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I find the two competing metaphors, that of the fort and the braid, to be interesting in how both can represent the relationship and interactions between indigenous peoples and European settlers from first contact until today. On the one hand, the fort symbolizes the origins of the fur trade and the arrival of "civilization" as conceptualized by colonial powers and directly brought to what is now known as Canada by fur traders and settlers. The othering of "uncivilized" indigenous peoples on the outside of the fort walls suggests that there were no relations between them and the "civilization" that grew on the inside, but in fact part of the reason why the fur trade and other colonial endeavours succeeded was the braid-like, close relationship that settlers had with indigenous peoples, who shared their knowledge of the lands to them (eg. showing them how to navigate rivers) and (in many cases) welcomed them to live alongside their families as long as they do not disturb their way of life (retaining their sovereignty and title to the land). Indigenous peoples further encouraged trade by selling used beaver pelts to Europeans, since softer pelts were in-demand and fur trappers would not need to travel as far in-land to obtain their stock. The intertwined braid represents these close relationships, and that both groups relied on one another. In fact, the success of colonization (in particular the fur trade) can be at least partly attributed to these cooperative relationships. I think we each have a fort inside of us, acting like an echo chamber of facts that reinforces our biases and opinions on many social issues, but it is important to break down those walls and at least attempt to re-evaluate these opinions and perhaps even unlearn certain things as our views on these matters change. Indigenous metissage creates an environment where everyone's voices are heard (not just indigenous) and the ability to listen is paramount to the success of tearing down these walls.

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What Darren shared just culminated to a realization that how much of this disconnect is present and the idea of fort really symbolizes this dichotomy that exists. How Canadians view the Indigenous people and groups are really still through the eyes of these “myths” that are Eurocentric and of superiority.  I also felt this disconnect implies the complexity of this reality we have in this country - questions of how to support learning of indigenous children and helping them to continue reflecting their place in the community and on identity in an urban setting is a paramount question all educators, communities and educational institutions need to explore and learn how to do. It also got me thinking that extending conversations with families of non-Indigenous background would be also important in creating a supportive environment that encourage children to develop relationship with Indigenous friends, learn without prejudice and with open mind and heart develop understanding that reflect the relationally of Indigenous people and Canadians.

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Today's discussion has made me realize that there is real will to make significant changes in British Columbia, and I believe that collectively we will find a way. Indigenous eduction is a step in the right direction and through our efforts we can create a ripple effect that will continue on for years to come.

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I was thinking about Robert's question of what it is like for Indigenous children to be in mainstream schooling. My first thought was in response to Robert's point that Indigenous education teaches children how to use land and how to use the land in everything that they do. I related this to what we've been talking about in our PE class that outdoor education is currently very isolated from the rest of the curriculum. There may be outside activities (or even outside time is just recess), but math, science, language, etc. all happen in the classroom. This must feel disconnected to Indigenous students. If our land is supposed to be at the center of our lives, why is it not more intertwined in education? I am curious for tactics of how to tie in land based education in every subject, specifically math.

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I like the point you made Naveena about having so many lessons to learn about overall being a good human through Indigenous pedagogies and how Indigenous peoples are still giving us a chance to make things right even with all the tragedies they have faced. I completely agree and this definitely speaks to the knowledge, perseverance and resiliency Indigenous peoples have. I think this also ties in well with the idea of unlearning and creating a classroom space that allows students to feel safe to admit what they don't know, what they were potentially wrong about and making sure they know it's okay to admit these things and move forward to learn and evolve. Also mentioned in the discussion, was how we must take into consideration what our students are coming to school with and how they have these curiosities and wonders but those often get pushed aside because education tends to focus more on facts. Indigenous pedagogies would encourage those curiosities and wonders to be explored and nurture them to flourish in a way that the educational pedagogies we are used to wouldn't.

