Indigenous Voices
Staff and Faculty Development Initiative
Program Foundations
Artist: Kevin Wesequate*
Summer, 2014
Jeff Baker
Tereigh Ewert-Bauer
*This painting is a visual depiction of the story “niyanamis and
the Wooden Boat People,” as told by Barry Ahenakew. The entire
story can be read in the Indigenous Voices Program Foundations
document.
Indigenous Voices: Program Foundations
25-07-2014
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Locating Ourselves
niyanimis and the Wooden Boat People
Context
Philosophical Framework
Moving Forward
References
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5
7
9
12
18
23
25
Acknowledgements
Indigenous Voices would like to express our sincere thanks to each of the Elders and Knowledge
Keepers who have provided guidance and advice throughout the development and
implementation of this initiative.
Elders:
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Danny Musqua (Saulteaux/Nakawe)
Mary Lee (Plains Cree)
Maria Linklater (Plains Cree)
Walter Linklater (Ojibwe/Anishinabe)
Darlene Speidel (Lakota)
Mike Maurice (Métis)
Fred Nulamaloak (Inuit)
Dora Robillard (Dene)
Alphonse Robillard (Dene)
Knowledge Keepers:
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Dora Yooya (Dene)
Delvin Kanewiyakiho (Plains Cree)
Freda Sakebow (Plains Cree)
Don Speidel (Lakota)
Barry Ahenakew (Plains Cree)
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Indigenous Voices would like to acknowledge the support and assistance of the following people
in developing and implementing this programming (February 2011-May 2013):
We wish to acknowledge:
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Dr. Cecilia Reynolds (former Dean, College of Education)
Dr. Bob Regnier, (Acting Dean, College of Education)
Dr. Jim Greer (Director, University Learning Centre)
Brad Wuetherick (former Program Director, Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching
Effectiveness)
Rita Bouvier (Consultant)
Glenda Abbott (Program Co-ordinator and Advisor)
Wenona Partridge (Communications, Website and Program Support
Assistant, Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness)
Stan Yu (Research and Program Evaluation Specialist, Gwenna Moss Centre for
Teaching Effectiveness)
Christine Anderson (Program Manager, Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching
Effectiveness)
Corinne Fasthuber (Assistant, Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness)
Jae-Anne Peace (Dean's Office, College of Education)
Iris Kalyniuk (Dean's Office, College of Education)
The BEADWORK group in the College of Education:
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Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
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Karla Jessen Williamson
Marie Battiste
Tim Claypool
Tim MolnarDr. Geraldine Balzer
Linda Wason-Ellam
MJ Barret
Maggie Kovach
Marcia McKenzieOrest Murawsky (Director, ITEP)
Alex Wilson
Partners
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Terri Clarke, Brightwater Science and Environmental Centre, Saskatoon Public
School Division
Lisa Erickson, Phaedra Hitchings and staff, University of Saskatchewan, Station 20
West
Brenda Green and the Saskatoon Public School Division
Deborah Hamp and the Saskatoon Food Bank and Education Centre
Tammy Krueckl and the Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming
Gordon Martell and the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division (GSCSD)
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Angela Nimchuck and the Saskatoon Friendship Inn
Craig Schellenberg, Gabe Penna, and staff at Osayak High School, GSCSD
Kara Wardell and the Saskatoon Food Bank and Education Centre, and Clothing
Depot
Gathering Development and Facilitation:
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Rita Bouvier
Carmen Gillies
Lamarr Oksasikewiyin
Sylvia McAdam
Tracey Robinson
Glenda Abbott
Julia Johnston
Bob Badger
Michael Laliberte
Joseph Naytowhow
Gloria Lee
Craig Shellenberg
Gabe Penna
Teri Clark
Graduate Student Assistants:
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Christine Fiddler
Chris Scribe
Leon Thomson
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Introduction:
The University of Saskatchewan recognizes the fundamental importance of its relationship with
Indigenous peoples, and is strengthening these ties by facilitating opportunities for its faculty and
staff to learn about and engage with Indigenous peoples’ histories, cultures, and ways of
knowing. The Indigenous Voices staff and faculty development program comprises one venue
for this learning, and was launched at the University in the fall of 2012. Programming included a
Core Program of thirteen gatherings, the wāskamisiwin1 Speakers’ Series, facilitated
Conversation Circles, and a number of other one-off events.2 Opportunities to participate in
ceremony were also provided.
