Posted on February 21, 2019 by Justina Black
BushKids is exploring the ethical space between Indigenous education and Western education principles in Yellowknife, NT.
BushKids co-founders are both trained as forest and nature school practitioners. Chloe Dragon Smith is a Dënesųłiné – Metis woman from Yellowknife, who grew up learning on-the-land through the Indigenous education principles of her family. Wendy Lahey is a non-Indigenous educator trained in the Western education system and has lived in the north for a long time. The two women are committed to working with the community, as possible, to create a curriculum that equally honours these systems of teaching and learning on the land.
The goal of BushKids is ultimately to affect the public education system and ensure all northern students spend regular time on the land throughout the school year. Programming is currently offered throughout the school year for pilot classes of all ages, from early childhood to high school. BushKids educators also work with teachers in public education systems with the goal of enabling them to bring their classes outside as part of their learning.
Posted on by Trisha Campbell
Philip Brass advocates that land-based activities are memorable experiences that can plant a seed to propagate relationships with the landscape and the ecosystem.
In 2014, Philip Brass began to work with his band, Peepeekisis Cree Nation, as the Community Wellness Coordinator at the Health Centre. His goal at the time was to reach out and connect with youth during a time of violence, vandalism, and gang activity. He offered to go hunting with some of the youth as a way to connect with those that were tough to reach, and eventually he introduced them to ceremony. Getting the youth involved in traditional values and practices resulted in a positive ripple effect throughout the community. His work with the youth continued with the File Hills Police Service and then working within the schools on-reserve and off-reserve, in nearby towns, within Prairie Valley School Division and Treaty 4 Education Alliance. Some land-based activities Brass has led with youth include: fishing, filleting workshops, hunting big game, hunting small game, talking circles, sweats, and attending ceremonies. He has been a valuable resource for teachers that are having difficulty navigating issues on reconciliation, the history of colonialism, and on-going Indigenous struggles within Saskatchewan and Canada. Philip has witnessed how the land can be a powerful tool for learning, engaging, and shifting negative behavioural patterns in youth. Philip infers that for Indigenous people to reconnect with their languages, land-based activities are essential because languages are emergent from those activities and gives language relevance.
Posted on February 18, 2019 by claraakulukjuk
Meeka is a well-known teacher of education, healing, and Inuit culture. She started teaching children in 1971, and moved onto adult education at Nunavut Arctic College for 18 years. Meeka believes that elder knowledge from experience is necessary have a foundation for living an Inuit life as our ancestor did. She hopes that healing and education from Inuit go a long way.
Meeka is a well-known teacher of education, healing, and Inuit culture. She started teaching children in 1971, and moved onto adult education at Nunavut Arctic College for 18 years. Meeka is also a member of various organizations that focus on Inuktitut and Inuit culture. Meeka believes that elder knowledge from experience is necessary have a foundation for living an Inuit life as our ancestor did. She hopes that healing and education from Inuit go a long way. Some of her work can be found online as Inuit Wellness and Healing videos – Meeka Manuals. The manuals she has developed are applicable to adults, families and education.
Posted on February 16, 2019 by Dene Basil
Interview with Ashley Carvill about the peacemaking program in Whitehorse Yukon.
Posted on February 11, 2019 by Janine Landry
Janine Landry speaks with Leanna Marshall about the Indigenous Student Counsellor Program at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Leanna and her colleagues are there to provide counselling to the college’s Indigenous students in whatever area they may need support. The goal of the program is to meet Indigenous students; needs and support them through […]
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Janine Landry speaks with Leanna Marshall about the Indigenous Student Counsellor Program at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Leanna and her colleagues are there to provide counselling to the college’s Indigenous students in whatever area they may need support. The goal of the program is to meet Indigenous students; needs and support them through their college experience. Leanna hears from students; what their issues, concerns, struggles are and from there, creates activities and programs that she believes will help those students. She will bring community people into the college to do activities like beading, skirt making, t-shirt screen making, and much more as a way to connect the students to community people and help them explore activities that may support their mental and emotional health and overall school experience.
Posted on January 31, 2019 by Julian Stonechild
Rikki Wylie is part of the management team at Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Center. Located in Nanaimo, BC, Tillicum Lelum has a number of programs that are used to help the community. Rikki oversees several of the year-round programs to ensure the participants are getting everything they need to grow in their community.
Rikki Wylie is part of the management team at Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Center. Located in Nanaimo, BC, Tillicum Lelum has a number of programs that are used to help the community. Rikki oversees several of the year-round programs to ensure the participants are getting everything they need to grow in their community.
