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The Empowering the Spirit website focuses on sharing resources to provide a better understanding “to increase awareness, understanding and application of First Nations, Métis and Inuit histories, perspectives and ways of knowing for the purpose of implementing treaty and residential schools education and Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action for education.” Within the website, there are resources such as lesson plans, land based learning, videos, tool kits, teacher professional development and lots of links to other websites to support schools in applying Indigenous knowledge into the classroom.

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Educational Resource to Support Reconciliation

First Nations, Métis and Inuit students experience greater success as engaged participants in learning that is authentic and connected to their personal values and life experiences. First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, families and communities need to feel that curricula honours their perspectives, histories, languages and cultures.

This website provides support for all levels within school jurisdictions to increase awareness, understanding and application of First Nations, Métis and Inuit histories, perspectives and ways of knowing for the purpose of implementing treaty and residential schools education and Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action for education.

What You Will Find on this Site

The Story of this Site

Empowering the Spirit is a collection of resources curated to increase awareness and understanding of First Nations, Métis and Inuit histories, perspectives and ways of knowing. The collection of tools, videos and websites found within Empowering the Spirit lend support to teachers and school leaders as they endeavor to weave Indigenous knowledge systems into their current practice. In celebration of the important connectedness of learning and the natural world, and in appreciation of the Indigenous peoples who were this land's first keepers, the turtle icon serves as a symbolic guide to help navigate this site. The turtle is significant in many Indigenous communities as a crucial member of the Creation story, viewed as a knowledge keeper and teacher.

Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia (ARPDC), led by Calgary Regional Consortium (CRC) and Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium (ERLC), is pleased to introduce its First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education for Reconciliation grant. ARPDC will provide professional learning at all levels of school jurisdictions that results in an increased awareness and understanding of First Nations, Métis and Inuit histories, perspectives, and ways of knowing for the purpose of implementing treaty and residential schools' education and Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations for education.

Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortium provides ongoing professional learning to support educators. Please contact your local consortia to find current and upcoming learning opportunities.

Resources Proudly Developed By:

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Educational Resource to Support Reconciliation First Nations, Métis and Inuit students experience greater success as engaged participants in learning that is authentic and connected to their personal values and life experiences. First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, families and communities need to feel that curricula honours their perspectives, histories, languages and cultures.

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Our Words, Our Ways: Teaching First Nations, Metis and Inuit learners is a resource guide put out by Alberta Education. It is a bit dated (2005) but one of the main things that drew me to this resource was that it was created to support how Aboriginal students learn as well as a variety of strategies to help with lesson planning. As I am looking for ways to support bringing in western and traditional ways together through place based learning, I thought this resource would be helpful. Within the resource you can find information about Aboriginal cultures, history, perspectives, strategies such as rubrics and ideas to help support teachers in meeting the needs of Aboriginal students when they are planning for their lessons. Aboriginal Elders, teachers and psychologists as well as other members of Alberta’s Aboriginal communities helped to contribute to the making of this resource guide and it is aimed to support administrators, teachers, school staff, counselors and even liaison workers.

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Infusing Indigenous Knowledge into Curriculum

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Infusing Indigenous Knowledge into Curriculum

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Infusing Indigenous Knowledge into Curriculum website focuses on the Alberta Curriculum for grades 1-6. The resources on the website were developed by the Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia (ARPDC) and appear to have been recently developed in June 2020. The website's resources are broken down into grade levels as well into four different seasons to help identify Essential Learning Outcomes for each core subject level throughout the school year. Looking through the site, you can find examples of the Essential Learning Outcome and ways to infuse Cree ways of knowing to support land based learning in Alberta through information charts. The charts are broken down with the Subject, the Big Idea, Learning Outcomes and ways to infuse the ways of knowing. This looks like a great place to start breaking down the Learning Outcomes and weave in Indigenous content that could transfer to palace based learning.

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The overview below provides an "at-a-glance" view of the main topics and themes in Grade 6 English Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science programs of study. Icons and colours are used to identify seasons in which to teach these topics and themes. Many of the essential learning outcomes

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Stepping Stones resource helps to support teachers to learn and understand First Nations, Métis and Inuit Foundational Knowledge competencies. One Stepping Stone publication that I wanted to focus in on is the one on Traditional Plants. This publication would be a great resource to help teachers weave in traditional plants into their place based lessons. The publication discusses different types of plants and their uses and even goes further to discuss smudging. One question that stood out from the publication was: How does understanding traditional plants and uses assist educators to build respectful relationships and create inclusive environments?