The Core Program and Conversation Circles were piloted in the two units responsible for
sponsoring and developing the programming, the College of Education and Gwenna Moss
Centre for Teaching Effectiveness (GMCTE),3 and were opened to a campus-wide audience in
the fall of 2013. All programming was designed to create a shared space for dialogue, learning,
and collaborative action, with the aim of catalyzing individual and systemic change. The
Indigenous Voices initiative takes the decolonization and Indigenization of higher education as
primary goals, and views these as fundamental avenues of transformation toward a more
equitable and sustainable society.
Indigenous Voices has made a concerted effort to engage the local community in this
work. Elders, Knowledge Keepers, educators, school divisions, and other community members
were sought out to provide direction and assist in the development and delivery of the program.
1
wāskamisiwin is a Plains Cree term that means “growing in awareness,” as in regaining consciousness or coming
out of a fog, which we use to describe the process of becoming conscious of Canada’s legacy of colonization and its
ongoing impact on Indigenous peoples.
2
For more information on the Indigenous Voices program, please see the Indigenous Voices website:
www.usask.ca/indigenousvoices.
3
With support from the Provost’s Committee on Integrated Planning.
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During the developmental phase, four seasonal Elders gatherings were hosted, where guidance
was sought and prayers for the direction and success of the program were offered. During the
fourth of these gatherings a name for the initiative was discussed, and it was at this time that
Indigenous Voices was chosen. Cloth and tobacco were offered at a sweat lodge ceremony later
that week to acknowledge this naming, and to respectfully ask for blessings for the program.
This has been a truly collaborative endeavor, and the strength of the program has grown
from the character of those we have engaged with, and through the relationships we have built
along the way. We have attempted to infuse this emphasis on collaboration and reconciliation
throughout this work, learning and healing together by reconnecting to one another and the land.
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Locating Ourselves
Maintaining our attempt to honour Indigenous protocols, the authors of this report have written
short introductions that locate themselves in relation to this work.
Jeff Baker
tanisi/Hello. I am a Métis educator and scholar with roots in the Saskatoon
community. My interest in Indigenous education and faculty development
stem from being raised in a family of educators that fostered a passion for
social justice and an appreciation of the natural world. I am a person of diverse ancestry
(Métis, Chinese, and Norwegian) and have had equally diverse teaching and traveling
experiences (New Zealand, Taiwan, Turkey). These experiences prompted my pursuit of
graduate studies, where I began to inquire into how I, as an educator, might enact social
change through my profession. I am presently completing a doctorate in Indigenous
Science Education at the University of British Columbia, and in the summer of 2013
began as an Assistant Professor and Chair in Aboriginal Education here at the University
of Saskatchewan. I am grateful for the opportunity to teach and conduct research in my
home community, where I can remain close to my daughter, family, and ceremonial
community. It has been an honour to work on this initiative, and to have had the
opportunity to work with people, within the University and beyond, who are dedicated to
improving the lives of all by activating the transformative power of Indigenous ways of
knowing and being.
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Tereigh Ewert-Bauer
I am part of the team that has developed, and continues to develop the
Indigenous Voices program. To position myself in relation to the land,
I can say that I have been on the land all over Saskatchewan and
Alberta, and even in Mexico and Guatemala. My ancestors are Mennonites, and because
they were forced to move from country to country, I am unable to locate my land of
origin – I have no traditional territory. But over the course of my life, I have spent most
of my time on Treaty Six land.
Because I am non-Aboriginal woman co-developing and facilitating this program,
I feel it is important to articulate the role I strive to fulfill. My scholarly and personal
journies have focused on interrogating (Canadian) white identities, exploring neocolonial theories, developing intercultural skills and communication, working to
implement anti-oppressive practices, and most importantly, developing meaningful
relationships. Going through many of the phases of critical self-analysis and
transformation that seem common amongst those who come from the mainstream, Eurocentric culture, I offer myself as a model-in-progress to those who face embarking on the
same process. I share my learnings, revelations, internal struggles, moments of
immobilization, the many mistakes I have made and continue to make, but also the
incredible richness and complexity my life is taking on since undertaking this challenging
work. By offering up myself as a fallible example, I hope to make risk-taking safe, to
provide encouragement, and to convey that this learning is life-long.
