Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
Indigenous Ways of Knowing: Storytelling
Introduction
It is only by expanding the very sense of literacy—as systems of meaning making
that encompass Aboriginal languages, oral and narrative traditions, and
symbolic expressions—that we can begin to recover what was lost in the lives of
these elderly Anishinaabe. Their literacies, which include close readings of
landscapes and seasons, must be respected as meaningful ways of life with the
potential to persist into the present. Approaches to education today need to
include Aboriginal people’s connection to the natural world as a legitimate text
from which to learn alongside the print traditions learned in school, particularly
as we attempt to define new traditions of living with the land. (Hare, 2005, p.
256)
There is no singular definition of literacy as it comes in many different forms.
Each student brings certain funds of knowledge to school that can be used to further
their learning in what is considered the “western” form of literacy (i.e. reading and
writing in English). Aboriginal people’s connection to the natural world is its own form
of literacy; one that includes “close readings of landscapes and seasons.” Aboriginal
elders believed that by learning the western knowledge of literacy, they could allow
their children to be educated in both the Aboriginal and western way. Yet instead of
honouring Aboriginal teachings, residential schools aimed to assimilate Aboriginal
children to fit in the western world entirely.
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
As stated in the quote, we also believe that the only way to recover what was lost
due to residential schools is by expanding the definition of western literacy to include
Aboriginal knowledge and traditions. Taking on a holistic approach to the curriculum
can perhaps begin to mend some of what was lost. The only question is how do we
integrate a holistic view of education into our already jam-packed curriculum? And
how do we do it in a manner that properly honours Aboriginal knowledge and
traditions instead of just paying lip service and doing it superficially?
It is our goal to offer educators a way forward. By understanding the differences
between traditional Western storytelling and Indigenous storytelling and exploring the
role that each takes in our educational system we can move forward to bring the two
pedagogies together. By examining the definition of literacy and by broadening our
understanding of Indigenous storytelling to a way of thinking, communicating, and
teaching rather than prescribed content we hope to find a means of incorporating
Indigenous “ways of knowing.”
Storytelling: Western & Indigenous
Most of us have been taught the Western type of storytelling in which stories
have a distinct beginning, middle, and end; by contrast Indigenous storytelling is quite
different. Having had the experience of listening to stories told by an Aboriginal, their
stories tend to end at a point of the climax enabling listeners to imagine their own
ending. Like traditional Western fables, many Indigenous stories have a meaning and
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
or morals which are taught through repeated telling. However, with Indigenous
storytelling there can be many different morals and meaning as there are listeners.
There are two main types of Indigenous storytelling—teaching stories and
community or family stories. In order to tell Indigenous stories, there are certain
protocols that need to be followed. According to Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald, before teachers
attempt to tell the stories, they have to be prepared to learn about the various types of
stories and their associated protocols (“Indigenous Perspectives | Teaching for
Indigenous Education,” Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald: On including Indigenous stories, n.d.). If
they are willing, teacher are encouraged to use Indigenous stories, remembering to be
sensitive to context, research stories origins, and following the appropriate procedures.
Storytelling has been proven to be a highly effective means of learning and exposing
children to stories from an early age is extremely beneficial. The stories might be simple,
but they messages behind them are very significant. But, in order the storytelling to take
place and be used in the classroom environment, educators need to feel comfortable
telling the stories to the students, with the messages they teach.
Dr. Archibald outlines a series of protocols for educators who are interested in
sharing Indigenous stories. Teachers need to ask several questions before embarking on
Indigenous storytelling: What is source of the story? and What are the various purposes
of the story? The first step is for teachers or storytellers to acknowledge the source of
the story. Personal stories should be used only with the permission but community or
family stories, particularly those that have been published don’t require explicit
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
permission. Secondly, teachers should provide a cultural context for the story. This can
be achieved through interaction with the local Aboriginal community, inviting Elders
into the classroom, going on fieldtrips, and creating a culture of sensitivity and
consideration towards other culture within the classroom. Just as a student teacher has
a mentor teacher during the program, teachers who would like to be storytellers and
use stories in their lessons need to find a mentor to help them with the cultural
protocols. Since there are many types of stories, teachers have to understand that the
best stories to teach are the ones that fit best with the local community in which they
teach.
Storytelling as Holistic Learning
According to Dr. Archibald, storytelling has the potential to be a holistic means
of teaching (“Indigenous Perspectives | Teaching for Indigenous Education,” Dr. JoAnn Archibald: On the pedagogical potential of storywork, n.d.). Aboriginal stories have the
ability to address all four components of holistic approach: the emotional, physical,
spiritual and intellectual development of human beings. In other words, stories can help
students think of what they are doing. This would fall under the category of physical
approach. In addition, the ability to do problem solving, and reflect on the stories
increases the intellectuality of students. All stories involve emotions and feelings, and
this way students get to experience the emotional component of the holistic approach.
