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Having watched Nikki Sanchez's Ted Talk  and reflecting now on indignization/decolonial practices in the classroom, it initially  feels like an overwhelming topic to begin to breach. My greatest take away from her video was her call to action on our collective part in bridging the often challenging confrontation with Canada's history and our own personal bias.                                                     I believe most of us have, in large part, received an overly eurocentric curriculum that has favoured setter ties rather than face uncomfortable realities at home. Sanchez makes a great point that , " This History is not your fault. But it is your responsibility " in that she means that we,  both settler Canadians and Indigenous communities, are like two halves of the same coin and by putting the effort into working together and asking the uncomfortable questions we able to move forward towards reconciliation.  

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Having watched Nikki Sanchez's Ted Talk  and reflecting now on indignization/decolonial practices in the classroom, it initially  feels like an overwhelming topic to begin to breach. My greatest take away from her video was her call to action on our collective part in bridging the often challenging confrontation with Canada's history and our own personal bias.                                                     I believe most of us have, in large part, received an overly eurocentric curriculum that has favoured setter ties rather than face uncomfortable realities at home. Sanchez makes a great point that , " This History is not your fault. But it is your responsibility " in that she means that we,  both settler Canadians and Indigenous communities, are like two halves of the same coin and by putting the effort into working together and asking the uncomfortable questions we able to move forward towards reconciliation.  

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Students need to feel supported in their classrooms through a thorough understanding by their educators on the history of the land,  people and culture which means an equally reflective curriculum, however, neither of which is possible without at first reflecting internally.

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Include Indigenous Literature in schools

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Include Indigenous Literature in schools

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Our indigenous students need to see themselves in the curriculum. We need to use resources that reflect their lives and perspectives. When we make a conscious effort to do this, we are demonstrating that we value and respect their lives, and their history.

When we select novels or other reading materials to use in our classes, we need to include quality literature that is written by indigenous authors or reflects the lives, challenges and/or successes of FNMI people.

"For Indigenous students, this is crucial. Seeing themselves reflected for the first time in materials they are studying is bound to inspire.

For non-indigenous students, widespread curriculum changes are just as vital. They need to learn the true history of their country if they are to understand and fulfill their civic responsibilities."

A great read- "Why don't all high schools teach Indigenous literature?" (See article below)

After completing an online course called, Indigenous Canada, with University of Alberta I wanted to know more,  so I started to read novels recommended by CBC for Indigenous History Month. The list of 14 novels recommended are powerful and leave the reader forever changed.

My heart and eyes are now open. Take a look at this list, read any of these books and talk about them with family and/or friends. This is where real change starts; with each person, one by one.

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There are four school boards in Ontario that have scrapped the traditional Grade 11 English curriculum - Shakespeare and other canonical classics - in favour of teaching Indigenous authors.

Why aren't other boards doing the same?

Last May, the Ford government backed away from making the Indigenous curriculum mandatory in high school, abandoning a key recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. That curriculum - developed in consultation with elders, Indigenous teachers and residential school survivors - aimed at teaching the true history of Canada, everything from the horrors of residential schools to broken treaties and the scooping of our children by child welfare authorities.

All young people in Canada need to know this history if ongoing inequities are to be redressed and for Indigenous people to no longer be treated as wards of the Crown.

As Sen. Murray Sinclair has noted, in many ways education got us into this mess and it will be education that gets us out of it.

It is heartening, then, that some teachers are not waiting for the government's approval to tell Indigenous stories in Ontario schools. The new English class is an important evolution. Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alike need to learn about Indigenous knowledge, how we see and traditionally take care of the land and who are the heroes and villains of our history.

I cannot tell you how many times people have told me they had "no idea" about what happened in residential schools, and their horrific legacy. I used to get angry - how could they not know? - until Sinclair pointed out that it wasn't their fault. The truth, he said, was kept from them - they were not taught it.

Now, some teachers are finally saying enough, embodying the change the government has not yet embraced.

For Indigenous students, this is crucial. Seeing themselves reflected for the first time in the materials they are studying is bound to inspire.

