Promising Practices in Indigenous Education
Sign up to receive monthly PPW Educational Resource outreach:
A brighter future begins
with better education
The Martin Family Initiative (MFI) launched the Promising Practices in Indigenous Education Website (PPW) in December 2009. PPW is a virtual library/clearinghouse of curriculum resources and research for policy makers, researchers, health professionals, community workers and funders, those who work directly and indirectly with Indigenous students. Its goal is to improve elementary and secondary Indigenous student success.
PPW collects and publicizes curriculum materials, learning strategies, relevant policies and research, Early Childhood Education resources, Parent/Community Engagement, and other promising initiatives. The website hosts curriculum guides, videos, research papers, and resources for Indigenous and non-Indigenous teachers and learners. It also provides links to other Indigenous education organizations.
Search Resources:
Browse Resource Categories:
From our most recent outreach:
Moving Towards a Language Nest: Stories and Insights from nḱmalqs
Source: Chambers, N., & Saddleman, D. (2020). Moving Towards a Language Nest: Stories and Insights from nḱmalqs. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 15(1), 27-43. Retrieved from https://fpcfr.com/index.php/FPCFR/article/view/399
Summary: A language nest is an early language learning program for young children from infancy to five years of age. Language nests have the potential to reconnect young Indigenous children to their languages and cultures within the heart of their communities. The first author, a settler scholar and mother and grandmother of language nest children, shares some insights and experiences from her doctoral research with community members who have been involved in developing a language nest in nḱmaplqs, the Head of the Lake Okanagan Indian Band community in Vernon, British Columbia. The second author, an Okanagan Indian Band community member and Language and Culture Lead for her community, describes the language nest in the present day. We offer these stories and words of language nest development to encourage other Indigenous communities who are engaged in their own journeys of reclamation.
Beyond September 30: Doing the Work
Source: Focus: K-12
Summary: This resource presents roles and responsibilities of non-Indigenous teachers in helping to carry the weight of reconciliation work all year long.
Forgotten: The Métis Residential School Experience
Source: Legacy of Hope Foundation
Focus: Secondary students
Summary: Who are the Métis?
Through the use of both archival photographs and actual replicas of clothing, participants will learn about the ethnogenesis of Métis people. For the purposes of definition, Métis are neither Indian nor European, but both; the mixed offspring of French fur traders from the North West Company or Scottish and English fur traders from the Hudson’s Bay Company and Cree, Ojibway, or Saulteaux women. Discuss how family names tie the connections to the fur trading companies operating out west; names like McLeod, MacIver, Macdougall, Campbell and Fraser often had ties to the Hudson’s Bay Company while family names like Morin, Lavallee, Bouvier, Chartier and Durocher had allegiances to the North West Company
The Pedagogy of Peace: A Model for Decolonizing and Indigenizing Teaching and Learning Practices – YouTube
Source: Centre for Teaching and Learning, Queen’s University
Summary: The Pedagogy of Peace is a purposeful teaching and learning model that builds upon the three core teachings of the Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace, which are peace, strength, and a good mind. It is a holistic model of teaching and learning and provides a framework that supports personal and professional growth, balance, and a growth mindset approach to both educational and life journeys. This approach infuses knowledge of cultural teachings, Indigenous Ways of Knowing, holistic well-being awareness and trauma-informed care, to create a compassionate approach that educators can adopt, adapt, and model to create inclusive learning environments and classroom communities for all students. In this session, Lindsay will explain the Pedagogy of Peace model and provide examples of ways it has been adopted and adapted across various disciplines at Queen's University.
First Nations Education Transformation
Source: Government of Canada
Summary: The Government of Canada is committed to establishing a new partnership on First Nations elementary and secondary education.
Transformation de l’éducation des Premières Nations
Source: Gouvernement du Canada
Résumé: Le gouvernement du Canada s'est engagé à établir avec les Premières Nations un nouveau partenariat pour ce qui est de l'éducation primaire et secondaire des Premières Nations.
Indigenous Women in STEM
Source: Canadian Geographic
Summary: The most prosperous societies, whether in terms of economy or intellectual wealth, are those that consider and encourage the perspectives and contributions of different people. When people with different viewpoints and backgrounds come together to share and debate ideas, they move society forward.
In countries where women have the opportunity to participate in the workforce, have their voices heard, and take leadership positions in their communities, everyone benefits. Gender equality promotes economic development and makes our society more inclusive. However, that is not the only difference that should be taken into account and celebrated. People of different cultural backgrounds have ways of knowing and being that offer unique ideas. The inclusion of all these diverse perspectives can help us to find better solutions and approaches to all kinds of problems in our world, such as climate change and pollution.
Community-based access to apprenticeship: An Indigenous work-integrated learning model
Source: Michael Cameroni Assiniboine Community College, Brandon, Canada. Deanna Rexe, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
Summary: Fresh approaches to trades training are essential for decolonizing educational access and success for Indigenous people. Holistic approaches to supporting student success are needed for the unique learning needs and contexts of Indigenous learners. Community-based training presents opportunities for this type of innovation. Using a Canadian case study and an Indigenous storytelling approach of witnessing, this paper introduces an Indigenous work-integrated learning conceptual model to support apprentice access and success through a community-based program. This student-centered approach ensures the apprentice is grounded in culture and Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, and being. Key features are described in a medicine wheel, which includes community, training providers, funders, and industry, and has the apprentice at the core.