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A comment made in the discussion about a distinction between indigenous education and westernized school is the idea that westernized school inhibits creativity and the idea to explore beyond factual information. Elementary level students are so curious and wonder so much while they are young, but when they come into a westernized school, they do not have the opportunity to explore and pursue their wonders, inhibiting their open-mindedness. But, if schools encouraged indigenous ways of knowing, it allows for students to explore the emotional and spiritual elements of learning. Disciplinary teaching inhibits students creativity, freedom, and wonders, whereas indigenous ways of learning encourages a holistic approach. And this is something as future educators can incorporate into our classrooms for the generations to come, because we have an opportunity and obligation to make change. As the article states, teaching is a responsibility and act of kindness viewed as movement toward connectivity and relationality and denial of this connectivity enables violence and exploitation to continue.

The residential schools has instilled a fear in them to celebrate and honour their culture and share their story. Similar to Robert's comment about his dad and his language- my friend's mom is a daughter of a residential school survivor, and she has never been able to talk about her upbringing or ask her mom questions about her history and culture because of the trauma she went through.

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As someone that wants to spend the 3 week “community field experience” with a rural school district in BC that largely partners with various Indigenous communities, I was very interested in Robert raising the question about traditional teaching and language lessons taking place in schools on reservation. I have been so inspired by Indigenous educators in the urban context of the lower mainland and having worked with urban Indigenous youth I am privileged to have learned about the diverse nations that the youth come from and their connections and disconnections to family reservations. I have a lot to learn from Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators working thoughtfully in schools on reservations that are able to balance two-eyed ways of learning authentically amidst teaching the mandated Ministry of Education curriculum.

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I found the story of Flying Rock very insightful. The rock was seen as spiritual entity by Aboriginal people to be treated with reverence. It was thought that the flying rock brought a message from the Creator that Cree and Blackfoot should change the way they regarded the land and the resources it gave them. It was thought that the Creator was trying to send a message that no one can own the land or the buffalo. What happened to the rock is a metaphor for the relations between Indigenous people and white settlers. The rock was unceremoniously removed by a Methodist missionary who was concerned that the reverence given the rock would interfere with his Christianizing and "civilizing efforts". It is interesting that this act foretold terrible things to come such as the scarcity of buffalo and the increased killing and warfare that followed.

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I really liked what Naveena said that "We are sitting on a goldmine of knowledge and we just don't know it yet". Climate change and forest fires is just one example where Indigenous knowledge can be informative. For so long Indigenous people and Canadians have lived separate realities, but going forward our realities are merging. As educators it's our job to make these connections so our students can see Indigenous people as living, thriving, and resilient. We need to learn how to live side by side. We have so much we can learn from Indigenous peoples but we also have so much to unlearn.

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I am very interested in the idea of eduction in elementary school not requiring unlearning because we have the opportunity to accurately and holistically learn. I don't think kids are necessarily clean slates, they bring with them so much curiosity and knowledge. It is through our education system that we focus students on something and encourage them to be curious or not about certain things. Our current "forts", including and especially our schools, don't just decide, but narrow, what we consider valuable knowledge. Through Indigenous ways of learning we can foster children's empathy and responsibility to their entire community and environment, as well as allow for more flexible ways of thinking, and non-hierarchical ways of knowing.
I really appreciate the term Metissage as it addresses how Indigenous peoples in Canada and Canadians live in separate realities but do have a shared history. I think it is through exploring Metissage that we move the settler-Indigenous relationship into the present and into a shared reality.

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I was really intrigued by Roberts point about what we are preparing indigenous students and non-indigenous students for. Our students can benefit from so much more than just the goal of going to post-secondary school. I liked his example of how our students are so consumed in media and have become so unaware and disconnected to the things around them. Teaching a return to land and place can be so helpful in lessening this disconnect. This is why the "interwoven dance" of Western and Indigenous views and teachings is so important.