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This website resource explores Kainai plants and culture as well as the sharing of oral stories about plants, the land and connection with the Kainai.

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The Walking Together resource focuses on First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Perspectives in the Alberta Curriculum. Some of the topics you can explore are Connection to the Land, Treaty Rights, Elders and Culture and Language to name a few. I explored the topic of Oral Traditions to see just what was available and how the voice of Oral Traditions is represented. The link allows the user to, “Develop an understanding of stories that preserve and reinforce the oral traditions of Inuit, Métis and First Nations people.” From this link there is a small collection of videos that showcase stories and there are further weblinks to storytelling. This seems to be a rich resource on many topics that help to understand curriculum perspectives on First Nations, Metis and Inuit.

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The east represents a beginning and in many First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures, the journey proceeds clockwise. If you are new to this resource, it’s a good idea to start on the eastern side of the circle of rocks, with the Worldviews topic area.

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Alberta Grasslands: A World at Your Feet is a teacher resource put together by Alberta Environment. This guide is aimed for grades 7-9 and the focus of the guide is to provide resource material focused at, “Increasing students awareness, understanding, and appreciation for the native grassland ecosystem of Alberta.” Within the resource students are introduced to the history, biology and geography of the grasslands of Alberta. This resource also discusses, The Ways of the Aboriginal People as well as Aboriginal Uses of Plants, both of which would work well within a place based lesson plan. Teachers will have access to posters to help introduce students to the landscape with embedded information about the grasslands, as well as a Teacher’s Guide with Activity Masters. The resource guide focuses on six learning objectives: learn about Alberta’s geological formation, study aboriginal connections to the grasslands, discover the inter-relationships of grassland organisms, learn about basic grassland ecological processes,  explore current environmental issues and  apply new knowledge to conserve and protect the environment.

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Within the Alberta Teacher Quality Standards (TQS), are six competencies that teachers must meet to hold an Alberta teaching certificate. The six competencies are: Fostering Effective Relationships, Engaging in Career-Long Learning, Demonstrating a Professional Body of Knowledge, Establishing Inclusive Learning Environments, Applying Foundational Knowledge about First Nations, Métis and Inuit and Adhering to Legal Frameworks and Policies.

Specifically when we look at Applying Foundational Knowledge about First Nations, Métis and Inuit, a teacher develops and applies foundational knowledge about First Nations, Métis and Inuit for the benefit of all students. The “Achievement of this competency is demonstrated by indicators such as: a. understanding the historical, social, economic and political implications of: • treaties and agreements with First Nations; • legislation and agreements negotiated with Métis; and • residential schools and their legacy; b. supporting student achievement by engaging in collaborative, whole school approaches to capacity building in First Nations, Métis and Inuit education; c. using the programs of study to provide opportunities for all students to develop a knowledge and understanding of, and respect for, the histories, cultures, languages, contributions, perspectives, experiences and contemporary contexts of First Nations, Métis and Inuit; and d. supporting the learning experiences of all students by using resources that accurately reflect and demonstrate the strength and diversity of First Nations, Métis and Inuit”

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Overview

A professional practice standard identifies the competency requirements for members of a profession.

Professional practice standards:

guide university and other education programming for teachers and leaders

provide the basis for teacher certification, mentorship, induction and career-long learning

provide the foundation for teacher growth planning, and for supervision and evaluation of professional practice

Government and community partners worked together to develop Alberta's 3 professional practice standards for the teaching profession. All 3 standards align with and build on each other:

The Teaching Quality Standard (TQS) describes the professional expectations for teachers who work directly with students.

The Leadership Quality Standard (LQS) outlines the professional expectations that principals and school jurisdiction leaders must demonstrate to create the conditions under which teachers can do their best work.

The Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard (SLQS) defines the professional expectations that superintendents must demonstrate to create the conditions under which school leaders and teachers can do their best work.

