high school experience we provide is different and better than the one we received. I wish that I could have been apart of conversations like these earlier in my life; the communication and discussion is so eye opening. However, we can discuss topics and ideas with our students but it is so clear when it is real and when it is not. We can discuss Truth and Reconciliation in classrooms but if a teacher is just doing it to check a box, it is so apparent to everyone and nobody gains anything from it. Getting out of the settler colonial mindset takes work but is work that needs to be done. That idea resonated with me again at the Decolonizing Together Virtual Symposium. They discussed about letting other voices be heard and being sure that isn’t always the same voices speaking all the time. As a white cis male, I have to recognize that voices like mine are the ones that are often heard the most. I am trying to recognize that sometimes I need to listen more than I speak in order ensure that other voices are heard as well and at the same frequency. This harmonizes well with us trying and promote Truth and Reconciliation in our classroom. Having only a white cis male talk about Truth and Reconciliation still reinforces colonialism by not giving other voices a chance to speak on the topic. I want my classroom to be somewhere where certain voices don’t take over, where everyone is heard, and where a true effort is made towards Truth and Reconciliation; it will take more learning and unlearning on my end but I am looking forward to making an honest effort.

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For this week’s asynchronous activity, I attended the “Decolonizing Together Symposium”. The focus of the symposium was on Decolonizing Teaching, Indigenizing Learning, with talks lead by Carolyn Roberts and Arlo Kempf.

Two things that really stood out to me during this session were the idea of acknowledging more than one perspective/acknowledging other ways of learning, as well as a question (and answer) that came up about how to decolonize/Indigenize assessment.

Carolyn Roberts made us think about how, as teachers/teacher candidates, we can bring in other/multiple/different perspectives into the classroom. The idea of acknowledging and talking about more than one perspective, as well as acknowledging different ways of learning, really resonated with me. Carolyn explained the idea of perspectives through a lesson plan on dams, and gave examples of questions we could ask students (ie. who is the dam impacting? Whose livelihood depends on the dam being here? What animals are being affected? Who chose to put the dam here?). It reminds us that there is more than one side to a story. It also reminded me that the First People’s Principles of Learning are one of these ways of learning that are not (or have not been) present in our school systems. This encourages me to talk about these perspectives in the classroom, which could help students make different kinds of connections to what they are doing or what/how they are learning.

I interpreted the different ways of learning as acknowledging that all students are in different places in their learning journey, regardless of the “grade” they are in (which was also talked about by Carolyn). I suppose an advantage of the art classroom, in terms of age/grade level, is that there is often a range of grade levels/ages/abilities in each class (or at least, what I know from my experience up until now). This has me thinking about how I can keep assignments open ended, or allow for many different possibilities for learning depending on the student/learner. Schools can often put students into boxes, but I hope that students will feel like they have a bit more freedom and autonomy in the classes I teach.

The second thing that stood out to me was the question about decolonizing/Indigenizing assessment (I think Selena asked the question!). For those of us taking the assessment course right now, I’m sure many of us read the most recent reading about getting rid of rubrics, which I am very on board with. Again, I’m thinking in terms of an art classroom here, so I don’t know how this would work in other subjects or how teachers from other subjects feel about this, but I really love the idea of having discussions and giving verbal/written/personal feedback rather than rating students on a scale. Even a proficiency scale that isn’t a letter/number grade is still a scale. Earlier today in that assessment class, someone brought up how there is a conflict between honouring that students are at different parts of a learning journey, but that we still having to assess them against a competency/curriculum. Selena's question in the symposium chat reminded me of this comment. It really has me thinking about the impacts of how we assess, and how assessment is a western/colonial system used to rate and kind of decide who moves ahead and who doesn’t. I have/do benefit(ed) from this system. It has me feeling a bit frustrated because I know in the current school system, even if we don’t give a grade for assignments, we have to give a final course mark. But I don’t think grades are always proof of learning... It becomes a bit daunting thinking about how to dismantle this... During the Q&A at the end, Arlo Kempf mentioned something about teachers (or professors?) who were getting punished or fired for giving students As as long as they were engaged with learning (I think I heard this right?! ie. the grade was kind of arbitrary, the teacher/prof just wanted the students to feel like they were learning no matter what). I remember asking one of my professors last semester if I could just give all the students As as long as they were just willing to show up and learn, so this comment definitely made my eyebrows raise a bit when I heard it (if I heard it correctly!).

