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Integrating Indigenous voices and texts in the curriculum and classroom! Over the last few years, I have learnt the importance of incorporating Indigenous authors, poets, and storytellers in the classroom. I believe that it is important that we do not speak for these people but rather that we create a space for their voices to be heard.

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To include Indigenous perspectives and decolonize language and literacy curricula in Canada, it's important to integrate works by Indigenous Canadian authors and talk about the oral traditions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities within the texts. Collaborating with local Elders and Knowledge Keepers is also important to co-create lesson plans that reflect their histories, values, and languages. For example, I’ve seen schools implement land-based learning activities and incorporate the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action into their teaching, fostering a deeper understanding of Indigenous experiences and resilience within all subjects.

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To include Indigenous perspectives and decolonizing our language and literacy curricula, I believe hearing from Indigenous people is the most important. To truly understand what needs to be changed we must hear from Indigenous people themselves. Possibly collaborating with local Indigenous communities to share their perspectives, traditions and culture. I also think it is important as teachers to have Indigenous content in the classroom. Meaning books, poetry, artwork, videos in the classroom. More importantly, it should be content made by Indigenous people.

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To better include Indigenous perspectives and decolonize language and literacy curricula, during my placements, I have seen teachers show students videos on important issues that Indigenous communities are experiencing to accompany land acknowledgements. This includes Indigenous perspectives in the classrooms in more meaningful ways. It also allows students alternate ways to comprehend some of the issues these communities face and that land acknowledgements address. Additionally, integrating videos alongside land acknowledgments can be an excellent way to begin each day with meaningful dialogue in the classroom and incorporate it into literacy curricula.

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Ensuring that texts you read in the classroom about Indigenous perspectives and ways of life are being told first hand by the Indigenous author. I believe that it is important for us as future educators to be contentious to not speak for Indigenous peoples but to create an environment where we can learn together.

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To include Indigenous perspectives and decolonize language and literacy curricula, educators can incorporate literature by Indigenous authors, emphasize Indigenous languages, and collaborate with local Indigenous communities to share knowledge and co-teach lessons. This involves critically analyzing texts for colonial biases, integrating oral storytelling traditions, and practicing land-based learning to connect students to the significance of the land. Diverse assessment methods, such as valuing oral communication and collaboration, align with Indigenous pedagogies and foster understanding and respect for Indigenous worldviews. For example, in a Grade 3 literacy lesson, I read a book about an Ojibwe girl’s experiences, prompting students to reflect on cultural significance, discuss oral traditions, and create their own oral stories as a class.

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I think we can do better at integrating Indigenous teachings within our classrooms on a daily basis. Simply by incorporating children story books that are written/illustrated/produced by Indigenous individuals. Further, I think it is important to incorporate the beauty of Indigenous culture and practices, rather than hyper-fixate on teaching the "scary". This will create a sense of belonging, and allow students to see the beauty in diversity.

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To include Indigenous perspectives and decolonize language and literacy curricula, educators can integrate authentic Indigenous voices, teachings, and worldview into their teaching practices. As educators, we must also critically examine the curriculum and teaching mateirals to ensure they represent Indigenous perspectives. For example, we can use books that are written and illustrated by Indigenous authors to share authentic stories and perspectives. By integrating Indigenous perspectives, we can create a more inclusive and equitable approach to literacy that honors Indigenous voices.

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I think an effective way to include Indigenous perspectives and decolonize our language and literacy curricula is to incorporate books from Indigenous authors and communities. Students need to access these stories and perspectives from authentic voices. Teachers can welcome Indigenous guest speakers into their classrooms and even work to create an appropriate land acknowledgement which I saw various classes do in my placement. Teachers should seek support from Indigenous consultants and resources to ensure they are appropriately including these voices and teaching about the cultures.

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To decolonize language and literacy curriculum, we can focus on incorporating Indigenous perspectives and honouring their traditions. Educators can use books and stories by Indigenous authors and include oral histories, poetry, and graphic novels. I have also seen educators collaborate with local Indigenous communities to invite Elders or Knowledge Keepers to share their stories and teachings. We can also encourage students to explore Indigenous and colonial perspectives through inquiry projects on topics such as treaties or residential schools, fostering critical conversations and cultural appreciation.

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To better integrate Indigenous perspectives and work towards decolonizing language and literacy curricula, it’s important to prioritize authentic materials that highlight Indigenous voices and experiences. This might involve incorporating books and stories authored by Indigenous writers to provide students with valuable insights into Indigenous cultures. Teachers can also create learning opportunities that explore treaties, land acknowledgments, and the historical and ongoing roles of Indigenous communities. Adopting teaching methods that align with Indigenous traditions, such as storytelling and collaborative learning, can help make lessons more inclusive and reflective of Indigenous values. Building partnerships with Indigenous communities can further ensure the curriculum is both respectful and relevant, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous heritage.

