With the push to Indigenize the academy, and the respectful integration of Indigenous content courses at several universities in Canada, the issue of decolonization and Indigenization of the classroom is highly relevant. At the same time, many junior academics, especially those who are not in fields where Indigeneity is a research focus, may have little knowledge about Indigenous peoples and histories, let alone the ability to teach in a way that would provide onramps for Indigenous students, legitimize Indigenous forms of knowledge, and model best practices to students. Indigenous students may have different knowledge about some aspects of course content, and TAs and TMs need to learn how to affirm and make room for this.
The goal of this session is to respond to the SFU Aboriginal Reconciliation Council’s (SFU-ARC) goal to implement the TRC recommendations. This session will touch on three core ideas, each with a clearly related outcome:
- To ensure we all start from a respectful foundation, we’ll begin the session with a brief overview of terminology. This will help attendees develop a better understanding of who Indigenous people are, their various identifications, and appropriate language to use.
- Next, the instructors will facilitate a discussion of Indigenous pasts and presents within Canada and in the local Greater Vancouver context. Attendees will gain some basic knowledge on Indigenous history and the ongoing legacy of settler colonialism; this will provide the necessary foundation for them to understand the importance of and feel comfortable approaching the topics of Indigenization and decolonization.
- Lastly, the session instructors will suggest ways to bring Indigenization and decolonization into their teaching practice through meaningful land acknowledgements and highlighting previous teachable moments.
This collaborative session will be co-taught by one Indigenous scholar and one settler scholar, both women. We teach and learn from a desire to disrupt colonial narratives. This session uses a variety of active and cooperative learning techniques: short lecture-bursts, small group discussion, individual writing reflection, and hands-on experiential activities, and take-away literature so attendees can continue to consider what they have learned.