Some final (pretty big) takeaways for me from this evening’s talk were about stepping into discomfort, being “Imperfect Accomplices”, and situating ourselves/our perspectives in the work that we do. It feels scary for sure, to be uncomfortable, and as Arlo mentioned, and Sheila reiterated in her post, as a white person I’ve had the luxury of walking away from uncomfortable situations. But not taking action is starting to feel more uncomfortable (if that makes sense). I know I need to put in the work, and actually do the work (not just think about it or say it).

There was so much more from the talks this evening that I feel like I still need to process… I’m thankful for the opportunity to have attended.

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After attending the Decolonizing Together seminar this evening, I am still digesting many thoughts and feelings. Dr. Kempf's talk was so packed that I think I will have to revisit the recording to truly absorb the knowledge that he shared. One thing that he spoke of was the white luxury of being able to "walk away" if this work is too uncomfortable or hard. That statement really got me thinking of how easy it has been for me to turn the other cheek or claim "neutrality" in the past. I had not thought of it in terms of privilege but, that's exactly what it is. White people can claim to be "unpolitical" because we are not living in a system that discriminates against us or denies us basic rights. We can "walk away" and back into our comfortable spaces. This program has helped me realize that claiming neutrality and walking away is what has and still contributes to the ongoing systemic problems in our country. To truly commit to breaking down colonial systems and narratives, I can no longer just walk away. I have to live in the discomfort to find a way forward.

It was a great pleasure to hear Carolyn Roberts speak again. She gave a similar presentation last semester for our EDST 401 class and her lecture was just as, if not more impactful this time around. She speaks with such heart and authenticity about the importance of this work. I appreciated her view that the anti-colonial perspective means teaching more than one perspective of history, of the land, and of all people. Teaching with an informed lens that doesn't ignore the uncomfortable angles. She used an example of teaching a unit on dams that was highly effective. She spoke from a place of inquiry and examination. Helping students understand why the dam was built, who it affected, how it affected the land and wildlife, but also teaching with awareness of students' sensitivities as well--that is students who may not have access to clean drinking water, students whose communities may rely on a dam for water, or students whose parents worked on a dam. What I took away from it was the importance of inquiry and asking all the questions, looking at all the angles, and letting each question lead students in a different direction. By doing that in our lessons, we avoid teaching only the colonial perspective and take a step towards decolonization. It made me feel hopeful that I can start making a change - small as it may be at first. Learn, Unlearn, Relearn.

The final big takeaway from the seminar was Carolyn's lesson that knowledge cannot be acquired and owned. She said, "It is not mine" and said that we are holders of this knowledge and it is our responsibility to share it. Now that I have this knowledge, I have a responsibility to continue sharing it but, I also have a responsibility to keep learning and understanding it.

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For my asynchronous learning this week I attended the Decolonizing Together Virtual Symposium. One of the speakers, Carolyn Roberts, spent time breaking down a lesson plan and highlighting the ways in which the lesson presents only one viewpoint. The lesson plan centered on the purposes of dams. The prepared lesson plan focused on the creation of dams and on all of the benefits. These "benefits" are not seen in a positive way by all. Carolyn then described how it is essential that if we talk about dams we must also talk about who is benefited and who is harmed. We must all talk about environmental impacts and consequences for wildlife.
This specific lesson breakdown was valuable for me as a science teacher. If I am taking content from a textbook or other resource, there is a good chance that the topic is presented in one viewpoint, that of the white majority. If I am to teach about concepts such as dams, I should not talk only about the physics of hydroelectric power generation but also about environmental impacts and human and animal displacement. Teaching should be holistic and time must be taken to talk about related issues from multiple viewpoints.
This talk has me questioning the lessons I have prepared. I am wondering if topics that I have prepared are narrow and one sided. I will now spend time going through my lessons and thinking about the viewpoint of communities other than my own to see where I can add additional viewpoints to make my lessons more holistic. I will make additions to lessons even if content strays from the topic of focus and perhaps even the subject of the class.