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Integrating Indigenous perspectives and decolonizing language in literacy is an essential step to creating an inclusive and equitable classroom. Some ways that I have noticed certain schools doing this is by incoorperating different Indigenous texts into their school libraries and classrooms. This has highlighted the importance of integrating Indigeous authors into the schools to allow students to connect with their own personal stories. I further beleive this allows us to reflect critically on our Canadian history.

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To better include indigenous perspectives and decolonize our language and literacy curricula, there are lots of things that can be done. I think one way would be to bring more texts from authentic Indigenous authors into the classroom. In addition to this, have guest speakers come into the classroom to talk about their culture, practices, and ways of life. Personally speaking, I do not feel comfortable teaching this and talking about a culture with different spiritual practices feels like I am crossing boundaries to their culture that I know next to nothing about. I think to help with this, having an elder come in to talk about it would relieve much of that stress and anxiety. Also, talking to them about how we can incorporate more Indigenous education would be helpful because I think many educators feel uncomfortable when talking about or teaching this subject, especially when it comes to their spiritual practices. We need to hear from them for what is best.

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As a teacher, I can use a holistic approach to decolonize the language and literacy curricula. I believe this can be achieved by using the Indigenous framework, the 4 directions, which addresses the body, mind, spirit, and heart. Using the 4 directions, I might facilitate literacy activities like reflective journaling to explore emotional connections (heart), discussions on moral and ethical questions raised by texts (spirit), hands-on projects like creating storyboards based on books written by Indigenous authors (body), and activities that allow students to critically analyze and explore the themes and characters in stories (mind). This approach ensures a literacy experience that honours Indigenous knowledge systems while fostering inclusivity and decolonization.

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Decolonizing my teaching means reflecting on the language I use and challenging the single stories often presented in curricula. I want to create space for students to explore Indigenous ways of knowing through storytelling, land-based learning, and open conversations/ learning together and building respect along the way. I want to include Indigenous perspectives in my teaching by inviting Elders or Knowledge Keepers to share stories with students, giving them the chance to connect with cultural traditions and authentic voices. I also plan to incorporate books by Indigenous authors to introduce diverse perspectives and spark meaningful discussions about respect and identity.

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To better include Indigenous perspectives and decolonize our language and literacy curricula, I have seen the use of books and videos created by Indigenous people in the classrooms I have been in. It is very important to share content that are written or created by Indigenous people, rather than just about Indigenous people. Another way to include Indigenous perspectives could be through having Indigenous guest speakers in classrooms, who could share their own personal experiences.

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To better include indigenous perspectives in the classroom, I think it is important to include resources such as books, videos and pictures that are written by indigenous peoples. In my past placement, every resource we used in social studies while discussing Indigenous people was written or drawn by Indigenous people. I really enjoyed researching and looking for ways to be more inclusive in the classroom and ensure that all voices are represented. In my first placement, the social studies unit that touched upon Indigenous communities was mostly printed worksheets and the students were rarely exposed to other resources which felt very unsettling when watching her teach and how she wanted me to teach. I remember in my school experience as a child, we would have Indigenous Elders come to our class and share stories and ideas from their experiences. We even had an Indigenous Elder come share knowledge last year, in teachers college. I think it’s important to prioritize including different perspectives in the classroom and ensuring that we are consistently finding new ways.

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In order for me to include Indigenous perspectives and work towards decolonizing language and literacy curriculum, it's important to make room for Indigenous voices in the classroom. This can be done by sharing stories, books, and writings by Indigenous authors from across Canada, not just Ontario. Although including stories written by individuals native and a part of the Indigenous history of our local area should be of priority to also educate yourself. We should also talk about the importance of oral traditions in Indigenous communities, like the stories shared by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, which can help students understand the richness of their culture and history.

One great way to do this is by working closely with local Elders and Knowledge Keepers, which our school boards should be able to assist us with this process. By learning from these first person perspectives and involving them in the execution of our lessons, we can make sure we are teaching in a way that respects and reflects Indigenous values, languages, and histories. While decolonizing our practice by ensuring an Indigenous voice is physically represented in our classroom.

In my own experience, schools that have incorporated land-based learning activities—where students get to learn outdoors and connect with the land—have created deeper, more meaningful learning. We can also look at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and think about how we can weave them into our teaching, so students not only learn about Indigenous experiences but also develop a sense of responsibility for reconciliation and respect. This approach helps build understanding and empathy for Indigenous peoples, while also creating a more inclusive and thoughtful classroom environment, which we should all strive for.