Chapter 1 introduces the NCCIE and this guide, which is grounded in Indigenous education principles. Elder Shirley Williams opens with a prayer in Anishinaabemowin, followed by her explanation in English. Introductory and key background information are shared by the co-authors, NCCIE founder Dr. Mark Dockstator, and Dr. Nicole Bell. Dr. Jennifer Dockstator concludes this chapter with a tour of the NCCIE website to show viewers how to find resources and lesson plans.
Chapter 2 features two educators. First, Dr. Nicole Bell describes the 4-Direction Education model as well as a Medicine Wheel and its origin. Next, Dean Smith describes a Medicine Wheel as a “reflection wheel” and its origin. Both offer applications to infuse Indigenous education into the classroom.
In Chapter 3, two teachers, Ginette Toivonen and Angela Faught, review two elementary lesson plans from the NCCIE website. With the first lesson plan, Tree Tapping (from southeastern Ontario), they discuss the Indigenous components of an NCCIE lesson plan. For the Weaving a Web of Resiliency lesson plan (from northwestern Ontario), they discuss assessment strategies and connect to the Ministry of Education document, Growing Success.
In Chapter 4, Ginette Toivonen and Angela Faught return to review two secondary lesson plans from the NCCIE website. For the lesson plan Indigenous Settler Political Relations in Canada: An Overview (from northeastern Ontario), Angela applies this lesson designed for Grade 10 Canadian World Studies to her course, NBE 3U English. For the lesson plan Kainai Land Learning (from Alberta), Angela and Ginette discuss how to adapt this lesson plan to their classroom contexts in northeastern Ontario.
Also in Chapter 4, Leisa Desmoulins presents a checklist for teachers. This checklist shows the steps one can follow to adapt a lesson plan that originates in another part of the country to where you are located. Please adapt this checklist to your purposes and contexts.
Chapter 5 offers acknowledgements to the many educators and others who contributed to this guide. References, images, and a checklist provide additional resources for viewers.
If you have questions or comments about this guide, please contact Dr. Leisa Desmoulins at ldesmoul@lakeheadu.ca.