Tracy.Healy@burnabyschools.ca

Elementary Indigenous Resource Teacher

CONTINUING OUR LEARNING JOURNEY: INDIGENOUS EDUCATION IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

This facilitator’s guide supports the successful implementation of authentic Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and content in B.C.’s redesigned curriculum.

In the BCTF 2017 member survey, members asked for more resources on how to include authentic Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and content in B.C.’s redesigned curriculum.  This request led to conversations with Indigenous learning leaders. It became evident that simply providing resources is not enough to generate significant or lasting change in schools. The goal was to provide a professional learning experience for educators to learn together through listening, talking, questioning, and processing.

Continuing Our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in B.C.  gives participants the opportunity to explore the following questions:

• How can Indigenous knowledge and perspectives enhance learning for all?
• How can we use the First Peoples Principles of Learning as a framework for our practice to create an equitable education system for all learners, ensuring that the system is responsive to Indigenous learners?
• What can our classrooms/schools/districts look and sound like when they are grounded in the First Peoples Principles of Learning?
• What about resources to help respectfully integrate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into classrooms and schools?
• What continued learning do we each need to engage in?

continuing_our_learning_journey_facilitators_guide

Truth and Reconciliation Week 2021

 Virtual Event Open to All Canadian Schools for Youth Grades 5-12

To celebrate the success of last year’s online event, Every Child Matters, we are proud to present a full week of Truth and Reconciliation programming.

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION WEEK is a 5-day national event that will continue the conversations from Every Child Matters. Important conversations including the truths of the Indigenous treaties, First Nation, Métis and Inuit land claims, and the residential school system. This online event will provide historical workshops, exclusive video content, and activities for students — all supported by artistic and cultural performances by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists.

Register Now at Eventbrite

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/truth-and-reconciliation-week-tickets-153491752965

PROGRAMMING 
The 5-day program will be held online from September 27 to October 1, 2021. Each day, teachers will share videos with their Grade 5-12 students. Created by Indigenous storytellers, these videos will show traditional ceremonies and artistic performances, alongside conversations with Elders and knowledge keepers, Survivors, and children of Survivors of residential schools. There will also be a moving tribute to the Missing Children that never returned home from the residential schools.

On September 30, Orange Shirt Day, a special program will be held to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We hope you and your students will join us.

Tentative Schedule

Day 1 – Treaties, Land Claims and Unceded Territories

Day 2 – Land and Culture

Day 3 – Truth and Reconciliation

Day 4 – Reconciliation and Me (Special APTN programming) & Orange Shirt Day Celebration

Day 5 – Knowledge Transfer – Elder and Youth Dialogues

 

 

 

Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters

https://youtu.be/SFTHHtRy8Do

Orange Shirt Day on September 30th is becoming well known as Every Child Matters Day.

This year the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is hosting a national online event that is FREE for educators, classes and families to watch and be a part of.

You can register here: https://http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/every-child-matters-chaque-enfant-compte-tickets-107741056400

There is also a free digital magazine that accompanies the day. Monique Grey-Smith spent a good portion of the summer writing this magazine and had the privilege of visiting with incredible Survivors, Youth and Allies from across Canada. You can register for the online version of the magazine and classroom activities at this link: https://http://www.canadashistory.ca/education/classroom-resources/every-child-matters-en

Please feel free to share this information with colleagues and those who might be interested.

National Indigenous Peoples Day

National Indigenous Peoples Day takes place on June 21st of every year. It began in 1996 and was originally called National Aboriginal Day. The day commemorates and honours First Nations, Inuit, and Métis People’s cultures, histories, and contributions to Canada. June 21st was chosen because it is the beginning of the summer solstice and the longest day of the year that has long been celebrated by Indigenous Peoples.

This day is an opportunity to recognize the historic contributions of Indigenous Peoples to the development of Canada. There are many ways to celebrate the day but as June is also National Indigenous History Month there is an opportunity to learn about Indigenous history and to deepen our understanding of Indigenous people and their role in the present-day and future of Canada all month long.

Attached are three activities that can by done at school or at home to honour and celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day.  These activities were created by April Strickland and Brandi Price, Indigenous Education Resource Teachers on the Burnaby School District’s Indigenous Education Team.

Enjoy!

June21 Did you know Facts activity

June 21 Local Music Artist

June21Coast Salish Artist activity (1)

 

 

 

Kitsikakomimm

Just in time for Mother’s Day!

Here is a Blackfoot Love Song that you can learn and sing for mom on Mother’s Day.

Kitsikakomimm (Blackfoot Love Song) was written by Connie and Olivia Tailfeathers, sisters from the Kainai (Blood) Reserve, Standoff, AB.  Olivia has worked as a Cultural Instructor, Traditional Singer and Founder of the Kainai Grassland Singers. This song is included on Olivia Tailfeather’s Album, Ninihkssin.  Listen and follow along to the attached song sheet.  This lesson will be up soon in our Continued Learning website.  The words “Kitsikakomimm Na-a” means “I love you mom” and “Kitsikakomimm Da-da” means “I love you dad.”  Kitsikakomimm

 

Welcome

Oki, welcome to my first post!  My name is Tracy Healy, I am the Indigenous Literacy Teacher on the Indigenous Education Team for the Burnaby School District.  I would like to begin by acknowledging we are on the shared, ancestral and unceded traditional territories of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwxwú7mesh speaking people.  I am a member of the Kainai, Blood Tribe.  My Nation is part of the Blackfoot Confederacy in Southern Alberta.  I now reside on the Musqueam Reserve with my family.  I have been with the Indigenous Education Team since 1998 and have witnessed much progress to include Indigenous perspective into all subject areas of the K-12 curriculum.

During these challenging times for our families and students, the Burnaby School District has developed a Continuing Learning Website which contains resources and self-directed learning activities across a wide variety of subject areas.  I am including a link https://burnabyschools.ca/indigenouseducation/events/ to Indigenous Education, where you will find Indigenous lessons our team has created with parents in mind.   I will be using this Blog to send notifications to Indigenous families and students to share links and additional updates as we move forward.   Take care of you and your families.