For non-Indigenous students, widespread curriculum changes are just as vital. They need to learn the true history of their country if they are to understand and fulfil their civic responsibilities.

The four school boards - Kawartha Pine Ridge, Thunder Bay Catholic, Lambton-Kent and Hastings-Prince Edward - should be examples to all the others.

In Kawartha Pine Ridge, the vast majority of high school students now have a class in contemporary Indigenous voices. Its Grade 11 teachers get to choose books by an array of Indigenous writers, including Cherie Dimaline, Drew Hayden Taylor, Richard Wagamese, Katherena Vermette, David A. Robertson, Tommy Orange, Dawn Dumont, Eden Robinson and yours truly.

Kawartha superintendent Jack Nigro believes it's time for teachers and boards to question why the same works by predominantly white male writers have been taught to students for generations."We are beginning to ask questions about that canon and trying to find more engaging books relevant to kids," he said. "Do you need to teach Shakespeare for all four years?"

And not only is teaching Indigenous literature the right thing to do, it even comes with a financial incentive. The total projected allocation in 2019-20 for First Nations, Métis and Inuit studies is $40.8 million. That money could go a long way in teaching Indigenous works in the classroom, buying new resources and funding more teachers - but it must be spent only on Indigenous education, not to fill other budgetary holes.

"We need to pull people away from old colonized practices," Nigro said. "We are talking about changing the entire system. Grade 11 English is only one thing."

Literature courses are a good start. The study of literature, perhaps more than any other discipline, has the power to instill in young people the quality of empathy, a crucial foundation for any healthy democracy and any improved relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples.

Many boards are offering Indigenous literature to their high school students but it isn't in every single Grade 11 classroom. It should be. We should not leave it up to the luck of the draw to determine which of our children will be taught the truth about this country. Canada's future depends on it.

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Opinion | Why don't all high schools teach Indigenous literature?

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There are four school boards in Ontario that have scrapped the traditional Grade 11 English curriculum - Shakespeare and other canonical classics - in favour of teaching Indigenous authors. Why aren't other boards doing the same? Last May, the Ford government backed away from making the Indigenous curriculum mandatory in high school, abandoning a key recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

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I watched Velma Illiask speak about the importance of diversity of Indigenous culture within the framework of a school. As their culture places less emphasis on academic content, we need to expand our definition of school to include the practices of the land, the origin from which Indigenous people have lived throughout all time.

Although I value diversity, we are unfortunately at a place in education where hierarchical considerations take precedent. As long as the primary focus is on academic curriculum, Indigenous people will continue to be undermined by a system in which the emphasis is on graduation into college, a trade, or a university, the focal point for all students.

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This is such a big subject and I feel like it's hard to even scratch the surface with my own reflection. But I think in order to be more aware, compassionate and to continually transform  the system we're in, we have to have the uncomfortable conversations and face our own biases/colonization. This can make us feel defensive, that even some of our daily practices, attitudes and habits can be causing feelings of rejection for our students. The very building we enter every day could be enough to make a student feel unwelcome because of what it represents as a colonial organization, no matter how positive we try to make the environment, and even though education is the best hope for the future. We don't want students reliving, in some form or other, what their ancestors did because our delivery, as well intentioned as it is, is wrong for them. That's the opposite of what we want, which is to continually build relationship with our indigenous students and communities. I have lots of ideas for activities with students and I look forward to participating in this transformation.

I feel like we can first start by understanding and educating ourselves, these Ted talks are a good start, expanding how we operate within our system, thinking outside the box to include more experiential and narrative based learning, and checking our biases on a daily, even down to the minute. Changing curriculum and integrating Dene Kede is just the beginning. I feel like it's decisions we make in the moment, to step outside our comfort zones from how he were taught and learned. That's the first step to decolonizing ourselves and will benefit our school as a whole.

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This talk was a little hard to listen to which probably means I needed to hear it. After listening to this talk I will try to be more actively aware of my privilege and inform others of our role and responsibility when it comes to decolonization.  The quote that stuck with me is "It is not our fault but it is our responsibility."

