The Right Honourable Paul Martin – About MFI
Summary: On this site, there are several video presentations by experts who are working within the Martin Family Initiative, speaking about the Initiative and its programs.
Educational Resources
Search Resources:
Browse Resource Categories:
Issue #101
Indigenous Research Methodologies
Source: Global Thematic Review on Training in Community-Based Research: Indigenous Research Methodologies. Final Report Prepared by Angela Easby. Review guidance by Leslie Brown, Institute for Studies and Innovation in Community-University Engagement (ISICUE), University of Victoria.
Summary: From the beginning of this project it became apparent that conducting a global review on teaching/ training/learning (TTL) opportunities of community-based research (CBR) within the thematic area of Indigenous research methodologies (IRMs) is difficult because IRMs cannot be understood as a thematic area within CBR. Rather, IRMs are rooted in Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies and represent a radical departure from more positivist forms of research (Wilson 2001). While CBR is not inherently ‘Indigenous’, it can be understood as a way of doing research that is sympathetic to many of the principles and goals of IRMs (Laveaux and Christopher 2009).
The results of this review indicate that this is not indicative of an inability of CBR to address Indigenous contexts, nor is it a lack of engagement with participatory research processes in IRMs. Rather, there are two different (but related) languages, which reflect different orientations in relation to indigeneity.
First Nations Language Curriculum Building Guide
Source: First Nations Schools Association of British Columbia, Marianne Ignace, PhD (2016)
Focus: Teachers and Educators K-12
Summary: Recognizing the diversity and wealth of First Nations languages and cultures in British Columbia (BC) and their critically endangered state, this curriculum building guide is intended to assist First Nations language teachers, members of First Nations language communities, educational staff in First Nations and public schools, and policy makers as they consider First Nations language and culture frameworks at the K – 12 level, as informed by existing and emerging research and approaches. In addition, it is also meant to serve as a guide for designing language and culture K – 12 curriculum that will provide practical tools for First Nations language groups, curriculum developers and teachers.
A Handbook for Educators of Aboriginal Students
Source: Thompson Rivers University
Summary: The Educational Context
An understanding and appreciation of the history of the education of Aboriginal peoples in Canada is fundamental to the success of Aboriginal students attending post-secondary today. The diversity of Aboriginal peoples requires an awareness of the connection between the past and the present.
The history of the education of Aboriginal peoples in British Columbia (BC), as elsewhere in Canada, can be viewed in stages within the background of the larger history of colonization and decolonization, from the time of first contact with Europeans in the 18th century to the present day.
According to Jo-ann Archibald, there are “…four phases (or eras) of First Nations education…:
- Traditional First Nations education
- Missionary influence: 1850’s – 1900’s
- Federal and Provincial Governments’ influences: 1900’s – mid 70’s
- Indian control of Indian education policy: mid-70’s to present” (Friesen et al., 1992, p. 57)
The history of this transformation for Aboriginal peoples has been painful and difficult, but ultimately there is movement towards acknowledgement and respect for their knowledge, culture and traditions.
Inuit Games
Source: Elliott Avedon Virtual Museum of Games
Focus: Elementary/ Secondary
Summary: The Aboriginal cultural groups inhabiting small enclaves in coastal areas of Canada, Greenland, Alaska, and Northeastern Siberia call themselves Inuit or Yuit meaning “the people”. Many Inuit games are traditional and require no equipment. These latter games concern physical strength, agility, and endurance. Some traditional games may have been learned in Asia before the Inuit migrated across the Bering Strait (c2000bc), while others were undoubtedly learned after migration, through contact with southern aboriginal peoples who had migrated at an earlier time from Asia into the western hemisphere.
Indigenous and Northern Success Stories
Source: Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
Summary: From St. John’s Newfoundland, to Haida Gwaii, British Columbia and Cape Dorset, Nunavut, Aboriginal and northern people and communities across Canada have success stories to share.
In this section you can learn about community-driven efforts to improve the lives of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal individuals, families and communities.
From Apology to Reconciliation: Residential School Survivors. A Guide for Grades 9 and 11 Social Studies Teachers in Manitoba
Source: Manitoba Education and Training
Focus: Grades 9 and 11
Summary: Full Document (3.60 MB)
From Apology to Reconciliation: Residential School Survivors was developed in response to the Government of Canada’s formal apology to Aboriginal people who attended residential schools. The project was created to help Manitoba students in Grades 9 and 11 understand the history of the residential school experience, its influence on contemporary Canada, and our responsibilities as Canadian citizens.
Stories of Our Origins: Teacher’s Guide
Source: NWT Education, Culture and Employment
Focus: Grade 4 Social Studies
Summary: This unit deals with how people first came to live in the part of the world which today we call the Northwest Territories. It focuses on stories of the First Peoples of this land which have evolved over many generations. Some of these stories may be unfamiliar to you. The stories themselves, and how we learn to tell and hear them, provide critical insights to how people have lived and understood this land we now live in.