ICSEI 2009
EQUALITY AND QUALITY
LEARNING
Lorna Williams, Canada Research Chair
Lil’wat
University of Victoria
January 05 2009
Assults and insults on our
bodies, spirit, families, nations
- Education
 Disease
 Forced separation policies
 Forced disconnection from life on our
lands
 Racism
 Voiceless, invisible, storyless,
purposeless
legacy
 Disruption of intergenerational
relationships; language, wisdom
 Discontinuation of ceremonies,
relationships with ancestors,
descendents, spirit
 Disruption of relationships with the
land, protection of land, animals, plants
 Disruption of sovereignty and
governance
 Dehumanization, demonization
Legacy
 Indigenous knowledge and wisdom:
Invisibility
Devaluation
Irrelevant, unnecessary
demeaning
Fear and abhorrence
mistrust
2009
 We are still here ….
 Our languages are still here ….
 Life and spirit are still on our land ….
 Our languages, knowledge and wisdom
continue
Education, learning and
teaching – keys to our
continuation and existence
Indigenous Knowledge,
Learning and teaching
ELTLNIWT (Sencoten)
 To be a whole human being
 Holistic knowledge – all
knowledge is inseparable from
land, place, spirit, language, kin,
law, balance, harmony, respect
 Spirit, heart, body, thinking
 Ancestral knowingness
J. Elliott, Yunkapota, T
k’é (Diné)
understanding interdependent,
compassionate relationships as
they manifest in life




earth - sky
self - family – community - nation
animals, plants
ancestors - descendents
L. Emerson
Teaching/Learning
• hard work
• cooperation
• persistence
• commitment
• self discipline
• mutual respect
• consistent effort
• tolerance
• responsibility
Decolonization,
understanding the effects of
colonization
Shifting
 Indigenous world to Euro western
academic world and back again
Starting point – traditional knowledge,
concepts, processes
Awareness that traditional knowledge is
always interacting with modern world,
colonialism
Understanding how knowledges differ
and share commonalities
SHIFTING
 Indigenous knowing, knowledge and
wisdom – colonized thinking
 Oral traditions to literate traditions
 Sharing to saving
 Communal relations to individualism
 Returning to the community and to the
Indigenous world
Schools as institutions
reflecting the society that
creates it.
Indigenous
Euro Western
 deep observation
 gaining knowledge
by active
participation in
family ceremonies,
social life, land,
economic activities
 multi-age, multiple
mentors, peer
learning
 emphasis on
passive
knowledge
acquisition
 attempts to create
homogeneous
settings
 single, expert,
specialist
knowledge
Nsamenang, A.B 2004
Euro Western
Indigenous
 listening, indirect
stories
 focus on mental
activities in formal
settings
 learn by being
actively involved,
holistic
 age segregated
 self regulatory
 separate children
from adults
 self motivated
learning
 distance children
from realities of life
 enabling conditions
to move a child to
more mature roles
 social pressures to
contend for power,
prestige, wealth
 foster responsibility
for learning -celhcelh
 social stratification
 social inequity
Nsamemamg, AB. 2004.
Williams,L
Schools for Restoration
 nurture Indigenous values
 a safe haven for learning
 culturally based teaching and learning
 connect curriculum content to culture
and identity
 understand and help to heal the pain,
trauma, consequences of colonial
practices and policies
 acceptance and respect
 A connected whole human being
Elements to consider
 life long learning & learning across the
generations
 expanding connections – reconnecting
generations in all program policy
elements
 reconnecting language – land,
ceremonies, ancestors, stories,
learning process, knowledge systems
 decolonization
IDENTITY- WHO AM I?
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NAMES
STORIES
LAND
CEREMONIES
SONGS
ANCESTORS
LANGUAGE
Learning
Through
Doing
Learning
Through
Service
Stay connected with
homeland and ancestors
WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE
 Bring your knowledge bag with you
 Don’t be afraid to ask your ancestors
for help
 Knowledge is not only found in books
Celebrate and acknowledge
accomplishments
Sharing Our Ways
of Knowing
Story circles
The more the individual
uniqueness is honoured the
stronger the community
Telling my story; knowing my
story; heart listening
articles
 http://www.ccfi.educ.ubc.ca/publication/
insights/v11n03/articles/williams/william
s.html
 The recognition of Indigenous
knowledge as reconciliation and
restoration. 2009. Directions, Journal of
the Canadian Race Relations
Foundation