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niyanimis4 and the Wooden Boat People
In sharing the story of the Indigenous Voices staff and faculty development initiative, we feel it
important to privilege and honor Indigenous ways of knowing and being. For this reason, we
begin with a traditional story from the oral history of the Indigenous peoples of this land.5 The
following was shared with us by Barry Ahenakew, a Plains Cree ceremonial leader from the
Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. One of our team members had developed a
relationship with Barry over the preceding years and, following local protocol, approached him
with tobacco, asking for a story that might appropriately introduce this work. Without hesitating,
Barry accepted the offering and began to relate the story of niyanamis and the Wooden Boat
People.6
When the Wooden Boat People arrived on the Eastern shores of this land, they
brought with them many items that were strange and mysterious to us. Pots,
knives, and other implements of metal became prized by our peoples for the ease
of life they offered. At first, these items were received as gifts, or in exchange for
our furs and other items valued by the new peoples. Before long, a trade system
was established, and scales were used to measure the weight of beaver pelts,
which were then traded for an equal measure of metal tools. Later, when trading
for rifles, our beaver pelts would be stacked to reach the top of the rifle barrel.
Only then would the newcomers make the trade. These metal possessions were so
prized by our peoples that many did not realize that they were being cheated.
niyanamis, one of the old spirits, was an exception. He saw what was happening,
and was suspicious of the newcomers’ trading practices. It was only when the
leader of the Wooden Boat People kidnapped five of our women, however, that
niyanamis intervened. The women had been taken to the Wooden Boat People’s
homeland, across the waters to the east, so niyanamis used his powers to travel
there, taking a single beaver pelt with him. niyanamis had learned that the
Wooden Boat People used a series of three contests to resolve disputes, and when
4
niyanamis (Plains Cree for “The Dancer”) is one of the old spirits. Plains Cree is often written without
capitalization, reflecting the egalitarian nature of the Cree worldview.
5
The Indigenous peoples of Saskatchewan include the Plains Cree, Woodlands Cree, Swampy Cree,
Nakawe/Saulteaux, Dakota, Lakota, Nakota, Dene and Métis.
6
We would again like to express a sincere nanaskomitin (thank you) to Barry for his generosity.
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he found their leader, he challenged him to these contests in an attempt to free the
stolen women. The Wooden Boat People’s leader could not refuse, and believed
there was no way this strange man could defeat him.
In the first contest, both men were to walk on beds of red-hot embers with bare
feet for as long as they could endure. The men started together, but the leader of
the Wooden Boat People jumped off the hot coals after only a few steps, falling to
the ground and rubbing his blistered feet. He looked up to see niyanamis
complete his path across the coals, stamping them out with his feet as he went.
The second contest required the men to run across a path of hunting knives,
blades up, again with bare feet. This contest ended similarly, with the leader of
the Wooden Boat People, feet bleeding, slowly realizing that he may not be able
to win. In the third and final contest, the men were lowered into iron cauldrons
filled with bubbling water heated by fires below. Both men remained in the
cauldrons for some time, their faces obscured by the steam and bubbles rising
from the water. Finally, the leader of the Wooden Boat People leapt from the
water with a scream, his skin red and peeling from the heat. After being attended
to by his people, he regained his composure enough to ask what had become of
the other man. When he was informed that niyanamis was still in his cauldron, he
assumed niyanamis must be dead, having been boiled alive by the water. When
they checked the cauldron, however, they found niyanamis smiling, with the
water ice cold, despite the fire burning below.
Although niyanamis had defeated the leader of the Wooden Boat People in each
of the contests, he announced that he would like to challenge him to a final
contest. niyayamis asked the Wooden Boat People to bring out their largest scale,
and placed the beaver pelt he had brought with him on one end. He then asked
the Wooden Boat People to begin loading the other end of the scale with their
goods for trade. No matter how much they placed on the other end of the scale,
they could not outweigh the single beaver pelt. The leader of the Wooden Boat
People knew he had been defeated and shamed in front of his own people. He
agreed to free the stolen women, and told niynamis to do as he pleased with him,
since he had failed his people and could no longer be a leader in their community.
niyanamis decided to transform the disgraced leader into a star being, and place
him in the southern sky. niyanamis instructed his people to offer their prayers and
pipes to him as weymistikosiw ātayohkan, as from then on he could only respond
in good ways, and would no longer be able to hurt, cheat, or steal from them.