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My asynchronous learning this week was made up of three different activities. The first was watching the press conference from Williams Lake First Nations about the initial geophysical findings on the land at St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School and then attending the space Robert held for us on zoom, looking into materials and discussing ideas with my partner for the final assignment, and watching a couple videos from the Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in B.C. However, I would like to focus this reflection on the space held on zoom as it led to the most personal reflection for me. Although I didn’t speak, I feel very honoured to have been able to listen to everyone thoughts, experiences, and questions. There were two comments that stood out to me in particular. The first was that we need to think about how we are using our voices in our spaces to make sure Reconciliation work is being carried out. I think the immediate thoughts I had about this was in regards to teaching and how I can/will do this in my own classroom, but then I thought about other aspects of school and my personal life. For example, there are spaces such as the staff room where I have heard other teachers discuss FPPL or Indigenous issues, majority of what I heard was good, but there were a couple ignorant comments. Therefore, I think it is important for me to keep in mind that a space in my life involves other staff and I should be using my voice to professionally and politely correct other staff members. I’m not sure exactly of my place in this space as a student teacher, but I think relationships with our colleagues should not be forgotten. Misinformation or lack of sincerity should not be spread to our students. It made me question as well, what I have been doing and how I can use my voice more in my various communities and spaces I hold, whether they may be as simple as my own family or other volunteer work that I do. The other comment that stood out to me from the discussion was that we cannot be “dulled to the world” some time after announcements. I think there are many examples in the world where maybe social media, or the news blows up about certain injustices for a week or so and then because some of us (myself included) are not Indigenous we are able to allow these injustices to fade away because it is not part of our daily lived experience. To me some ways to make sure I do not become dulled is connected to continually using my voice in the communities that I am part of and as an educator.

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This week for my asynchronous learning activity, I did two things: I watched the live broadcast of the press conference regarding St. Joseph's Residential School then joined in the class zoom chat with Robert and some of our classmates to process the information. I also sat through UBC's "Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education" course on YouTube.

The both of the learning activities I engaged in were incredibly informative and undoubtedly deeply interconnected. The press conference was really difficult to watch. It was immensely heartbreaking and touching at the same time. We've all heard that residential schools were horrific, but hearing about the details was almost too much for my heart to handle–one detail from the press conference that I cannot get out of my head is the fact that Indigenous students were made to eat rotten food. They would starve if they didn't eat it and they would get sick if they ate it. My blood boils at the thought. However, I was so moved by the Indigenous song that was sung to close our the conference. I didn't understand what was being sung, but I am so sure that there were notes of healing in it. I entered our class Zoom chat after the conference closed and my heart was almost too heavy to carry. I didn't know if I could enter into that space–simply with all the emotion swirling around my chest. But I did and I am so glad I did. Robert shared his personal narrative and created this incredible space for everyone to be vulnerable and humbled. He said something that hit me so hard. He asked, why it had to take bodies-actual bodies–for people to realize that there was a massive problem. This resounded so deeply with me. There was so much proof of a problem before these bodies were discovered. This reminded me of something that one of the men leading the press conference said. He said that without truth, there cannot be reconcilliation. The truth was ALWAYS there. It was simply ignored. How messed up is that? People's actual accounts were completely discredited for centuries. Near the end of the Zoom chat I broke down in tears. I shared my emotions–emotions of unknowing, helplessness, and pain for the brokenness of our society. Robert and his colleague Jessica held those emotions with a great tenderness. They helped me lean into the unknowing and the helplessness, assuring me that knowledge and enlightenment could, in fact, come to me in that state. I am extremely grateful. They spoke about vulnerability being a gateway into relationship with our students. This was also brought up by Jan Hare in the "Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education" course. She talked about the importance in building relationship with our Indigenous students, their families, and their communities. She noted that, sometimes, there is distrust or uncertainty for Indigenous parents when deciding whether or not to send their children to public schools–for good reason. Building relationships where Indigenous parents can trust that their voices are heard and taken forward is of utmost importance. What's really funny is that I have been told over and over again during my short practicum that I have to be careful with setting boundaries in my relationships with students. "Don't smile until Christmas" is a phrase I've heard more than once. One of my students asked me about my tattoos on short practicum and I wanted so badly to engage in a semi-personal conversation with that student–to come and meet them where they were and show them that I was so human, but I was asked not to by my FA and SA. The colonial view of the teacher-student relationship is so prevalent in the North American school system. It's a hierarchical view. Teachers are authority and students are wildlings that need to be controlled. I hate this view. I want to engage with students in learning. I want to tell them "I don't know" often and work with them to find answers. I want to tell them personal anecdotes. And I will. As soon as I graduate this program, I will become the teacher I want to be-the teacher I need to be.