The standards are Ministerial Orders, making all teaching professionals accountable for their applicable standard to the Minister of Education.

Standards

Teaching Quality Standard

The professional practice of all Alberta teachers is guided by the Teaching Quality Standard (TQS). This standard is the basis for certification of all Alberta teachers and holds them accountable to the profession and to the Minister of Education.

The TQS applies to all certificated teachers in Alberta and is aligned with the LQS and the SLQS.

The TQS:

Quality teaching occurs when the teacher's ongoing analysis of the context, and the teacher's decisions about which pedagogical knowledge and abilities to apply, result in optimum learning for all students.

The standard further identifies 6 competencies teachers must meet in order to hold and maintain an Alberta teaching certificate:

1. Fostering Effective Relationships

2. Engaging in Career-Long Learning

3. Demonstrating a Professional Body of Knowledge

4. Establishing Inclusive Learning Environments

5. Applying Foundational Knowledge about First Nations, Métis and Inuit

6. Adhering to Legal Frameworks and Policies

Each competency in the standard includes several indicators showing examples of competent teaching practice, and support resources are available.

Teacher certification

Teachers applying for an Alberta teaching certificate must meet the TQS to be recommended for certification.

Learn more about teacher certification.

Leadership Quality Standard

The Leadership Quality Standard (LQS) (PDF, 1.2 MB) aligns with the TQS and the SLQS. The standard is applicable in public, separate, francophone, charter and funded accredited private school authorities to all:

principals

assistant, associate and vice principals

school jurisdiction leaders (a central office staff member, other than the superintendent of schools or deputy superintendent, who is required by their leadership position to hold an Alberta teaching certificate)

Quality leadership occurs when the leader's ongoing analysis of the context, and decisions about what leadership knowledge and abilities to apply, result in quality teaching and optimum learning for all school students.

The LQS further identifies 9 competencies which leaders must demonstrate in their practice:

1. Fostering Effective Relationships

2. Modeling Commitment to Professional Learning

3. Embodying Visionary Leadership

4. Leading a Learning Community

5. Supporting the Application of Foundational Knowledge about First Nations, Métis and Inuit

6. Providing Instructional Leadership

7. Developing Leadership Capacity

8. Managing School Operations and Resources

9. Understanding and Responding to the Larger Societal Context

Each competency in the standard includes several indicators showing examples of competent leadership practice, and support resources are available.

Leadership certification

The LQS governs leadership certification and aims to help individuals entering leadership roles have a common level of preparation.

Principals and superintendents of schools are required to hold leadership certification. Newly hired principals and superintendents who do not have leadership certification can still take on these roles by obtaining temporary leadership certification.

Teachers new to leadership roles or aspiring to them can get leadership certification by completing approved leadership coursework (PDF, 130 KB) through Alberta post-secondary institutions. Teachers may complete the leadership coursework at any time - contact university providers directly for more information.

Learn more about leadership certification.

Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard

The Superintendent Leadership Quality Standard (SLQS) (PDF, 1.7 MB) aligns with the TQS and LQS. The standard applies to all superintendents of schools and deputy superintendents in public, separate, francophone and charter school authorities.

Quality superintendent leadership occurs when the superintendent's ongoing analysis of the context, and the superintendent's decisions about what leadership knowledge and abilities to apply, result in quality school leadership, quality teaching and optimum learning for all students in the school authority.

The SLQS identifies 7 competencies superintendents must demonstrate in their professional practice:

1. Building Effective Relationships

2. Modeling Commitment to Professional Learning

3. Visionary Leadership

4. Leading Learning

5. Ensuring First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education for All Students

6. School Authority Operations and Resources

7. Supporting Effective Governance

Each competency in the standard includes several indicators showing examples of competent leadership practice.

Superintendent leadership certification

The SLQS governs superintendent leadership certification and aims to help individuals entering these roles have a common level of preparation.

Superintendents of schools are required to hold superintendent leadership certification. Newly hired superintendents of schools who do not have superintendent leadership certification can still take up their roles. These individuals will be issued temporary superintendent leadership certification as part of the appointment process.

Teachers new to superintendent of schools roles or aspiring to them can get superintendent leadership certification by completing approved leadership and superintendent leadership coursework (PDF, 136 KB) through Alberta post-secondary institutions. Contact university providers directly for more information.

