On September 18th, I joined presentation of Dr. Niigaan Sinclair over zoom. There was an option to go to the presentation in person, but it was nice to have a day at home after all of the chaos of starting the Education program. Dr. Sinclair started by introducing himself; His full name is Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, he is Anishinaabe, and he is a professor at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Sinclair often speaks on Indigenous literature and issues, as well as the topic of masculinities.
Dr. Sinclairās presentation today was about Indigenous students in school, and some successful initiatives that worked for both Indigenous and Canadian students. He stressed that improving ways of teaching and learning was not just for Indigenous students but also for Canadian students Some of these initiatives were student advocacy, student representation, recognition of Indigenous traditional knowledge, and active community engagement.
Dr. Sinclair then showed a photo of the āFirst Nations Holistic Lifelong Learning Modelā. It showed a large tree enclosed in a circle, and it showed the leaves as well as the roots. There was even a visual for what the inside of the tree looked like and what it represents. The tree is meant to represent the student, and all of their connections. There was rain to represent ānurturing guidesā like elders, counsellors, and mentors. The roots were āthe sources and domains of knowledgeā, and they were connected to thinks like family, the self, and nation. The inner part of the tree was called āThe Learning Rings of the Individualā. At the center of the tree was the Medicine Wheel, and it had early learning as the next ring cycle. The tree was a great visual for me as a future teacher, and Iām excited to learn more about Indigenous knowledge and traditions.
Photo credit: Maddie Corbett, April 2022.