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All stories are open to multiple interpretations, and we believe this story is relevant to the
Indigenous Voices initiative in a number of ways. First, it demonstrates the changing nature of
the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. It tells of how an initially
reciprocal relationship became oppressive, and of how resistance contributed to reconciliation. It
is this sense of reciprocity and reconciliation that Indigenous Voices is striving to strengthen.
Further, the story exemplifies the importance of good leadership for maintaining fairness and
equity. In our case, it has been the collective leadership of the BEADWORK Group in the
College of Education, the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness, and the Provost’s
Committee on Integrating Planning, that have provided the administrative support and expertise
that allowed this initiative to flourish at the University of Saskatchewan. The story also provides
commentary on accountability – of holding others, as well as ourselves, responsible – while
maintaining respectful relations with all.7 Perhaps most importantly, this story acknowledges the
knowledge and lifeways of Indigenous peoples as powerful and transformative. This
transformative imperative is at the heart of the Indigenous Voices staff and faculty development
initiative, which takes the decolonization and Indigenization of teaching and learning at the
University of Saskatchewan as a foundational goal.
7
Being placed in the sky as a star is likely not the worst punishment niyanamis could have given the Wooden Boat
People’s leader.
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Context
An international imperative for Aboriginal rights was decreed in 2008, when the United Nations
issued the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP), addressing the long-standing
and urgent concerns of Indigenous peoples throughout the world. Of particular significance to
education is article 14:
Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational
systems and institutions… the right to all levels and forms of education of the
State without discrimination, and to have access, when possible, to an education
in their own culture and provided in their own language.
The Declaration also demands that attention be paid to the “the urgent need to respect and
promote the rights of [I]ndigenous peoples affirmed in treaties…” (1). Within Canada, each
numbered treaty signed between First Nations and the Crown includes a provision for education
(Carr-Stewart, 2001), yet the assimilative aims and dehumanizing practices of the residential
schools that met this provision have had disastrous results for First Nations peoples in terms of
socio-economic health and cultural continuity. A lack of parity in funding for reserve schools
and an imposed Euro-centric curriculum are but two ongoing issues plaguing First Nations
schools.
Historically, Métis and non-status Aboriginal peoples have not been recognized as
“Indians” or promised the treaty rights and benefits of Indian peoples. Even though not legally
considered “Indian,” many Metis, non-status, and Inuit children were also forced to attend
residential schools (Legacy of Hope, 2001). Since 1999, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
and many Métis and non-status Aboriginal people have argued “they are entitled to some or all
of the same rights and benefits as status First Nations members, [including] access to the same
…education…benefits” (“Federal Courts,” 2013). On January 8th, 2013, their efforts paid off
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when the Federal Court ruled “that 200,000 Métis and 400,000 non-status Indians in Canada are
indeed ‘Indians' under the Constitution Act, and fall under federal jurisdiction” (2013). While
this landmark decision places jurisdiction for Métis and non-status peoples firmly with the
Federal Government, it remains to be seen how Canada will respond to this responsibility.
The history and current conditions of Inuit education differ significantly from that of First
Nations, non-status Aboriginal peoples, and the Metis, in part because they were not considered
“Indians” until 1939 (Legacy of Hope, 2001). Arguably, Federal interference in Inuit education
did not become a considerable factor until the early 1940s when Inuit Day Schools were
established (Reyhner, 2010). In an effort to address the fact that “roughly 75% of [Inuit]
children are not completing high school” the Inuit Education Act was created in 2008, which “set
out six core themes…: bilingual education, mobilizing parents, Inuit-centred curriculum and
teaching practices, post-secondary success, capacity building, and collecting and sharing
information” (Inuit Tapiriit Kantami, 2011).
