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World News | Teaching Indigenous Spirituality in Schools Can Promote Reconciliation and Inclusion

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TORONTO, Dec. 6 (Dialogue) Aboriginal education has become an area of ​​growing concern for Canadian public schools. We live in an age of reconciliation, with a growing Indigenous population and a growing interest in confronting our shared history.

Part of this involves focusing on how primary and secondary schools deal with Indigenous experiences in Canada.

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The approach to Aboriginal education in primary and secondary schools varies across provinces and territories. Some focus on how history and social studies incorporate Indigenous experiences. A handful of schools have taken the risk of developing Indigenous-focused math and science programs.

There are many different subjects that could benefit from including Indigenous perspectives. However, there seems to be a common thread in most school initiatives across Canada – spirituality.

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Aboriginal spirituality in schools Aboriginal spirituality has become more common in Canadian public schools in recent years. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) final report and call to action highlights the need for improved school planning.

In order to understand the many aspects of Aboriginal experience, it is necessary to understand the spiritual aspects of these experiences and their associated rituals.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to action on “reconciliation education” was rightly understood as a change that required working with Indigenous peoples. In this spirit of collaboration, no matter the discipline or topic being discussed, something emerges – the spiritual orientation of Indigenous peoples.

Ritual celebrations, such as graffiti, and the involvement of Aboriginal spiritual leaders and elders become an essential part of any educational program that prioritizes Aboriginal perspectives. The imperative here is clear: Indigenous perspectives in school curricula are best understood in the context of their respective Indigenous worldviews.

For example, a school wants to adapt its social studies teaching about family relationships in traditional community settings. Organizing principles espoused by Indigenous peoples will be an integral part of the curriculum.

Students learn about kinship systems such as lineage, hereditary leadership, and the role of elders. As they move into these areas of experience, spiritual elements and traditional understandings become important.

School-based Initiatives

Winnipeg’s Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) is a well-known example of Aboriginal spirituality in the public school curriculum. LRSD aims to develop a Minecraft world that will reflect the traditional Anishinaabe region of southern Manitoba for school use.

During the 2019-20 school year, the LRSD invited Aboriginal students, staff and community members, including respected elders, to discuss developments in the Minecraft world. The final product is Manito Ahbee Aki (Anishinaabemowin, meaning “where the Creator is”), which allows students to explore traditional views of the territory. This product continues to be a great resource for students.

Factual aspects of the project, such as geographic and linguistic considerations, are important. Additionally, spiritual aspects such as the Seven Sacred Teachings and the role of Guardians of Indigenous Knowledge as game characters are central to this development. When the final product was unveiled, it was done at a traditional feast hosted by local Aboriginal elders who presided over the pipe smoking ceremony.

The example of LRSD Minecraft is one of many school-based initiatives in Canada that incorporate Indigenous spirituality. From practices such as prayer services to ritual activities involving daubing, Indigenous spirituality has become an important part of public schools in much of Canada. Among other things, it is seen as an important aspect of the journey of reconciliation.

While the progress the school has made is welcomed by many and even seen as an integral part of school activity, it is not without its challenges.

Attempts by Aboriginal school staff and community members to initiate events involving Aboriginal spirituality have met with resistance from school administrators, the larger community, and even the laws and policies governing school operations.

Change is not always easy. But it is the efforts of courageous advocates for Indigenous education that have helped create spaces in our schools where Indigenous students can learn and grow in ways that respect their identities. Our Canadian social fabric is better for it. (conversation)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)



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