Workshop explores Indigenization in university classrooms

The University of Calgary unveiled its Indigenous Strategy, ii' taa' poh' to' p, on Nov. 16, 2017. The strategy is the result of nearly two years of community dialogue and campus engagement, and involved the work of a number of people from the university, Indigenous communities and community stakeholders.

Part of this strategy calls for Indigenization of the classroom. What exactly does this mean, and what does it look like in practice? Jennifer Ward, an educational developer in the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Alberta, will address these questions during her workshop Indigenization and Teaching: A Workshop on Pedagogies, Protocols, and Worldviews, scheduled for March 1 in the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning Forum.

Teaching and learning from an Indigenous worldview

Ward is of Umpqua, Algonquin and Walla Walla ancestry, and her presentation will shed some light on the importance of wahkohtowin  (a Cree word that describes kinship and relationships) in teaching and learning from an Indigenous worldview. Targeted primarily toward university faculty, the presentation will consider the long and complex process of decolonization and Indigenization, achievable only through collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

“Indigenization, to me, is the making of space and the honouring of Indigenous worldviews, perspectives, and pedagogies in our current Eurocentric education system,” Ward explains. “Indigenization recognizes the historical and contemporary realities of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit and unseats colonial beliefs around privilege and power. Because Indigenous nations are built on reciprocal relationships (wahkohtowin) and relational accountability, both the teacher and the student learn from one another.

"Indigenization in education allows the space and time for relationships to be built and for people to engage in meaningful learning with one another based on respect. Incorporating Indigenous perspectives into all programs / courses is possible and should really be a major goal of educational institutions.”

Her presentation will address methods of Indigenizing the classroom and the campus at large. Gesturing to some of these processes, Ward says, “We can incorporate Indigenous voices in many ways, such as articles and books authored by Indigenous peoples and scholars; videos and digital stories of Indigenous peoples and knowledge keepers; and student engagement with Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. A major way that I honour Indigenous voices is by inviting Indigenous elders and knowledge keepers into my classrooms to show students how we can weave traditional Indigenous knowledge into education.

"Moreover, I like to demonstrate the respect that our communities have for these knowledges with the offering of protocol and honorarium that should be bestowed upon our elders and knowledge keepers when they provide teachings and share their knowledge. Indigenization must also place Indigenous peoples in positions of power and authority not just in the academy, but in all positions and in all employment sectors.”

Workshop details

Registration is required to attend Indigenization and Teaching: A Workshop on Pedagogies, Protocols, and Worldviews. The event will run from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 1 in the Taylor Institute forum.

Learn more about ii’ taa’ poh’ to’ p, the Indigenous Strategy at the University of Calgary.