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I love how Michelle connected the reading to her sister’s experience of understanding the history of Indigenous peoples. The fact that she understood what she learned as a thing of the past demonstrates how these stories are told in a colonial way. They are being framed as past tense when we can see that the issues are still very present. She brought up about how education is the way out of this, and that really tied in with what Robert said about their hope for the future (through education).
When I consider the realities for Indigenous students today, i assume they are learning the colonizers version of the past or are now finally learning formally what their families have known for years alongside their non-Indigenous classmates (which we talked about in class when we spoke about the shock of the unmarked graves from non-Indigenous peoples).
This makes me think about how education can move Indigenous peoples into higher positions of power, which could help break down stereotypes. If this is a position that gets visibility, this may also work to push against what we spoke about a couple weeks ago where many people spoke about how they didn’t know anyone who was Indigenous.
Also, Matt brought up the article’s point about rocks being seen as more than an inanimate object. This idea of how all nature is living and should be cared for really resonated with me. It is definitely something to think about when we move into teaching with hopes to incorporate Indigenous ways of learning into our curriculum.

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Indigenous Metissage offers learning opportunities that are holistic, spiritual, empowering and values connectivity, reciprocity, place and relationships.  This quote speaks loudly to me, “Teaching is a responsibility and an act of kindness viewed as movement toward connectivity and relationality.  Through the reciprocal process of teaching and learning, we move closer together”. (Donald, 2009).

How do engage in ethical forms of relationality? How do we connect with land and place and find stories that are told from a particular place?

This work of teaching and learning together is never finished… it’s an on going process with no end goal. We are always ‘becoming’.

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The fort as a colonial symbol was a new idea for me. I remember making a fort diorama in grade four, but popsicle sticks and hot glue didn’t make for very authentic learning. When I look at the fort I see how disconnected it is from nature; trees cut down and sharpened to build walls that separate the fort from nature even further. It also reminds me of the story we read recently where the missionary took the meteorite out of the land and put it into a museum. I think this clinical/colonial way of separating from nature goes hand in hand with the the way they separated children from their families and forced them into residential schools. It’s also connect to when I was a kid and brought home beautiful sea creatures in a bucket and how they suffered as a result from being cut off from their habitat. We can’t learn through separation if “...everything is related through the cyclical nature of energy flows.”

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The current education system positions history with a specific lens from the colonial perspective missing the spiritual elements and the incorporation of Indigenous stores and practices. We need to work and walk together simultaneously with the Canadian Education System and the Aboriginal way of teaching as TCs where we have a voice to demand a switch in focus as we are responsible for nurturing the curiosity and wonder students have at such a young age.

I agree with the leaders today that education is where we need to focus our attention to switch the script as that is where this detachment and exclusion started.

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The example shared by CBC Reporter also revealed the true harsh reality of the horrors of ignorance that makes me really think where this ignorance stems from. What drives this toxic rhetoric that invites itself to harass different people. Connecting with Michelle's comment about how education was what got us into this and it's what is going to get us out of this. Hearing the experience shared from the message the CBC reporter received really hammers home this point and emphasis on the need to disrupt narratives through education as an ongoing process to prevent the flood of ignorance from growing. This connected with me too on a comment Derron had shared which I really liked that spoke to the abilitiy to always have things we can do to build relationships with Indigenous peoples and its not just that their in the past. It is important to continue to reveal truths about Indigenous experiences and how schooling has developed.

In connection with the, the idea that forts were symbolic portrayals of colonialism in Canada was novel and interesting to me thinking about how the history of Canada is displayed and shared and how similarly it is disconnected from how disconnected from the land is in its structures as a parallel to how different Canada's Indigenous peoples are portrayed form the historical truth of what occurred.

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As educators, I think there is a lot of unlearning to do. Often times, we are exposed to dominant narratives about Canada in education. As a result, dominant narratives overlook the struggles and dark histories of those who don’t have a voice. Therefore, this is where unlearning is important because we need to put aside the narratives that we are familiar with in order to learn what has been ignored and neglected. Going forward, while learning and unlearning, it is also important to emphasize Indigenous education and incorporate more Indigenous teaching practices like Naveena said which has not always been the case in the past.

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Since starting the program, I've heard a few discussions about how and when we should begin educating children about Indigenous peoples. Robert mentioned something interesting about how young children start school (in elementary) with curiosity and wonder but that as the years go on, this curiosity and wonder starts to fade. This suggests to me that we should start teaching young children about Indigenous peoples while they are still eager to learn about anything and everything. As we've heard many times, "it started with education and it will end with education" so perhaps we are meant to educate students from a young age before anyone else has the chance to teach them something they shouldn't be taught.

