Posted on May 22, 2018 by Timothy Merasty
Neeched Up Games plays a unique role in educating students and teachers about Indigenous history and culture in Saskatchewan.
Owner of the social enterprise, Neeched Up Games, Janelle Pewapsconias, leads youth leadership and empowerment workshops, creates apps, and promotes role playing games that teach students and adults the history of Indigenous people in Canada. Pewapsconias hopes to bridge knowledge gaps between Canadians and Indigenous people in order to better understand Indigenous history, decolonization, identity, culture, empowerment, and sense of belonging. The Neeched Up subscription pack is available to teachers to both support their learning and to help them teach about treaties and reconciliation. To learn more about Neeched Up Games and the 2-4 hour workshops visit: https://neechedupgames.wordpress.com.
Posted on by Heather O'Watch
SUNTEP is a teacher education program that focuses on Métis education and student success.
Janice Thompson is the Program Head for the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP). SUNTEP is a four-year, fully accredited Bachelor of Education program offered by the Gabriel Dumont Institute in cooperation with the Ministry of Advanced Education, the University of Regina, and the University of Saskatchewan. Prospective students can find campuses located in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and Regina. The education program is designed around Métis education, cultural revitalization, and language reclamation. The program’s foundations are centered around relationships, academic and personal supports, and land-based learning. Currently, SUNTEP is the only post-secondary academic program in the country that offers Michif as an approved language credit. Thompson believes that, like First Nations education, Métis education needs to be mandated by the province so that Métis history, identity, language, and culture are no longer an after-thought. Equality in education means that our education system must be inclusive of all Indigenous groups, Inuit, Métis, and First Nations, and be mandated by our provincial government.
Posted on by Timothy Merasty
Jennifer Bishop and Marcel Petit highlight the transformative process that occurs during the Circle of Voices Program.
Since 1999, each year the Circle of Voices Program has offered fifteen participants, ages 15-24, a safe place to learn about theatre and career pathways while exploring identity through cultural learning. The youth are immersed in learning from cultural and arts-based leaders in an after-school program from October to March. Participants come to the program ready to push their boundaries and change patterns for personal growth and development. Participants often leave the program with the cultural knowledge and skills needed to have confidence in their abilities and their voice. They also develop close relationships with their peers and mentors that sustain them in their personal and professional endeavors.
*Photo credit goes to GTNT and Cory Standing.
Posted on by Heather O'Watch
Rose Roberts, Education Development Specialist (Indigenous Engagement and Education) with the Indigenous Voices shares with us the importance of the initiative.
As a member of the Indigenous Voices team at the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Saskatchewan, Rose Roberts helps faculty and staff in the process of indigenization. She supports faculty in learning about the true history of Indigenous people in Saskatchewan while also valuing Indigenous and Western knowledge within our educational institutions. Rose Roberts reminds us of the saying, “before we can have reconciliation we have to know the truth.” The university is transitioning its courses to be inclusive of Indigenous paradigms and offer multiple ways of learning.
Follow the link below to learn about the Traditional Garden on campus.
https://teachingtest.usask.ca/traditional-garden/index.php
The institutional commitment to indigenize academia has been integrated into the University of Saskatchewan’s institutional plan. Take a look by following the link.
https://teaching.usask.ca/curriculum/indigenization.php#WhatisIndigenization
Posted on by Yvonne Benjoe
Schools in SK must legally teach Treaty education, honour and recognize Indigenous ways of knowing, and provide opportunities for students to engage in cultural and language revitalization.
Scott Collegiate is a high school in Regina, Saskatchewan that provides unique educational opportunities for students in Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. The student population is 90% Indigenous and their programs reflect Indigenous education and aims to increase attendance and graduation rates while developing community. The school’s programs include: the Learning and Re-engagement Program, the Land-Based Program, the Elder-in-Residence Program, and the Grade 9 and 10 Cree Language Program. The school also works in partnership with the Regina Public Library, Lumsden Beach Camp, and First Nations University of Canada to bring quality programming to their students. Elders within Scott Collegiate are valuable Knowledge Keepers who share their culture and language with the school and community. For more information, visit: https://scottcollegiate.rbe.sk.ca/
Posted on May 18, 2018 by Kimberly White Quills
Tsuut’ina Nation language director Steven Crowchild speaks on the direction that his program is heading and the future of the Tsuut’ina Nation language program
Tsuut’ina Nation language director Steven Crowchild speaks on the direction that his program is heading and the future of the Tsuut’ina Nation language program
Posted on by Gabrielle Pellerin
Recognizing the shortfalls of Western education. Indigenous pedagogy is an engagement with and in nature.
Recognizing the shortfalls of Western education. Indigenous pedagogy is an engagement with and in nature.