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After reflecting on what was a very personally entangled topic for myself and many friends and family, I think the greatest take away points were that we need to become more understanding, be better listeners, by more often allowing, offering and fostering all opportunities, big or small, that are constantly and increasingly developing within our many community belongings. Understanding is the vital and pivotal large first step in becoming and progressing ourselves toward the common goal. We must be the change we wish to see, which means it starts with you, "Supporting youth means centring youth needs and voices, nobody knows what a person needs most more than the person who needs it.". This statement has become very evidently true in my work as a CA and has already proven to be my most valuable tool in mind, allowing me to break barriers and explore true potentials.

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This talk brought to mind thoughts of the different types of curriculum, specifically the explicit (outcomes, texts...) the hidden (structures and policies) and the null (learning through what is not taught and reflected).
The words of the elders stood out for me, "If we are to make a difference for those who serve, we must first ensure we are putting their best interest in front of our own." This makes me wonder a few questions that inform (and make me question) my practice. How does our hidden and null curriculum serve to further disenfranchise our indigenous students? What do the structures of bells, days, units of study, semesters teach our students about their involvement/ownership of what they are learning? Are we complicit in the status quo? How far are we prepared to go to reimagine the structures and content that are being offered which serve the continued marginalization/colonization/assimilation of our population? How have we blended the traditional with the academic to create a hybrid model rather than one in which more is on the plate of students and teachers (those who serve) than can be reasonably accomplished?

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We watched the video from Aklavik and agree with many points Velma raised.

It is very important that student know their traditional culture and have a strong cultural base if they are going to know who they are today.   "Strong in two worlds".    We need to make our classes are culture based or culture centred as well as the academics.  All students can succeed.   Let them know teachers care and always use positive reinforcement.

FO and PO

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1. Finding out more of those successes in our student body and then truly celebrating them.

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1. Finding out more of those successes in our student body and then truly celebrating them.

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2. Creating a real mentorship program that focuses on successful indigenous youth so they can be role models for the next generation.
3. Made me think about asking the simple question more "Can you tell me what you need?"

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Creating Environments for Indigenous Youth to live and Succeed

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Creating Environments for Indigenous Youth to live and Succeed

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The house metaphor that was used really helped drive home the realization of what a lot of our indigenous youth are facing. Most people aren't aware of how certain things can affect our indigenous youth and this analogy is great at providing insight into what they are dealing with and how it shapes them as people. This analogy can also be used for all of our youth and help us in shaping our environments so they all can live in the second house.

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After watching Tunchai’s TEDx talk (she went to Sir John for anyone that doesn’t know her), I like the idea of promoting First Nations success stories rather than focusing solely on the issues these communities face. The conversations need to continue, but I think it would be wise to incorporate positive individual stories so that the first thing students think of when reflecting on First Nations communities isn’t strictly negative. This is one small tactic that could be easily tied into lessons, like current events or text research, to strive towards normalizing young minds believing they are all capable of success regardless of their cultural background. - John

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When discussing Indigenous culture and promoting the well-being of youth, the focus should be highly focussed on the positives.  There is much to be said for the diversity, positivity and strength of youth and adult Indigenous role models. We can learn much from our students, community leaders, media, music and podcasts.  Choose the positives to share and learn. 

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When discussing Indigenous culture and promoting the well-being of youth, the focus should be highly focussed on the positives.  There is much to be said for the diversity, positivity and strength of youth and adult Indigenous role models. We can learn much from our students, community leaders, media, music and podcasts.  Choose the positives to share and learn. 

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Nikki Sanchez says that decolonization looks like communities coming together to create a more sustainable and equitable future.  I can try to incorporate this idea in my practice with each classroom community .

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Nikki Sanchez says that decolonization looks like communities coming together to create a more sustainable and equitable future.  I can try to incorporate this idea in my practice with each classroom community .

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I would love to explore ways to organize more Indigenous youth led initiatives in our school. This could be enhanced by having a stronger indigenous representation  on school council and other school groups. 