When storytelling takes place, both the person who refers the story and the audience
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
are seated in a circle. In this way students have the opportunity to build relationships
with each other, and if the storytelling takes place in nature, they feel closer to the
nature. By following this procedure, the spiritual approach is developed.
It is very important, as humans to realize that stories can not only help us as
individuals, but, also, as groups. Indigenous people use stories as a guidance to guide
them. Furthermore, stories can be a foundation for learning. Teachers should not limit
storytelling to Aboriginal curriculum, its culture and people; instead, they should use
storytelling as a method to teach other subject areas, including math, even though it
might sound awkward. According to Dr. Archibald, a story can be similar to a teacher,
it can takes teacher’s role in the class. The only difference is that the stories are missing
the human characteristic the teachers have. Storytelling can teach both teachers and
students about themselves. Storytelling connects families with their communities, and
teachers with their students.
Storytelling by Joanne Archibald –Lady Louse
In this story, which our group had the chance to be the audience, little Lady
Louse is a tiny creature that enters an abandoned Longhouse somewhere in an Indian
reserve. The Longhouse is covered with dust and there is no sign of being used by
people. Tiny Lady Louse is disappointed that people have not lived in the Longhouse
for a long time. She stands up and decides to clean the longhouse on her own with a
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
broom; in her attempt to clean the huge Longhouse on her own and with no one to help
her she disappears in the cloud of dust that she just created.
This story illustrates that ways in which Aboriginal stories differ from the stories
Western stories. The fact that the story stopped at an unexpected point, leaving the
audience to wonder about the messages of this story. The fact that Aboriginal stories do
not have an expected ending makes people look for different conclusions. The above
story, like many other in this tradition, can teach people many lessons that will guide
them in the future. Many teachers are biased towards traditional Western modes of
storytelling and when they assess students they tend to give lower marks to Aboriginal
students, because sometimes their stories do not have an ending. Lady Louse story
includes all four elements of the Holistic approach, but the fact that Dr. Archibald is an
expert in storytelling made it very unique.
New Curriculum
BC’s Ministry of Education has developed a new education plan and one of the
main focuses of the new draft curriculum is on ensuring students experience deeper
learning rather than only remembering pieces of factual information. According to the
new curriculum, “students demonstrate deeper learning when they are able to make
connections, apply their knowledge in new contexts, use their knowledge to solve
problems, and effectively communicate these new understandings” (“Transforming
Curriculum & Assessment,” 2013).
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
When it comes to making connections, students must be able to connect what
they are learning with how that knowledge is related to their lives. Building
connections between what is being learned and their community allows for the students
to learn more effectively. It promotes the students’ understanding of the concepts being
learned and allows them to then apply that knowledge in other contexts.
This method of learning is an integral part of the Indigenous way of knowing.
Much of Indigenous knowledge is derived from the real world. The BC Education
ministry is now attempting to incorporate Indigenous ways of teaching into the school
curriculum—something that many Aboriginal communities from around the world
have been trying to achieve. For instance, Barnhardt and Kawagley (2005) wrote about a
group of Alaskan elders and educators that gathered together in order to come up with
a more effective way of utilizing traditional Indigenous knowledge and ways of
knowing to augment the school curriculum. Barnhardt and Kawagley (2005) discussed
the rationale behind the approach of new Indigenous scholars “to move the role of
Indigenous knowledge and learning from the margins to the center of educational
research” (p. 8). Connecting what is learned in schools to the lives of students would
result in enlivening their learning experience (Barnhardt & Kawagley, 2005).
In order to strive for a similar goal, the new draft curriculum has taken on a
holistic approach when it comes to student learning. According to Barnhardt and
Kawagley (2005), Western science and education focus on compartmentalized
knowledge that is taught through the detached settings of classrooms and laboratories.
Such kind of knowledge does not benefit the Indigenous people, who have always been
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
in tune with the natural world and have traditionally acquired knowledge through
direct experience. Therefore Indigenous students would benefit extremely if the
curriculum taught in schools were done through a holistic worldview—where academic
subjects would be related to the surrounding universe of the students.