Thank you Robert and Jessica. I will hold on to your advice with dear life as I continue through this program and through this profession. I have a feeling it will provide fuel in hard times to come.

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I attended the webinar hosted by SOGI UBC and speaker Dr. Megan Scribe. It was fascinating to hear Dr. Scribe speak on both her own personal experiences as an Indigenous feminist scholar as well as on the current research and literature on issues of gender-based violence against Indigenous women and girls. Dr. Scribe spoke on length about her own identity as a half-white individual at the intersection of Indigeneity and settler-colonial being. Her words were pertinent in examining the very real violence that has historically been, and continues to be, perpetrated against Indigenous women and girls; she spoke of "foreground" Indigenous girlhood to understand the intersection of gender and Indigenous identity. She also, very interestingly, spoke on a criticism that she and other scholars like herself have gotten - that she focusses only on Indigenous girls and women, and not men and boys. She reemphasized the specific necessity of having research and activism that focuses specifically on issues of Indigenous girlhood and womanhood - such is the central tenet of intersectionality.

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For my asynchronous learning activity, I flipped through and read some sections of Canada's Residential Schools, Volume 1 - The History, Part 1: Origins to 1939. I bought a paper copy of this book to learn more about the history of residential schools. It's a hefty book with a lot of content, but I'm driven to read it all through eventually. A part of my reading strategy is to skim a lot of the material first (to scan the material so as to better orient myself), but a drawback of this is that I don't become familiar with any particular part yet. Though this is the case, a part of my reading that stood out to me was the "Empire and colonialism" section. In this section, I learned a lot about imperialism and colonialism generally. Additionally, I came to appreciate how far back the act of colonizing really goes, as well as to to the 'cultural origins' of the act. The word empire comes from the Latin imperium which means "to wage war, and to make and execute laws". It's clear the sort of outlook on life behind such a word: life consists of battles, and, following those which result in victory, the writing of laws to exploit those who lost. The act of colonizing, though, wasn't a European-exclusive act--the Chinese also did it, for example. In skimming and reading what I did, I reflected upon the deep-seated laws and outlook on life that can develop in a former colony. The very purpose for a colony to exist is to be exploited in order to help the exploiting country progress. In order for this exploitation to be successful, laws and other structures and institutions must be established in order to justify the exploitation. These sort of entities are long-lived and are often difficult to amend or correct after being established. Indeed, my learning activity has made me reflect on how monumental the task of reconciliation truly is.

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For the asynchronous learning activity, I watched and listened to the "Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in B.C." and "Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education" modules. I decided on both of these modules because I felt that I needed to learn more about including Indigenous perspectives into my teaching practice and classroom. Engaging with these two modules made me reflect deeply and heavily on my own learning and knowledge. My first thought after watching these two modules was that my own school experiences have not included Indigenous perspectives or teachings, including the First Peoples Principles of Learning. I realized how little I actually know about Indigenous perspectives and history. Upon reflecting on this, it encouraged me to make an active approach in learning about Indigenous perspectives and history and finding authentic Indigenous resources to learn from. The module, "Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in B.C." was especially powerful to me.  the module mentions not being afraid of mistakes and learning from the mistakes we make, which made me reflect deeply about myself as a future teacher and learner. We should not be afraid to make mistakes as a learner, especially since mistakes guide us towards becoming better and are part of the learning progress. Looking towards future classes and the practicum, I should not be afraid of making mistakes as it can help me become a better teacher. This includes the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. I can learn from other teachers, Indigenous elders, or Indigenous peoples as to how I can better my teaching to better involve and include Indigenous knowledges and perspectives. As both modules present, we all have a role to play in decolonization and reconciliation. This then involves everyone in the class, with students and I continually learning about how to decolonize and engage in reconciliation. The mistakes made can be used as teaching opportunities where we can both learn how to better ourselves and our paths to supporting decolonization and reconciliation. With these two modules, I feel even more encouraged to learning about Indigenous knowledges, perspectives, and history to improve my learning, knowledge, practice, and myself as a person.

