What is Indigenous education? This is a core question that was asked of community members across the country during NCCIE interviews, at regional workshops and the first national gathering.
A distinctly Indigenous approach to working with Indigenous knowledges and peoples is to seek direction and insights directly from communities, rather than imposing a definition upon them.
This is some of what they have told NCCIE when reflecting upon their perspectives on education for their peoples:
To celebrate and showcase the multitude of Indigenous educational experiences that exist around the country, NCCIE serves as an accessible, shared, informational resource for all peoples of Canada.
Listen to Dr. Mark S. Dockstator, Past President of First Nations University of Canada and the Centre’s Founder, talk about Indigenous education and NCCIE’s approach.
As a reflection of the primacy of oral traditions, the NCCIE.CA allows Indigenous peoples to tell their stories and share their experiences in their own words.
Watch and listen to video and audio recordings to hear the voices and see the faces of those directly involved in Indigenous education where it is happening – on-the-land, in classrooms, at community centres and other organizations.
The perspectives shared in the videos are the insights of the individuals interviewed and not necessarily those of the Centre.
While most stories on this website are Indigenous in both voice and origin, we recognize non-Indigenous knowledge holders who demonstrate their care for Indigenous ways of knowing in respectful ways. With this in mind, you are likely to hear a few stories on this website from some non-Indigenous voices.
Communities emphasize the holistic nature of Indigenous education:
This illustration is from a background paper, Indigenizing Education in Canada, written by Dr. Jo-ann Archibald Q’um Q’um Xiiem and Dr. Jan Hare for the November 2-4, 2016 RCAP Forum, Sharing the Land, Sharing a Future: A dialogue and conference marking the 20th anniversary of the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (visit: https://www.queensu.ca/sps/rcap20).