Attempting to address the inadequacies of off-reserve education for Aboriginal students,
The Association of Canadian Deans of Education’s Accord on Indigenous Education (2010)8
lays out a vision for establishing respectful learning environments, creating inclusive curricula,
and recognizing and promoting Indigenous knowledge in education thereby and improving
access, support and retention strategies for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people enrolling in
post-secondary education. As Lorna Williams, professor at the University of Victoria and
member of the Lil'wat First Nation, observes: “Education was the tool used to destroy our
languages, ways of life, cultural traditions, relationships with families and the land. This action
8
This accord came to fruition in part thanks to Dr. Cecilia Reynolds, former Dean of the College of Education at the
University of Saskatchewan.
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by the deans of education is leading the way to education being an institution that can also heal
and restore what it attempted to destroy” (“Deans sign accord,” 2010).
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Education (2009) and Canadian Council of Ministers of
Education (2004, 2008) have also expressed their commitment to this work. The Saskatchewan
Ministry of Education has made Indigenous education a priority by taking steps to ensure that all
K-12 students learn about Saskatchewan’s Treaties and that all curriculum materials are
reviewed and revised to ensure inclusion of Aboriginal content, perspectives, and ways of
knowing for all learners (2009). At the national level, the Canadian Council of Ministers of
Education reaffirmed this commitment in their framework for Canada’s educational systems
forwarded in Learn Canada 2020 (2008).
Saskatchewan is a place where Indigenous culture and knowledge abounds. An
institution of higher education in Treaty Six territory, the University of Saskatchewan honours its
sense of place and values the Indigenous heritage of this land. Yet historically the University,
along with schools and other colonial institutions, had roots in forces and practices that
contributed to the marginalization of Aboriginal peoples through the destruction of cultures,
languages, families, and communities. In response to this reality, the University’s Integrated
Plans9 and Foundational Documents (1998-2008) clearly express the University’s commitment to
institutional reform. Indigenous Voices is contributing to this process by creating learning
opportunities that strengthen the capacity of faculty and staff to engage respectfully with
Indigenous peoples and communities in their personal and professional lives.
Unfortunately, in their own formal education experiences many faculty and staff were
not provided with opportunities to reflect on the subtle forms of racism and oppression implicit
9
Toward an Engaged University (2008) and Promise and Potential (2012)
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in many existing institutional norms and practices. Sensitizing faculty to these issues,
understanding the implications of colonial structures and traditions, and respectfully engaging
with Aboriginal cultures and epistemologies is increasingly expected of the University of
Saskatchewan’s faculty and staff, and are primary goals of the Indigenous Voices program. This
task is not without challenges, however, as this work is relatively new. Few examples of similar
programming at other universities exist, although we acknowledge the University of Victoria’s
LE’NONET Staff and Faculty Aboriginal Training program (SFACT),10 and Thomson Rivers
University,11 where significant professional development work in this area has begun.
Faculty in the College of Education’s BEADWORK12 committee at the University of
Saskatchewan initially proposed this programming to address the inadequacies of K-12 and postsecondary education for Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. The emphasis placed on Indigenous
peoples, knowledges, and ways of knowing in Saskatchewan’s revised K-12 curricula
underscored the need to enhance the College’s capacity to provide relevant support to pre-service
teachers. The Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness (GMCTE) was similarly aiming
to strengthen its ability to assist instructors, departments, and colleges interested in bringing
Indigenous people and perspectives into their teaching, programming, and disciplinary
communities. High attrition rates for Aboriginal students—resulting from an unwelcoming
campus climate, funding issues, and personal circumstances—are an area of concern for the
entire campus. Racism and cultural barriers remain a significant deterrent for many students,13
10
The SFACT reports and curriculum guide can be found here:
http://www.uvic.ca/services/indigenous/programs/lenonet/
11
TRU’s Handbook for Educators of Aboriginal Students
12
The BEADWORK committee was struck in 2008 in the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan.
It consists of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal faculty who are committed to research and development in Aboriginal
education.
13
An example is Brockman, M. (2013). Exploring prejudice toward Aboriginal people: Interviews with white
Canadian university students.
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and are particularly challenging for students who are already experiencing stresses arising from
Canada’s legacy of colonialism (Tribal Sovereignty Associates, 1992).