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The biggest takeaway from today's discussion was that teachers should show vulnerability and humbleness in the classroom. In the education system that I have experienced, teachers are highly respected and seen as a form of authority. Some of my teachers, especially the older ones, never admitted in front of the class that they had made a mistake. I still remember that this was a disservice to both the students and the teachers themselves, so I always remind myself not to be like them when I become a teacher. I thought I was doing a good job in my teaching practice. However, as a new learner of Indigenous Peoples history, culture and pedagogy, I was afraid to bring Indigenous Peoples topics into my classroom because I thought I could easily fall into some misconceptions or get emotional. After reflecting on my thoughts, I realized that skipping these topics to avoid making mistakes is another way of avoiding admitting my mistakes. I should embrace my vulnerability and let my students know how grateful I am to be on the journey of decolonizing and indigenizing with them.

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For my asynchronous learning module, I decided to listen to the "Reconciliation & Decolonization in Classrooms" seminar.

I chose this seminar as I am having a tough time thinking of ways to decolonize my classroom and incorporate more Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing into my practices. I would like to stray away from merely including land acknowledgments and jotting down First People's Principles of Learning in my lesson plans. I feel like it becomes lip service and that I'm just trying to check off boxes.
Throughout the seminar, there were plenty of examples that the speakers included, especially Denise Augustine. I remember the stories that she shared during her long history of being a Director of Aboriginal Education. These stories and examples ranged from elementary years to secondary years, which makes it easily applicable to my practices now. It makes me reflect on how much work I still need to put in to decolonize my classroom, as I cannot even begin to imagine how much work Denise has done. This is especially made harder as I am not well-versed in the field of Indigenous history or education due to my lack of exposure to it throughout my school career. Now I am now more conscious about the language I choose to use, and the way I approach my lesson planning. I plan to incorporate more traditional Indigenous warm-up games and delve deeper into the history of these games rather than merely playing these games.

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On Jan Hare's series on "Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education":

As I reflect on this series, I think about how we are all responsible for and implicated in challenging colonialism in our classrooms. As a settler on this land, Il inherit a legacy of injustice and a history of dehumanizing laws and acts. We need to challenge our deep-seated beliefs in order to transform the institutions that hold power. We need to understand that colonization is not a discrete event that happened in the distant past, it is the foundation of so many structures that continue to perpetuate unjust outcomes in the lives of Indigenous peoples. I see the biggest violence perpetrated by settlers was the forced separation of Indigenous people from their land, knowledge, language, and culture. I was intrigued by Marie Battiste's concept of "Deconstruction and Reconstruction". I see it as a useful framework for thinking about how we can enact meaningful change going forward. We need to think about the restitution of Indigenous peoples' spiritual and economic autonomy and their dignity. We need to rethink our relationship to the land and learn from the sustainable practices and connections that Indigenous peoples have had with the land for centuries. I found myself pausing often to take notes on the parts that I want to include in my teaching philosophy.

I also watched Jo-ann Archibald’s two talks on Indigenous Storytelling/Storywork. As an English teacher, I felt inspired by the stories she told. Stories get to the root of what it means to be human and how we make sense of our experiences. Indigenous storytelling practices deeply involve the values and knowledges of ancestors, family members, elders, community members. As I write this I see the spellchecker freak out over “knowledges”! We can adopt these frameworks, as well as the FPPL, to engage in reflection about our profound connections to the land and other beings. Jan Hare’s series also discussed how stories are powerful for relationship building, as we relate to our students by sharing stories and listening to theirs. Beyond this, we should also engage students in listening, participating, and contributing to stories. Stories are not just one-sided dialectical lectures. They are dynamic. They involve the principles of reciprocity. responsibility, reverence, respect, synergy, holism, and interrelatedness. To me, respect stands out the most. It is about acknowledging that there is no one right view of the world. I hope to include Coyote’s story about two-eyed seeing in my storytelling unit. There is no one right way to tell a story. I was feeling apprehensive before about putting a criterion on my project for “storyline structure”, because I don’t believe that students should view stories in any structured or predictable way. Moreover, educators have responsibilities as storytellers/ We choose the stories we tell and how we frame them will have an impact on how open students are to new knowledges. I want my students to see stories as cyclical, history as reiterative, and human beings as fluid and interconnected.