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In the discussion it was brought up how curiosity and wonder can be schooled out of students from a Western approach but how the Indigenous ways of knowing and teaching can foster this curiosity. For example, viewing objects as inanimate versus viewing it as a spiritual object. These different approaches to teaching highlight how separate these two realities still are, especially in the school system.

"Education got us into this mess, but education is the way out" shows that education is one way to move forward. There is a urgent need to decolonize the western approaches to education and incorporate the Indigenous knowledge systems into the classroom. Indigenous ways of knowing and teaching should be woven across all subjects in the class.

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The innate curiosity found within children might be better preserved through an Indigenous perspective. From a Western perspective, rocks can be viewed as inanimate objects, whereas an Indigenous perspective could see a spiritual aspect to rocks that might encourage youth to engage in the world in a more open and creative way. Perhaps by educating learners through Indigenous pedagogy, we will also teach learners to respect Indigenous cultures and peoples.

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I really resonated with Michelle's point about her sister thinking that Indigenous peoples are a "thing of the past". As future educators, we need to ensure that when we teach about indigenous peoples that our students understand that we are learning about people in our communities. It must also be known that the struggles they face and the hurt that has come from oppression is something relevant in current society and is something that we all need to work together to solve.

Along with this, my understanding opened up a lot more when the group was talking about western ways of seeing things and how it can work together with Indigenous ways of learning. Western knowledge often reduces knowing to scientific and empirical research or rules and conventions. It implicitly undermines indigenous ways of knowing which values experience and land-based learning. With indigenous ways of knowing, I can envision that a classroom will be enriched in their social and emotional learning and will find more value in the topics that they learn.

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We've been conditioned to view Indigenous people and 'Canadians' as leading separate lives.  I like how Michelle touched on a conversation with her little sister who views Indigenous people as a thing as the past... this displays how this separatist narrative still exists. In the reading it mentioned the  braiding or weaving of our lives in order to reach a common understanding and sense of peacefulness. 'Education is what got us into this and it is what will get us out.' - Education, learning and unlearning is how we evolve and shift from individualism to a sense of collectivism.

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I liked what Michelle said about asking her younger sister who's in Grade 4 about what she knows about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation because whenever I had days off from school my parents would always ask me why do you have the day off? What is so special about this day? I usually reply with 'I don't know' because I truly don't know. This occurred a lot when I first immigrated to Canada and especially with ELL learners, they might be experiencing these holidays for the first time, it's also a way for them learn the culture of Canada and what that means. Many holidays that are celebrated in Canada have been around for so long that it doesn't need to be talked about in school. This is the first year Canada is recognizing September 30th, with this day and every other holiday, I think it's important for teachers to touch upon why these days are so special so students can teach their families as well as taking time during their day off to reflect and learn about what these holidays mean.

With this year being another year of my parents asking me why I have the day off, I was finally was able to explain to them what that day meant and what I learned in school. They were really surprised that I actually replied them this year and it felt nice to be able to teach something new to my family.

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Michelle's vignette about her sister's class on indigenous lessons in her elementary school classroom was very striking, because that is the arena that we will be entering into. It really makes me think of ways to present indigenous history without leaving such significant gaps (such as leaving students thinking that there are no further issues today etc.).
Weaving land-based knowledge into education that uses indigenous narratives is also important- not just looking at it from a 'western scientific' point of view.

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Traditional education was used as a method to assimilate and the effects are still felt today through intergenerational trauma. Even today, education does not reflect Indigenous knowledge. The way Indigenous people see our history vs. how Canadians are taught about our history is completely different. For example, through the rock story and how the colonizer moved the rock which was not a big deal in his eyes but the rock provided so much for the Indigenous people. Now I wonder what other stories are told only from the Canadian perspective. Especially in schools where only the Canadian perspectives are told and how it would make Indigenous students feel to not even acknowledge another side of the story. How is reconciliation suppose to happen if we continue to ignore the past of Indigenous peoples?