Through the last decade the desire to improve Aboriginal engagement has resulted in
some successes in terms of community relationships and niche programs, but when it comes to a
widespread understanding and acceptance of Aboriginal cultures and ways of knowing, our
University has made little progress. Research, such as that of the College of Education’s Dr.
Margaret Kovach (2009, 2010), indicates that there are still significant barriers faced by many
non-Aboriginal faculty in coming to understand, accept, and value Aboriginal cultures, histories,
and paradigms of understanding. Long-standing societal influences that stem from colonial
attitudes and social and economic structures, as well as racist practices persist.
Within the context of the Indigenous Voices program at the University of Saskatchewan,
we are challenged to improve Indigenous education within a Western institution and framework.
Critical to this endeavor are our attempts to both decolonize and Indigenize the classroom,
curricula, and campus culture. Achieving this includes working with individual staff and
faculty—de- and re-constructing the identities in the classroom to create a culturally responsive
and anti-oppressive environment. With nationally recognized Aboriginal teacher education
programs,14 the development of rigorous anti-racist and Indigenous learning courses, and the
establishment of the Aboriginal Education Research Centre (AERC), the College of Education
has been a local and national leader in the advancement of Aboriginal education. The faculty
recognizes that far more needs to be done and that good intentions will not erase the Eurocentric
privilege and systemic racism implicit in educational gaps for Aboriginal students. In order to
reach the goals of the national Accord on Indigenous Education, as well as meeting the needs of
14
Such as the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP), Northern Education Teacher
Program (NORTEP), and the Indian Education Teacher Program (ITEP).
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the provincial K-12 education system, the College of Education is committed to developing and
piloting this faculty development program to facilitate the development of skills and pedagogies
regarding Indigenous knowledge, learning, and perspectives.
Taking a substantial step forward requires that our faculty, staff, and students commit to
deep, transformative learning experiences with Indigenous peoples and cultures. This work
cannot be achieved through an “add and stir” model but instead is a process that requires an
understanding of and respect for diverse knowledge systems. With one of our primary goals
being “Indigenization,” not only must course content change, but pedagogies and methodologies
must also shift. To truly Indigenize means to “make Indigenous; increase local participation in
and ownership of; [and to] adapt (beliefs, customs, etc.) to local ways.”15 Simultaneously,
faculty and staff need to engage in decolonization, and to develop an awareness of Euro-centric
privileges, practices, and curricula (written and hidden).
15
“Indigenize”. (2014) Dictionary.com Unabridged . Based on the Random House Dictionary, Random House,
Inc. Retrieved from: http://dictionary.reference.com/ browse/indigenize.
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Philosophical Framework
At the final Elders Gathering hosted during the development of the Indigenous Voices program,
the image of the butterfly appeared in a number of forms. It first emerged when Elder Fred
Numalaloak (Inuvaluit) described the process we were engaged in as a butterfly about to emerge
from its cocoon, fragile but beautiful and almost ready to take flight. The image of a butterfly
also appeared in a diagram that was drawn while the group was outlining the goals of the
programming. It was at this point that Elder Darlene Speidel (Lakota), whose Lakota name
“kimimilaskawin” means “White Butterfly Woman,” spoke the butterfly as a symbol of change
and transformation among many Indigenous peoples. As hosts of the gathering and leaders of
the Indigenous Voices initiative, this resonated with us. When the process of planning the
Indigenous Voices program first began, individual and systemic change, more specifically
decolonization and Indigenization, were identified as central goals.
These transformative goals posed a considerable challenge, and required a long-term
vision through which the conditions for the emergence of the desired changes could be created.
Three of these conditions were immediately apparent: 1) broader awareness of colonial policies
and practices, including their impact on Indigenous peoples, among faculty and staff at the
University of Saskatchewan, 2) the creation of safe spaces for conversation and relationship
building, where the tensions and misconceptions inherent to Indigenous education (that can often
impede learning) are muted, and 3) appreciation of the existence and contemporary value of
Indigenous ways of knowing and being. These conditions became further goals around which
the programming was designed, and are informed by literature on transformative learning
(Mezirow, 1978), ethical space (Ermine in Cottrell et all, 2009), and the place of Indigenous
Knowledge in education (Battiste, 2002).