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I would love to explore ways to organize more Indigenous youth led initiatives in our school. This could be enhanced by having a stronger indigenous representation  on school council and other school groups. 

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I watched the video "decolonization for everyone"... I heard someone say yesterday that the job of the non-indigenous person is not to indigenize education but to decolonize it. That statement makes a little more sense to me having watched the video. I will take the advice given to investigate my history and how I can assume some of the responsibility in the process of decolonization.

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I watched the video "decolonization for everyone"... I heard someone say yesterday that the job of the non-indigenous person is not to indigenize education but to decolonize it. That statement makes a little more sense to me having watched the video. I will take the advice given to investigate my history and how I can assume some of the responsibility in the process of decolonization.

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We watched Creating Environments for Indigenous Youth to live and Succeed and from this video, we received lots of new information and ways to create safer, more productive environments for our Indigenous Youth.
Our biggest take away was the House Metaphor that Tunchai used to discuss the naturally poor learning environment most Indigenous students are subjected to now.

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As a new resident of the NWT I am aware that building and supporting an environment where Indigenous youth can thrive is of great importance. I am working on supporting students through introducing and holding up relatable role models. I am gathering resources to share with my students that will help them build their knowledge of what is out there to help them and areas that need their input. I am also working towards providing space for students to use their voices and ideas to improve their community.

- Kristin C.

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Incorporating indigenous texts and multimedia into our courses allows the students to become exposed to a wider variety of positive role models in the indigenous culture.  Feeling valued and connected is essential to student growth and ownership of who they are and what they can become in the world.

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Incorporating indigenous texts and multimedia into our courses allows the students to become exposed to a wider variety of positive role models in the indigenous culture.  Feeling valued and connected is essential to student growth and ownership of who they are and what they can become in the world.

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We'd like to see more of a push to incorporate positive indigenous role models and history into our curriculum to create a 'light at the end of the tunnel'. Encourage our indigenous students to take a leadership roles in the school through indigenous events (create a Junior Youth coordinator role?)

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We watched Nikki Sanchez, decolonization educator 'Decolonization is for Everyone'.  We are aware that it can be easier to integrate this into social studies, and we feel that NWT is steps ahead of many other places in Canada in doing this. Moving forward, we need to continue to build this into our curriculum in the appropriate spaces.  Thea and Loralea

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We watched Nikki Sanchez, decolonization educator 'Decolonization is for Everyone'.  We are aware that it can be easier to integrate this into social studies, and we feel that NWT is steps ahead of many other places in Canada in doing this. Moving forward, we need to continue to build this into our curriculum in the appropriate spaces.  Thea and Loralea

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As a lifetime northerner I have seen the challenges indigenous people face in todays society. I"m constantly aware of these as I teach our youth and feel that it's my responsibility to ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment for them. Sometime the subject we teach comes second to the values we hope to teach our students.

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I just finished watching Creating Environments for Indigenous Youth to Live and Succeed. Her analogy of the two houses, one filled with negative influences and the other with positive influences, reminded me of one of my classes where I have several indigenous students, and I know just by looking at them on some days that their day did not start well at home. Here at ESPHS our house is very positive but, at the end of the day, those students return to that negative environment. I guess my struggle with all of this is trying to understand or learn how to offset those negative outside influences. As teachers, we can't control what happens on the outside, and on most school days those unfortunate students drag their outside with them to the inside and we end up trying to deal with that on a daily basis. This is not easily done while trying to teach, stay on task, and attend to our modified or accommodated kids all at the same time. Is this too big a task for individual teachers? Yes, we can all do what we can as individuals to make kids feel welcome and valued as was shown in the video, but I wonder if there should not be a bigger group where if we identified those kids maybe they could attend weekly TED talks with local community members, spend a day a month with an influential community leader, or some elders, and see that there is hope, there is a better place, there is a life for them in whichever world they wish to make their home. A day out on the land once a term doesn't cut it. We need these positive experiences and influences on a regular, and frequent, basis.