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Our institutions and our schools are the fort and have been the fort.  How will we break down the system, so to speak?  I hope that we can unlearn some of the ways that have upheld the ways of colonialism, the ways that have privileged my whiteness.  Education is the way out.  I intend to model an open mind and open ears. I will be as intentional as I can be to challenge the system.  It's time to make room at the table.  Pedagogical approaches (story, importance of land and place, ancestors), that  include ways of knowing outside of the dominant discourse need respect and exploration and inclusion.  After all, the students we will be teaching will be of a variety of ways of knowing and being.  If we are to be equitable, we must be open and ready.

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Within residential schools, Indigenous children were forced to assimilate to western culture and forbidden from engaging with their own languages, communities, and teachings. The legacy of residential schools has left Indigenous peoples with an immense amount of intergenerational trauma that no one is equipped to deal with. I am in awe with Indigenous people because despite the years of colonial abuse, they have managed to stay strong and maintain various cultural beliefs and traditions that often oppose western ideologies. Naveena made a great comment that really stood out to me because even after all of the negativity they are still willing and open to inviting us into their knowledge and teachings. After reflecting on the First Nation’s Principles of Learning, it amazes me that these teachings are not common practice within society, as they all relate to so many naturally humanistic characteristics. Why would we fight a mindset of communal acceptance, belonging, and connectedness when as humans that is what we all aspire to achieve?

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I appreciate the idea that Lauren brought up that we as future elementary school teachers are dealing with children who are essentially ‘blank slates’ on learning Indigenous education. We need to ensure that we impose a shift of focus to Canada’s current relationships with Indigenous people, and seeing beyond the stereotypical images of Indigenous people historically, and see who they are today and the important role they play, and have played, in Canadian history. We need to see and hear the stories of Indigenous peoples and the trauma they have experienced at the hands of Canadians and the Canadian government.

We need to stop allowed idealized versions of history to be taught and believed, especially to young children in elementary school who probably do not have previous ‘knowledge’ of misinformation of Indigenous and Canadian history they need to unlearn. As teacher candidates, we have the responsibility and privilege of educating our youth on the real histories of Indigenous peoples in Canada, as well as the trauma and racism they are still facing today.

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I appreciated Lauren’s point of how exciting it is to teach at an elementary level because of a lack of unlearning that needs to be taught, rather more learning is the focus. And while it’s exciting, it’s also nerve-wrecking to think we will be a part of the moulding of these young children’s way of living. I hope as new educators, we make an effort to really incorporate Indigenous knowledge into the classroom to support our students in more holistic and collectivist ways, which hasn’t been the norm. I think there’s value in what Indigenous people teach, in that it cultivates more sense of community which has been neglected for so long. Education is truly going to be the way to slowly, but surely, decolonize the Western values that have been persisting in the education system.

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I really liked what Michelle shared in the circle discussion about how education got us into this mess and education will be what gets us out. I think this connects to the quote on the whiteboard by @AdamMGrant about being able to admit when one is wrong and engaging in unlearning (e.g. about myths, "tipis and costumes approaches"). This made me think about the story of the sacred flying rock and a quote from the reading: "The artifact must be depersonalized and renamed, its original power and place must be removed and replaced so that it can be objectified, analyzed, and shelved" (Donald, 2009). -- this paints a picture in my mind of a teeter-totter, where one end focuses on the brain/how we think about things and the other end focuses on the heart and spirit: how do we feel? Another connection I made was to the image of the circle, which came up in last week's discussion. I thought about well, what's not in a circle? Ideas that came to mind, included line ups and the way classroom desks are arranged in rows. Something that Matt brought up led me to question how we can disrupt this sort of learning space that we are so used to and if the "end goal" many of us imagine is even possible...

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I found it interesting bringing up the fact that some indigenous communities in canada view things that western people see as inanimate objects as being sacred. To go further some even value animals as being more a spiritual thing rather than just simply an animal that many western people see it to be.

This sort of bleeds into the thought that we need to somewhat disrupt schooling and challenge what schooling is and was about and do our best to change the harmful things schools perpetuate. In terms of reconciliation we know that education is the way to achieve this.