Learn more about superintendent leadership certification.

Resources

Government maintains a variety of Kindergarten to Grade 12 education resources to help teaching professionals implement the professional practice standards. These include:

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A professional practice standard identifies the competency requirements for members of a profession. Professional practice standards: guide university and other education programming for teachers and leaders provide the basis for teacher certification, mentorship, induction and career-long learning provide the foundation for teacher growth planning, and for supervision and evaluation of professional practice Government and community partners worked together to develop Alberta's 3 professional practice standards for the teaching profession.

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First Nations, Metis and Inuit Professional Learning

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First Nations, Metis and Inuit Professional Learning

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First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Professional Learning website offers opportunities for professional learning as well as curricular resources to support professional learning. There are numerous resources found on the website from videos, to digital resources for creating lesson plans. The resources and support tools focus on the four pillars (Learning to Be, Learning to Know, Learning to Do, Learning to Relate) of professional learning that were inspired by the UNESCO Pillars of Education. There is a How and When to Use the First Nations, Metis and Inuit Professional Learning Website Guide that, “highlights the features of this website and stimulates learning, conversation, critical reflection, and the development of implementation approaches and strategies.” The website has much to offer in ways of professional learning as well as education resources in lesson planning.

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The resources in this photo tile gallery provide a "big picture" of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Professional Learning.

Watch videos for an introduction to professional learning and overviews of the pillar goals and strategic pathways that build capacity for you and your students.

Build understandings with foundation resources. Open photo stories to reflect on your understandings and perspectives.

Use the guides, sources, and Google Docs to inform your professional learning process.

Sort these resources by clicking on each resource category below. Mouse over and click the icon or touch the photo tile to access each resource.

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FNMI - First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Professional Learning Project

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The resources in this photo tile gallery provide a "big picture" of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Professional Learning. Watch videos for an introduction to professional learning and overviews of the pillar goals and strategic pathways that build capacity for you and your students. Build understandings with foundation resources.

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The Weaving Ways Video Series is found within the Empowering the Spirit website that I shared in my third post. I wanted to build upon the previous post as this resource site has so much to offer. This resource is found under the Classroom Supports tab on the Empowering the Spirit website. The resource is built around four interconnected quadrants of: Cultures of Belonging, Sharing Through Story, Pedagogy and Instructional Design. I found this particular part to be useful as it provides videos on Alberta teachers providing examples of how they create lessons to weave in Indigenous ways of knowing with their current practice. There are currently three videos available each with a different focus on different grade levels (elementary, middle school and high school). The video series also accompanies the Weaving Ways Introductory Guide as well as the Weaving Ways of Knowing in Classrooms and Schools Conversation Guide which can help support teachers and schools in going deeper with the video series.

Empowering the Spirit website: https://empoweringthespirit.ca/classroom-supports/

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Weaving Indigenous Ways of Knowing in Elementary Schools and Classrooms

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Within the Glenbow Museum website, there are links to the Indigenous Exhibitions as well as to a Learning Resource section. Within the Learning Resource section you can find protocols to support teachers in teaching First Nations students as well as access to instructional units and other resources to support lesson planning through the Teacher’s Toolkit. All the units provided have been designed to work with the Blackfoot Virtual Exhibit activities and provide cultural and historical resources, strategies for assessment as well as various activities. When you access the Blackfoot Virtual Exhibit there are three language options: English, French and even Blackfoot. There are also four main sections of focus: How we lived with the buffalo, How we lived with the land, How we lived with our families and How we lived with other people. These are great topics that can be used when teachers are planning their lessons and I can see an extension to fit into Place Based Learning. Beyond that there are also links to Treaties, The Whiskey Trade, Reserves, Residential Schools, Language etc.

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"Everything has a meaning, a benefit, and a purpose. If we take it for granted, it won't be there. We need to appreciate things that are there for our benefit. The other thing I learned was ... if you take something, always give something back. The children would take berries, but also put an offering on the ground."

- Andy Black Water, Kainai

This web site was created as a companion to the Niitsitapiisini Virtual Exhibit created by the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and is divided into two main sections: Blackfoot Culture and Learning Resources.