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Much contemporary educational discourse is based in constructivist and sociocultural
theories of learning that acknowledge the pedagogical importance of learners’ prior knowledge
and foster a critical awareness of the contexts in which students are situated (Bartolomé, 1994;
Ladson-Billings, 1995). Transformative learning builds on these theories, adding the
overarching aim of facilitating deep, structural shifts in basic premises of thought, feelings, and
actions (Transformative Learning Center, 2004). The concept of a perspective transformation
triggered by a “disorienting dilemma” was first developed by Mezirow (1978), who subsequently
drew on Kuhn’s (1980) “paradigm shift” and Freire’s (1970) concept of “conscientization” (i.e.,
critical consciousness) to develop his theory of transformative learning (Kitchenham, 2008;
Mezirow, 1997).
It is our belief that learning about colonial relations between Indigenous and nonIndigenous peoples, including how these relations have impacted contemporary Canadian society
(e.g., the Indian Act, Residential Schools, etc.), constitutes a “disorienting dilemma” that may
prompt participants to begin challenging and shifting their beliefs about Indigenous peoples and
education. We also recognized that many participants might not have learned about this in
previous education experiences, and that this new information, especially regarding white
privilege and anti-racism (Kumashiro, 2000), may elicit difficult, emotional responses. We
therefore sought to focus on establishing trusting relationships within the program, creating safe
spaces for all to come together and learn.
The framework for creating ethical spaces by Willie Ermine, Cree Ethicist, was adopted
to help create these spaces. Ermine describes that “ethical space” is formed when “two societies,
with disparate worldviews, are poised to engage each other” and that that space between them
“contributes to the development of a framework for dialogue” (Ermine, 2007, p 193). It provides
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a venue or space of retreat, reflection and dialogue to share understandings and to work together
to create a shared future. Importantly, an ethical space recognizes that each has a history,
knowledge traditions, philosophies, and social, economic and political realities. An ethical space
promotes dignified mutual realities—a partnership that not only affirms diverse cultures but also
beckons a cooperative spirit for the purposes of conceiving an ethical order of relations. Ermine
describes six terrain indicators that guide the process of creating ethical space:
1.
Relationship Building – based on dialogue, collaboration, and a sense of morality—
knowing what harms the well being of our fellow humans;
2.
Dialogue – speaking from the heart, collectively (moving away from grand narratives to
critical conversations about democracy, race, gender, class, etc);
3.
Parity – coming into the circle (with titles behind) to reach a consensus about equity—the
highest standard possible for human co-existence;
4.
Emotionality – being passionate and embracing fear of the unknown (recognizing it can
be threatening—anchored in power relations, privilege);
5.
Leadership – a capacity to look at both worlds to see promise and potential, driven by the
principle of working for higher standards in service to others;
6.
Language of Possibility – a posture and the language used while engaged in dialogue or
in purposeful relationship building. (Cottrell et al., 2009)
In practice, ethical space beckons dialogue and a cooperative spirit from its participants, it holds
promise for good relations and equity—justice, by the willingness of “leaders” to speak in the
language of possibilities and to take risks to create change for themselves and for meeting
institutional goals and purposes.
The creation of safe, ethical spaces where diverse cultures and knowledge systems meet
on equal terms also provides opportunities to explore and engage with Indigenous ways of
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knowing and being. When institutions respectfully engage in Indigenous, holistic approaches to
education, further opportunities for transformative experiences are made possible. As Marie
Battiste (2002) has suggested, “Indigenous Knowledge [IK] fills the ethical and knowledge gaps
in Eurocentric education, research and scholarship” (p. 5). Thus, not only does the inclusion of
IK help express these often suppressed knowledge systems, but by filling “gaps” in Eurocentric
education it also promises to expand the knowledge base of all students, which has both
individual and collective benefits in its capacity to catalyze social change.