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I just finished watching Creating Environments for Indigenous Youth to Live and Succeed. Her analogy of the two houses, one filled with negative influences and the other with positive influences, reminded me of one of my classes where I have several indigenous students, and I know just by looking at them on some days that their day did not start well at home. Here at ESPHS our house is very positive but, at the end of the day, those students return to that negative environment. I guess my struggle with all of this is trying to understand or learn how to offset those negative outside influences. As teachers, we can't control what happens on the outside, and on most school days those unfortunate students drag their outside with them to the inside and we end up trying to deal with that on a daily basis. This is not easily done while trying to teach, stay on task, and attend to our modified or accommodated kids all at the same time. Is this too big a task for individual teachers? Yes, we can all do what we can as individuals to make kids feel welcome and valued as was shown in the video, but I wonder if there should not be a bigger group where if we identified those kids maybe they could attend weekly TED talks with local community members, spend a day a month with an influential community leader, or some elders, and see that there is hope, there is a better place, there is a life for them in whichever world they wish to make their home. A day out on the land once a term doesn't cut it. We need these positive experiences and influences on a regular, and frequent, basis.

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I feel that the section of the video that spoke to me the most was where they spoke about the importance of balance in our teaching of indigenous history. While it is obviously very important to cover the true events of Canada’s history of colonization (no matter how dark and difficult they are), it is EQUALLY as important to normalize teaching indigenous content that is NOT centred on that piece. Celebrating indigenous ways of knowing and indigenous voices outside of the context of colonization is vital because without this, the message we send to students is that the experience of colonization is the most important aspect of indigenous culture. That, in and of itself, is the message of a colonizer (that what indigenous culture has to offer is simply their interaction WITH the colonizer). This lesson can inform our teaching by reminding us to consciously incorporate indigenous content in a celebratory form and to normalize its inclusion outside of the context of teaching Canada’s dark past. -Cindy

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After watching the TedTalk called Creating Environments for Indigenous Youth to live and Succeed by Tunchai Redvers it opens my eyes to practices that I should work on as a teacher. Promote positive feats and amplifying the strength and success of indigenous stories, experiences and accomplishments should be a common practice. I was always taught to start teaching, sharing and acknowledge the past and the history of indigenous people. Also, we know that it is important to put some light on the past, but one thing that captivated me in the video is that we should not only focus on the dark side of the indigenous history, but also focus our attention on different accomplishments from local and national individual and communities. This will show hope and possibly empower the youth in different ways. On another note, I’m going to do the devil advocate here, but after watching this video, I was wondering if acknowledge the lands of the indigenous people is the right thing to do. How is this practice perceived by youth indigenous? Does it promote acknowledge and respect or is it perceived as a reminder of colonization?

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As a settler person in Canada. This history is not my fault and I do not have to be ashamed that my ancestors may have been apart of its making. BUT it is my responsibility to work together with Indigenous peoples to heal this wound moving forward. Especially as an educator of Indigenous children I play a huge role in moving forward and must do my part.

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After watching Creating Environments for Indigenous Youth to live and Succeed. I will aim to have a greater focus on showing Indigenous students  positive Indigenous role models for example musicians, politicians, writers. And point them more towards looking at the positive progress that Indigenous people are making and have made. Brenden

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I need to focus on using Indigenous texts and multimedia in the classrooms in which I teach as well as focus on the positive contributions of Indigenous people. Students needs positive role models tat they can relate to and that means increasing the cultural diversity of the materials I share with students. I also need to increase my knowledge of and comfort in discussing difficult issues such as colonization and the devastating impact of residential schools.

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The idea of creating environments for Indigenous youth is very interesting to me. I want to create more opportunity for youth to feel comfortable. In order to do that I would like to create ample opportunity for students to feel like the center of their learning. For example, including more inquiry-based learning, student-centered teaching, and self-regulation. In addition to that I feel I need to be paying attention to, checking in on, and discussing students’ mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being.

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In thinking about Indigenizing Education, and after watching the video of your choice, what impact might this have on your teaching practice?