The Blackfoot Culture section of the toolkit provides an overview of the culture and history of the Blackfoot people. This section introduces teachers to the Blackfoot world and how it has changed and adapted over the centuries.

The Learning Resources section informs teachers of the protocols involved in teaching First Nations students, provides access to instructional units and a list of additional resources. The units are designed to compliment and extend the Virtual Exhibit web activities and include cultural and historical resources, activities and assessment strategies.

Classroom teachers, the Glenbow Museum and members of the Canadian and American Blackfoot Nations worked together in a collaborative effort to produce the materials that are found within this teachers' toolkit.

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Collene Armstrong, Linda Lucas, Sally Listener, Mary Chief Calf, Julaine Guitton, Herman Yellow Old Woman, Shirlee Crowshoe, Dennis Sedor, Melanie Kjorlien, Cherry Sham

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Niitsitapiisini - Our Way of Life - Teacher's Toolkit

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"Everything has a meaning, a benefit, and a purpose. If we take it for granted, it won't be there. We need to appreciate things that are there for our benefit. The other thing I learned was ... if you take something, always give something back.

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The Walk With Us Project was developed by a former teacher in Ontario “to help students in remote First Nation communities showcase their hometown and tell their childhood stories through the use of Google Maps Street View.” Essentially the Walk With Us project breaks itself down in two ways. The first is by connecting First Nations communities in a visible Google Map. The interactive map allows you to upload 360’ images of your school and community and once you have uploaded the images you are now part of the map. This allows anyone to visit the communities and learn more about them.The other part of the project is to work with students to help create these visual tours of their communities for storytelling.The, “Students are the historians by interviewing Elders and teaching others about where they live in an immersive and engaging way.” This is a great way to connect communities together and to allow stories to be shared from those communities as well as understanding more about those communities.

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Banner Image, "Peawanuck from the Cliffs", by Alex M., Walk With Us member

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LRSD First Nations, Metis and Inuit Success Coordinator.

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LRSD First Nations, Metis and Inuit Success Coordinator.

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Livingstone Range School Division’s First Nations, Metis and Inuit Success Coordinator, Sandra Lamouche. She is a Cree Hoop Dancer, educator as well as a wife and mother. In our school division, Sandra works with staff and students on First Nations history, culture and ways of knowing. Sandra also works with schools to not only teach hoop dancing but also to share oral stories, plan lessons, connect with elders and support teachers in a deeper understanding of First Nations, Metis and Inuit cultures. Sandra, “Uses hoop dance teachings to inspire others to live in balance and harmony with themselves, their friends and family, and with the environment. She uses hoop dance teachings to inspire others to live in balance and harmony with themselves, their friends and family, and with the environment.”

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The Beautiful Struggle of Life and Other Hoop Dance Teachings | Sandra Lamouche | TEDxULeth

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Building Brains Together website main mission of the is, “to build adult capabilities to improve brain development and executive functions in children through research and education.” The part of the website that drew me to take a closer look was the area on Resources. Under the resource links, you can find Blackfoot Songs as well as Indigenous Games.  “The Indigenous Games takes all people into account with great consideration to recognize other’s beliefs and practices. There isn’t a right way or wrong way to play the games, just different ways that reflect different societies.”
Building Brains Together, (n.d.). Blackfoot children’s songs. Building Brains Together. https://www.buildingbrains.ca/blackfoot-songs

Building Brains Together, (n.d.). Indigenous games. Building Brains Together. https://www.buildingbrains.ca/indigenous-games

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INDIGENOUS GAMES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Building Brains Together thanks Mary Ellen Little Mustache for all of her organizing and coordinated efforts to help BBT with our collection of Indigenous Children games. The Indigenous Games takes all people into account with great consideration to recognize other's beliefs and practices. "There isn't a right way or wrong way to play the games, just different ways that reflect different societies". International Traditional Games ( https://www.traditionalnativegames.org/). Click on the games to access the pdf version.

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Indigenous Games - Building Brains Together

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Building Brains Together thanks Mary Ellen Little Mustache for all of her organizing and coordinated efforts to help BBT with our collection of Indigenous Children games. The Indigenous Games takes all people into account with great consideration to recognize other's beliefs and practices.