In Ontario (Canada), Ways of Knowing is bridging Aboriginal and Western qualifications as of last month. Brock University joined together with the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council in Sioux Lookout to make it happen.
The new program aims to deliver teacher education to 24 Native communities throughout Sioux Lookout District. The Bachelor of Education Program, which includes Indigenous knowledge and a land-based curriculum, embraces a “Two Worlds” pedagogy that reflects both Anishnawbek and mainstream ways of knowing.
The really cool thing was that the land mass area is so large that the teachers enrolled in this accreditation program will have to fly in to meet together to meet the requirements of the program!
Both Aboriginal art and language are key components within the scope of the program. This vision sees a world in which First Nations people succeed without loss of their identity and have the courage to change their world according to their values. Unfortunately the 20th century history of education has been one of oppression and forced assimilation. It is especially painful to know that children were the first victims, and societal cascade failure across the culture in general was engendered.
Today, survivors of the oppressive residential school system recall their experiences with deep pain, anger and continue to mourn their childhood taken from them. Generations later, First Nations communities are plagued with alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic violence, crime, incarceration, unemployment, and suicide as a result of the federal government’s policy of assimilation.
This hope of this program is to reach a new level of understanding, which includes indigenous knowledge and a land-based curriculum: a “Two Worlds” pedagogy that reflects both Anishnawbek and mainstream ways of knowing.
My elders and those dearest to me endured the residential school atrocities. I like this program and the ideals behind NAHO. I want to get into politics involved with helping the Aboriginal peoples empower themselves to avoid further oppression from the Canadian government. It is encouraging to see other organizations attempting the same thing. I want to make it my mission to see that our people can unite as a cohesive unit like in the stories I was told of the longhouses understandably outdated but it proves that at one time the different cultures could get past our own petty quarrels. Of course I cannot claim to KNOW because I am not qualified with the proper credentials to claim so…however like everything is a work progress reading of this program I would like to get more informed and educate myself so that I may properly serve my people towards a brighter future.
Joseph