The Cgep Curriculum Responding to the Calls to

The Cégep Curriculum: Responding to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada AQPC Symposium Wednesday, June 7, 2017 Jacky Vallée, Vanier College

Teen Pregnancy and Indigenous “Victims” • An anecdote. . .

Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) • Their work • Concept of “reconciliation” (Face to face) • Calls to Action

TRC Calls to Action and Education • Education (10): “. . . draft new Aboriginal education legislation with the full participation and informed consent of Aboriginal peoples. ” • Education (10. 2): “Improving education attainment levels and success rates. ” • Education for reconciliation (62 i): “Provide the necessary funding to postsecondary institutions to educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms. ” Source: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (2015)

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and Education • Article 14. 2: “Indigenous individuals, particularly children, have the right to all levels and forms of education of the State without discrimination. ” • Article 15. 1: “Indigenous peoples have the right to the dignity and diversity of their cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations which shall be appropriately reflected in education and public information. ” Source: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous (2008)

Points to retain • Current educational system fails Indigenous students and communities (discrimination, assimilation). • Responsibility to redress this failure: • Incorporation of Indigenous knowledges, languages, histories, achievements, pedagogies, and contributions to Canadian society. • Necessity of local community consultation.

How We Are Failing Indigenous Students • History of Indigenous education • Assimilation • Distrust • Shame • (Hare, 2011; TRC, 2015; Milne, 2016) • Eurocentrism in education • Invalidation of Indigenous worldviews (Battiste, 2013: Cognitive imperialism) • Good intentions: “Add and stir” / “Native culture” (sing. ) • Assimilation, distrust, shame • (Battiste, 2013; Goulet & Goulet, 2014; Smith, 1999)

Incorporating Indigenous Knowledges and Pedagogies • What are the barriers we face as teachers seeking to incorporate Indigenous knowledges and pedagogies into our curricula?

Some barriers • Institutional • Money and time • Numbers game • Systemic • Cycle of Eurocentric education • “Western Civilization” as a mandatory course in Social Science, e. g. • Personal • Internalization of institutional and systemic pressures • Lack of awareness • Perceived lack of importance / relevance • Feelings of powerlessness • Where do I even start? • “Good intentions”

Arguments Against Institutional Pressures “But we have so few Indigenous students!” • Indigenous histories are Canadian histories. • Not an “Indian problem”. • Indigenous rights are human rights. • Socio-political context (TRC, UNDRIP, Montreal and reconciliation). • Strategic plans and inclusion / diversity. • Cycle of lack of accessibility. • Others?

How Do We Combat Systemic and Personal Barriers in Our Disciplines? • What disciplines are represented here? • What are the challenges you face in the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges and worldviews in your discipline?

Brainstorm: Small Groups or Whole Group? • Small groups, by subject area • Do you already include Indigenous topics in your courses? If so, what is the course and what do you teach? • What are topics in which you can include Indigenous knowledges? • What are steps you could take to learn how to teach this material from a local Indigenous perspective? • Whole group • Do you already include Indigenous topics in your courses? If so, what is the course and what do you teach? • What challenges do you face in finding and including material based on Indigenous knowledges? • What strategies have worked well for you? • What strategies have backfired?

Combatting Systemic and Personal Barriers • Unlearning: Eurocentrism, prejudice, assumptions. • Learning: Indigenous worldviews, knowledges, pedagogies. • Community consultation • Local • Land • Language • Others ideas?

Vanier College Project • Workshop series (with members of local communities) • Problems with current system / Unlearning • Learning local knowledges, worldviews, and pedagogies • “Show and tell” • Curriculum development by individual teachers • With support from members of local communities • Online resources: local speakers, books, websites, films

Short-Term Goals • Support a group of teachers in the creation of pedagogical materials that they can implement in the fall of 2018. • Create network of “champions” who will be role models for other teachers.

Medium and Long-Term Goals • Help Indigenous students feel included in the curriculum on an interdisciplinary scale. • Increase Indigenous student motivation and success. • Ongoing consultation with Indigenous communities of our students. • Encourage non-Indigenous students to recognize and support Indigenous rights. • Engagement with Indigenous communities and knowledge. • Ongoing self-education after college. • Especially students who will go on to work with Indigenous communities.

Some Tips for Fall and Winter Course Prep • Find articles, videos, and other media created BY Indigenous people rather than ABOUT Indigenous people. • Use TRC report and UNDRIP in your classes, if applicable. • Invite Indigenous speakers rather than scholars to speak about Indigenous realities. • Bring in positive material to counterbalance the “victim narrative”. • Acknowledge the Eurocentric nature of our educational system and of your discipline. • Acknowledge that non-Indigenous scholars cannot be experts on Indigenous topics.

Some Tips for the Summer • Attend events! • Familiarize yourself with the distinction between First Nations, Inuit, & Métis (see Vowel, next slide). • Familiarize yourself with the local nations • Learn a few words in Kanien'kéha (Mohawk language). • See following slides for suggested readings and videos. • Other tips?

Suggested Readings – General • Chelsea Vowel, Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, & Inuit Issues in Canada. • Arthur Manuel and Grand Chief Ron Derrickson, Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call. • Thomas King, The Truth About Stories and The Inconvenient Indian. • TRC Final Report. • Some other suggestions. • See reference list for education-specific resources. • Other suggestions?

Indigenous News • Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) • Eastern Door • CBC Indigenous • Indian Country Media Network (US-based)

Videos • Rebecca Thomas keynote at Vanier College. • Anything by Taiaiake Alfred. • Anything by Alanis Obomsowin. • 8 th Fire episodes. • 8 th Fire dispatches. • Angry Inuk, by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril. • Wapikoni Mobile. • Jacky’s You Tube playlist (includes several videos on education for reconciliation).

References Battiste, M. (2013). Decolonizing education: Nourishing the learning spirit. Saskatoon, SK: Purich Publishing Ltd. Goulet, L. M. & Goulet, K. N. (2014). Teaching each other: Nehinuw concepts and Indigenous pedagogies. Toronto: UBC Press. Hare, J. (2011). Learning from Indigenous knowledge in education. In Long, D. & Dickason, O. P. , (eds. ), Visions of the heart: Canadian Aboriginal issues, 3 rd ed. , 90 -112. Milne, E. (2016). 'I Have the Worst Fear of Teachers': Moments of Inclusion and Exclusion in Family/School Relationships among Indigenous Families in Southern Ontario. Canadian Review of Sociology, 53(3), 270 -289. doi: 10. 1111/cars. 12109.

References Smith, L. T. (1999). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples. London: Zed Books Ltd. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015). Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to action. Retrieved from http: //www. trc. ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Actio n_English 2. pdf. United Nations. (2008). United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Retrieved from http: //www. un. org/esa/socdev/unpfii/ documents/drips_en. pdf.

Thank you! Jacky Vallée valleej@vaniercollege. qc. ca