Throughout the year, we gathered information to build background knowledge by looking at the root causes, factors and effects of many concepts. While building knowledge, we focus on perspectives that initiate the students' critical thinking with a focus on economic, historical, cultural, ecological, social and spatial perspectives. For the students to have authentic learning experiences, they take action by reflecting and talking about what is happening in their community, city, nationally and globally.
My focus last year was on the development of self-awareness with the students. Through cross-curricular inquiry tasks and social-emotional learning, self-awareness became the essence of identity all year. Identity and identifying themselves in all tasks were the roots of students' achievements and the conduit of their motivation to learn.
From Cultivating Genius, "our identities (both cultural identity and others) are continually being (re)defined and revised while we reconsider who we are within our sociocultural and sociopolitical environment (Goldie Muhammad)." As the students were shifting their learning by carving their identity in all tasks, self Awareness became the cultural tool for all perspectives of critical thinking, from building background knowledge to self-awareness that ties to identity and how culture is constructed through the equity and inequity of all perspectives.
When we started the discussions on identities and heritage, ethnicity and culture, some students easily identified themselves, and most were unaware of their culture. The students were startled to answer the question; what is my identity and heritage? This question is an important component that students needed to understand to make up for their identities.
As the students explored their identities and heritage, they began to see race and each other as who they were. Everyone has an identity, and every identity matters in valuing indifferences.
Throughout the year, Indigenous perspectives and knowledge building were part of our learning process. The Indigenous educational team from our board had essential learning opportunities throughout the year, connecting us with knowledge keepers for cross-curricular conceptual learning. Thanks to Alanna Trines, Graham Master Smith, and Laurel Macdonal-Boucher for the many opportunities and connections that have immersed my learning and the student's learning and fostered our knowledge of Indigenous perspectives with many live events and resources.
There are many resources for references to developing Land acknowledgements. Facing History Canada CAUT Natural Law from Anishinabek Nation Calgary Public Library In Our Voices - Being an effective Ally to Indigenous communities Resources for lessons.
We began the process by creating ancestral identity portraits based on Gregg Segal's Photography As we developed the Land Acknowledgement process, we needed to include the past, how their ancestors came to Canada and benefited from the land, how we presently benefit through our connections to the land and the actions we will be taking towards reconciliation.
The following guiding questions were presented in our discussion circles:
Share a bit about your ancestral background. Where are your ancestors from?
What was their experience with the Canadian Government?
Share something about your culture that you value? Canadian cultures...birthday, Christmas.
How diverse is our social circle?
Do we have social relationships with people from different religions, cultures, ethnicities or sexual orientations?
What are treaties? What is the Indian act?
What place is important to you? What makes it so special? A home, a special memory.
How would you feel if you can no longer access this place and someone destroys it?
Why do you think some people have a different connection to land and place?
How familiar are you with this land?
How does it feel to be out sitting on this land?
What do you love about the land?
How does the land provide everything we need to live?
What places have special meaning to you? How would you feel if that place was taken from you?
What is a place that has a special meaning to the community?
What would happen if that place was taken from us?
How would the community be affected as a whole? How would individuals be affected?
What should we all do to feel connected?
Why should we learn more from history?
With permission from the students, I share some examples of the Book Creator's Land Acknowledgements:
Natalie's Land Acknowledgement
Justine's Land Acknowledgement
There were many layers to the process, from stereotypes to single stories of dehumanization, racism and biases that have impacted students' perspectives and lived experiences. The students learned to facilitate conversations on historical contexts presented throughout the year. Learning to identify misinformation and being comfortable seeing stereotypes and multiple perspectives on race and justice. It does feel overwhelming, but conversations need to start somewhere on anti bias, antiracist work and current events that they see in the media.
Developing identity gave students space to build knowledge and make sense of interpersonal learning. Connecting identity to history changed the students' social, cultural and emotional interconnectedness with the community.
I continue to learn the importance of Indigenous Peoples' perspectives to cross-curricular tasks and decolonize my learning with the students in all subjects. I will continue to learn and take action by sharing initiatives within the school and my community.
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