Yesterday, in preparation for a BC Campus session for Curriculum Developers on Indigenizing the Curriculum, I was reading their guide, Pulling Together A Guide for Curriculum Developers. I was struck by this quote about Indigenization (p. 6): 

 

 

Indigenization can be understood as weaving or braiding together of two distinct knowledge systems… a coming together of these two ways of knowing. 

In trying to ensure my time is divided according to immediate, medium term and longer term priorities, what comes under CTLI work and the time I need to devote to the CiCan Project I’m working on this term, I was reminded strongly of what I already knew; it’s all interconnected – braided together. I don’t mean in terms of distinct knowledge systems, but in the sense that everything I’m working on right now is connected. Research on creating a non-traditional / decolonized toolkit  is connected to learning session preparation, which is connected to work on supporting instructors, which is linked to exploring materials on learning outcomes.

The preparation for learning sessions on creating connection and engagement, fostering compassion, a pedagogy of kindness, includes aspects that are also part of indigenization – the idea of including the emotional and spiritual along with the cognitive and physical – as we recognize more than ever the role we can play as instructors in creating emotionally safe and kind spaces for learners to come together in a community of practice. The fact that Terri and I only had one person attend our joint session, and only one person attended my other session on Connecting and Engaging Diverse Learners, was an opportunity for building / strengthening relationships among colleagues as they in turn considered ways they can build community in their classes. This also played out in the one-to-one consultations I had with a couple of faculty this week (face-to-face and by email). I’ve valued the opportunity to engage in deeper and more meaningful discussions on pedagogy, learning and our craft as instructors. 

Some participants attending the BC Campus session yesterday identified feelings of insecurity and a lack of expertise in indigenizing curriculum. I share those feelings and at the same time, I’m realizing that as I develop my practice as an educational developer and an instructor, I am including pedagogical approaches that I’m realizing, are woven into indigenous approaches. I’m learning the boundaries of what I can / should be doing as a white settler and where my responsibility lies in creating space for indigenous voices; and also in creating spaces for all voices. Sometimes that includes my own voice. I need (and want) to speak up more, own the knowledge I have and share it in ways that are thoughtful, respectful, still with the humility of someone still learning themselves. There’s a time to listen, and also a time to speak.