Indigenous peoples have long advocated for more holistic approaches to education (e.g.,
National Indian Brotherhood, 1972, Canadian Council on Learning, 2007). Past National Chief
of the Assembly of First Nations, Phil Fontaine, has advocated for a holistic approach to
education that addresses “intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and physical needs through quality
lifelong learning grounded in First Nations languages, cultures, traditions, values, and
worldviews” (Canadian Council of Ministers of Education, 2009). The importance of holistic
approaches is also reflected in an Elder’s discussion of “the learning spirit”:
It is a gift from the Creator, and is a part of one's being. It is present from
conception and birth and exists in an individual's heart and soul. It is a holistic
concept, characterized by a combination of learning strengths, gifts, and
capacities, which are supported through inter-relationships with culture, language,
tradition, community, self, and the natural world. (Vizina, 2008)
In describing these holistic approaches to education several commonalities emerge, including
attending to the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs of learners, engaging
community (including Elders and Knowledge Keepers), and connecting with land and the natural
world. Indigenous languages are also frequently identified as crucially important to Indigenous
cultures and worldviews.
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In an effort to reflect this importance, and in consultation with our Elders, we chose to
theme each of our four, day-long gatherings on pedagogy with nehiyaw (Plains Cree) terms. Our
first gathering, Foundations of Transformative Pedagogy, was themed with miyo pimatisiwin
(living a good life), which we introduced as a general goal of education, and of our program in
particular. Classroom-based Pedagogies, the next gathering, was paired with miyo wicehtowin
(maintaining good relations), which we emphasized as important in all aspects of our personal
and professional lives. witaskewin (living together on the land) was the theme of the Land-based
Pedagogies gathering, and led into discussion of Treaties and the importance of land for
Indigenous peoples as a source of sustenance and identity. The final gathering, Communitybased Pedagogies, was themed with wâhkôhtowin, a concept of kinship that is inclusive of all of
creation, which led to reflection on how recognizing other people and natural elements as
relatives rather than resources might change our behavior towards them.
Taken together, the notions of transformative learning, ethical space, and Indigenous
knowledge have shaped the Indigenous Voices program that we have developed, and are striving
to improve and refine. We understand learning, both our own and that of our participants, as an
ongoing, life long journey, and seek to continue on a good path.
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Indigenous Voices: Program Foundations
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Moving Forward
It has been our pleasure to have the opportunity to contribute to the establishment of Indigenous
Voices, a groundbreaking staff and faculty development program here at the University of
Saskatchewan. We have both grown tremendously through the work we have undertaken and
are grateful to all of those who have given so freely to bringing this endeavor to fruition. We
realize that in no way is this work finished. While we are proud of the program and its impact
on the faculty and staff who have participated, the goals of decolonizing and Indigenizing the
University, in the process helping to co-create more equitable and sustainable societies, require
ongoing effort and renewal.
As such, the program will be undergoing annual review and revision based on feedback
from our participants, presenters, planners, and others. Already, a few revisions have been made
as the program has moved to a campus-wide audience. Further revisions will also occur along
with shifts in specific needs and requests. For example, attending to requests for customized
sessions for the entire faculty and staff of specific colleges, departments, and units appears to be
another effective way to catalyze change within larger sub-sections of the campus community.
Indigenous Voices will also be collaborating with the GMCTE’s Curriculum Development team,
helping to create strategies to decolonize and Indigenize programs and courses within interested
colleges and departments.
The possibility of creating a series of mandatory gatherings for new faculty and staff also
holds some promise. Many universities in New Zealand have adopted a series of “Institutional
Culture” workshops for new hires. The four workshops are a day long, with new faculty and
staff required to complete one every six months during their first two years, ensuring familiarity
with local Indigenous histories and cultures, along with other pertinent aspects of Institutional
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Indigenous Voices: Program Foundations
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Culture, without making unreasonable demands on their time. The support of senior
administration in implementing such a program is crucial, and we are hopeful that the
University’s support of Indigenous Voices will eventually include this approach.
Significantly, senior leadership’s keen interest and participation in Indigenous Voices has
the potential to influence decision and policy makers. With their continued support, our faculty
and staff will be better prepared to create an environment for students that welcomes all learners,
that invites multiple perspectives, challenges the dominance of Eurocentric worldviews, and
honours Indigenous ways of knowing and being. As expressed by former University of
Saskatchewan President Peter McKinnon, Aboriginal education is “the great social imperative of
the 21st century, in our province and beyond” (2010, p. 5). We concur that Indigenous peoples
and knowledge systems hold great potential to help address the social, economic, and
environmental challenges that we collectively face, and are pleased to have made a small
contribution to this work.
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