One way through which students can form connections between what they are
taught in school and the world around them is through storytelling. Storytelling has
been a large part of Indigenous culture and its importance has now been recognized in
BC’s new education plan. All subject areas incorporate storytelling as a means of
teaching students in some form or another. For instance, according to the new draft
curriculum for English Language Arts (ELA) K-9, greater emphasis will be placed upon
“the importance of literature and story, the joy and power of language, communicating
ideas and information, and exploration of self, one’s identity and one’s place within the
community” (“Transforming Curriculum & Assessment,” 2013). The reason given
behind this is to reflect the importance of “BC’s Aboriginal worldviews and the
importance of story in Aboriginal culture” (“Transforming Curriculum & Assessment,”
2013). Even math will be taught using the principles of Indigenous knowing. Concepts
will be related to story teachings and students will be encouraged to make connections
“to a wide range of differing contexts” (“Transforming Curriculum & Assessment”,
2013).
One way to incorporate Aboriginal knowledge and traditions is through the
inclusion of storytelling in all subjects. Storytelling has the power of transforming our
way of thinking and expanding horizons. It has long been a traditional means of
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
educating and passing on knowledge. In this regard the definition of Aboriginal
literacy perhaps needs to broadened to encompass not only traditional First Nations
stories but as a pedagogical method of passing on knowledge regardless of the cultural
origin of the story. Aboriginal culture is more than totem poles, long houses, and
salmon but rather is a way of life which can infuse all aspects of our modern Canadian
culture if we are willing to open up our way of thinking.
Integrating Storytelling: A Sample Lesson Plan & Rationale
Many teachers are feeling overwhelmed by the demands placed upon them to
fulfill a plethora of learning outcomes. On discussion forums, one of the critiques
among teachers of the new BC curriculum is the expectation for teachers to incorporate
Indigenous learning and content into all subjects at all grade levels. It has been our
desire to show that Indigenous ways of knowing do not have to be an add-on to an
already full curriculum but rather can be a pedagogical approach rather than a ream of
specific content to squeeze in with no context or cultural consideration. The Indigenous
Perspectives website provides a variety of resources which are Indigenous in content
and use storytelling to teach all subjects however it was our desire to answer the
critique of the above teachers by showing how storytelling is an Indigenous pedagogy.
The following math lesson teaches circumference through a story context that will be
familiar to many students but with a twist on the characters. Providing students with a
link between characters and a mathematical concept not only engages them but helps
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
them to make connections which will be memorable. In addition, this story outlines the
thinking process instead of merely stating the mathematical law. In this way, students
become familiar with problem solving in a way that is fun and interesting. The solution
to the characters dilemma is not solved immediately – they try many means along the
way leading students to the understanding that math is about the process as much as it
is about the solution.
Math Grade 4: Introducing Circumference
What is Circumference?
Students will be able to:

Find the diameter, radius,
and circumference of
everyday objects
Rationale:

Learning through storytelling helps students to
connect to new concepts.
 Learning through storytelling engages the
students through an activity that they enjoy.
Resources:

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi
Vocabulary: pi, circumference, radius
Timing
What the Teacher will be doing:
What the Students will be doing:
2 mins.
Introduction:
Listening.
Our math lesson is going to start with a
story today. I want you to listen for some
new words: pi, circumference, and
radius.
10 mins.
Hook:
Read Sir Cumference and the First Round
Table pausing to ask students ask
students about the ideas
Listening. Responding to questions
about the ideas for making it easier to
hear around the table.
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
20 mins.
Introduce Activity:
When measuring circles, it’s difficult to
use a rule. So, we are going to use string
to measure and then line the string up
with a meter stick. Demonstrate.
Activity:
In pairs find the circumference, radius,
and diameter of objects in the classrooms.
Once you’ve measured all your objects
compare your findings with another pair.
5 mins.
EDUC 440-110
Working in groups of 2 measuring
circles using string and meter stick.
Joining another group & comparing
answers
Conclusion:
Review new vocabulary.
Key Visuals
These can be projected via document camera or they could be made into puppets to use when
reviewing the vocabulary and key concepts. They can also be used in following lessons and when
teaching how to find the area of circle.
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
Additional Resources for Geometry Unit (available through Scholastic):
Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi
Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter
Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland
Manpreet Dhinsa, Katie Westlake, Jaime René, Sofia Kristani
EDUC 440-110
Bibliography
Barnhardt, R., & Kawagley, A. (2005). Indigenous knowledge systems and Alaska
Native ways of knowing. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 36(1), 8-23.
Hare, Jan. (2005). To “know papers”: Aboriginal perspectives on literacy. In J. Anderson
(Ed.), Portraits of literacy across families, communities, and schools, (pp. 243-263).
Vancouver, BC: L. Erlbaum Associates.
Indigenous Perspectives | Teaching for Indigenous Education. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 6, 2013, from
http://www.indigenouseducation.educ.ubc.ca/pedagogy/indigenousperspectives/
Neuschwander, C., & Geehan, W. (1997). Sir Cumference and the first round table: a math
adventure. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
Transforming Curriculum & Assessment. (2013). Retrieved December 6, 2013, from
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum