How to Transform Classroom Practices for Meaningful Indigenous Inclusion

In today's diverse educational landscape, educators have a unique opportunity to create classrooms that genuinely embrace and respect Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Redefining classroom practices for meaningful Indigenous inclusion enriches the learning experience for all students while fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous histories and perspectives. This transformation demands intentional strategies, effective resources, and a commitment to inclusivity.

Understanding Indigenous Perspectives

To effectively include Indigenous voices in the classroom, educators will need to understand the importance of Indigenous cultures and histories in the places where they live. As spoken about in my last blog post, Indigenous peoples’ in Canada are very diverse and all come with their own culture and rich heritages. The education system in place has historically silenced these voices and failed us in teaching us about all the amazing cultures and backgrounds of Indigenous peoples’. For instance, within the research it shows that about 80% of educators feel unprepared to teach about Indigenous issues. This then creates spaces for educators to not teach about Indigenous education because they don’t know enough about it to teach it in an effective way.

Understanding your local Indigenous community can be a first step in equipping teachers with valuable insights into specific cultural practices, languages, and significant historical events. I encourage you to look up the First Nations where you are located, what is on their websites? Are their museums around that have any history, artifacts, or exhibits that share their information? Are there videos that the community has made? Are their events that the community holds where everyone is welcome? Does your city have an archive that has pictures and history of how the city came to be? These are all places that you could look to find out more about the Indigenous peoples’ and their territory in which you live.

Integrating Indigenous Content into the Curriculum

Incorporating Indigenous content across subjects enhances learning and promotes respect. Educators can begin by examining existing curricula to find  ways to integrate Indigenous perspectives.

For example, I feel like I can say with confidence that so many people love bannock and that bannock is seen as an Indigenous food and is highlighted as such. I love bannock and I do believe that when I go to Indigenous events that Bannock should be a staple because of its deliciousness.  Just so you know that I am not a hater of bannock. But if we look at bannock and where it came from, we will have a different perspective of Bannock and what it means to Indigenous people.

First of all, the word bannock comes from Scottland, it derives from the Gaelic word bannach, meaning morsel. This is so interesting to me as I had never heard this before last year when I was speaking at an event.

So as educators I think it is important to know the background of things and the background of bannock is that it was a food that was made out of resilience and survival of Indigenous peoples’. When the settler colonial government came in, they removed Indigenous peoples’ from their land that supported their way of life for thousands of years. The settler government also took away Indigenous peoples’ rights to hunt and fish that provided for their families and communities. This lead to Indigenous peoples’ being forced onto reserves and given rations.  In those rations was flour and lard. What can you make with that? Bannock. This is where it came from. This is key information that you should also be teaching students about when you are making or learning about bannock.

Today I see bannock as a form of resistance against the colonial government trying to get rid of us and now we are known for this delicious and well-known bread. There is an amazing pod cast from CBC’s Twisted Histories that talks about bannock from 12 different communities, you should really listen to. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/906-telling-our-twisted-histories/episode/15854441-bannock

What is important to know, is that many Indigenous communities all had types of fry bread before colonization that were made by things found on their lands. Some made it from wild rice, others made it from the bulrush plant. I would encourage you, if you know an elder from community to ask and see if they know what was used before colonization. They might be able to share that knowledge with you.

The importance here is to pick one thing that you would like to know more about, and take a deep dive into learning more about it, so that you can teach it. Then once you can, pick another thing and do the same. Take small steps but many.

Continuous Professional Development

Transforming classroom practices is an ongoing journey. Continuous professional development is essential for educators seeking to create inclusive environments. Participating in workshops focused on Indigenous education equips teachers with necessary knowledge and skills. I would encourage you to take many different workshops by many different Indigenous people, as we are all different and all can share different things that you can learn about. It is so important to have a diverse group of people to help you learn about Indigenous peoples. This also aligns with the over 70 different Indigenous communities across this land, with so many different communities comes so many different ways to engage and learn about Indigenous peoples. So make sure you are listening, learning, and reading from multiple Indigenous voices.

Another great way to support your learning is to network with colleagues who share a passion for Indigenous education and inclusion. This will help support you in having a group of people to share ideas and resources with or having conversations and book clubs with. By exchanging strategies and experiences, educators can collectively enhance their impact on their own learning and student learning.

Reflecting on Practices

To ensure classroom practices effectively promote Indigenous inclusion, ongoing evaluation and reflection is vital. Educators should regularly reflect on their teaching methods and seek feedback from students and their colleagues about how this work is going in their classroom. This continuous reflection leads to adapting and refining practices, ultimately fostering a more inclusive classroom.

Embracing the Journey of Inclusion

In redefining classroom practices to promote meaningful Indigenous inclusion, educators hold a critical role in shaping student experiences. By understanding Indigenous perspectives, integrating diverse content, and nurturing authentic relationships within the classroom, teachers can cultivate vibrant and inclusive classrooms.

Through ongoing learning and reflection, educators can transform their teaching methods to better serve every student. This journey not only enhances the educational experience but also contributes to a future where Indigenous education becomes the norm in schools. The hope is that one day we won’t have to have mandated courses in Indigenous education because it is happening all throughout the school experience.  

I encourage you to take those small steps in learning more, Re-Storying Education, one step at a time.