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I wanted to take some time to reflect on how participating in the last two sessions. (today discussions following St. Joseph'sRS report and last weeks session on reconciliation and decolonization in education) I have truly been appreciating these opportunities to sit and listen to authentic, personal accounts on issues that have been presented to me through school where I was asked for my opinion. I realized how unqualified I am to voice an opinion, let alone to teach the topic authoritatively. As we were asked to create a circle of connection in an earlier class, I am beginning to relate those circles to ways in which I am complicit in what was occurring over the past few decades and with the time I wasted on inconsequential interests. My circles illuminate the privilege I have benefitted from and help me reflect not only on my own beliefs and prejudices throughout the years but I find myself trying to make sense of how several generations have had it wrong all along.
The one thing that angers me is that the TRC Report came out nearly a decade ago and yet there are still many people who claim ignorance. Although it is fair to say that truths are being shared with new generations and there seems to be hope for being able to aspire to reconciliation through education, there still remains a large portion of the population that simply doesn't have the capacity for compassion, empathy and self-reflection. I am trying to come to terms with the hypocrisy I now recognize in myself and in those around me growing up.

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After watching the press conference on the St.Joseph's residential school site, I felt it necessary to do more listening and learning. I have been listening to residential school survivors speak about their trauma, to their children who endure the pain and suffering, and the generational impacts. There are dark stories and truths that I see inflict heavy trauma. This sharing is so raw and brave. It is not just about listening and learning, there needs to be more done. I need to unlearn what I have been told, what I had access to. I want to hear the truth and I want to follow guidance from Indigenous Peoples' on what I can do to help.
It is not about me, but I do want to recognize the one piece of information that I can not get out of my head. It was touched on during the press conference that Canadians are ready for truth and now accepting truth. This statement alludes to the ignorance that is too often apparent when there are so many wrongs. The ownership of relearning this horrific past needs to be committed to by all, should have already been committed to by all. Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars, described the story of a residential school victim who reported her abuse to a list of authorities, including her parents, the RCMP, the First Peoples outreach person at the school, and more. NOTHING was done. If anything, the reports were hidden or erased. I can not stop thinking about this. I will not stop thinking about this.

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I found it interesting that there were questions from a German newspaper about Canada’s next steps at the news conference. Germany is a country that very publicly had to heal and reconcile. Canada’s holocaust is public now. Makes me wonder if we weren’t “Canada” what kind of reconciliation and reparations would be demanded of us by the world?

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I had rewatched Jennifer Kramer's tour of Kent Monkman's Shame and Prejudice exhibition. I had spent quite a lot of time at the exhibit while it was at the Museum of Anthropology. Monkman's work is so powerful. one of the things that makes it so effective is that it is a medium that is familiar to people. Unlike Yuxweluptum, Yaghulanaas or Beau Dick, you do not need an understanding of the artist or indigenous art to see what Monkman is communicating. the neo-classical or perhaps a classical revisionist satirical style that Monkman employs is so great, not only for the commentary but the way it decolonized classical painting and sculpture. Paintings like The Daddies or Iron Horse are so amazing and powerful. The section though I want to talk about the most is the Residential School Section. The Scream is probably his most famous work, and in it we see very viscerally the indigenous children be ripped away by the church and state from their relations and families. Listening to the St.Joseph's School press conference today there were a few things that stood out in relation to this and the first is pain, and not just pain from those directly involved like the Nuxalk, Secwepmec and other First Nations, but also all the indigenous people across Canada who share this history and this painful experience. He also stressed education as being an important if not the foundational piece to reconciliation. This is where I have trouble. I will argue that residential schools and the pain and aches and trauamas of colonisation do not need to be taught in schools. But in my experience with indigenous education, the impulse is to push for resilience informed education, rather than trauma informed, so I need to learn how to balance this. I do not like trauma informed as a lens to teach. I see focusing on trauma, in my own community(I am Jewish) as being what allows us to preform the mental gymnastics that justify the genocide in Palestine, and so I do not want any of my teaching to be trauma informed to the degree that students are feeling that trauma excuses the infliction of more trauma which tends to be the pattern of history. So ultimately how do residential schools lead in to stories of resilience? I think of Beau Dick's story of Atlikim and the tree that is so rooted by its traumas that it cannot move, and that healing those traumas is the only way for it to move, and how this does not mean forgetting that trauma, but more of an uprooting perhaps from the trauma as being what is foundational to an understanding of indigeneity. I apologize for the very scattered thoughts, but the St. Joseph's press conference was al ot to take in and I just felt like I needed to write this out as part of our learning this week.

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At the live broadcast about the discovery at the St. Joseph's school site, the Chief mentioned further financial support to continue the investigation. Why is the government not funding this?!?