CLT #5: Indigeneity and Inclusion through Making
Indigenous Ways of Knowing:
Deep connection to the natural world and all living things
A holistic approach to teaching and learning
Knowledge that exists across all Indigenous communities (shared and unique)
Respect for the land and the interdependece of natural systems
Great respect for elders and connected to longstanding traditions
Mindfulness and how actions impact many generations (7)
Decolonizing Education
Making and Makerspaces that are responsive to this goal
Infusing Indigenous teaching and learning practices into Maker activities and spaces
Act of Truth and Reconciliation
Building Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
Affirming the value and importance of other ways of thinking beyond dominate Western ideologies
Building partnerships and relationship with a range of community members
Acknowledging history, one's own place in relation to this, and the vulnerability associated with this process
Listening
Maker-spaces and Making as a Decolonizing Process
Co-designing spaces and activities with Indigenous partners
Ongoing Indigenous Issues Facing Indigenous Communities
Intergenerational Trauma
Residential School System
Truth and Reconciliation
Lack of Clean Drinking Water
Disappearance of Indigenous Women
Treaty Education
Land Issues (governance, conservation)
Poverty in Indigenous Communities
Socioeconomic Inequalities
Educational Inequalities
Employment Rates
Incarceration Rates
Community Mindset
The Residential School System
Operated for over 100 Years
100 Years of Loss
139 Schools operated in Canada
The "Indian Act" made it mandatory for Indigenous children to attend these school
The last Residential School closed in 1996
Established and funded by the government, operated with the Church
More than 150 000 children were sent to these schools
Over 4000 children died at these schools, though the true number will never truly be known
Children forcibly removed from families
A form of cultural genocide
Maker Ideas to Acknowledge and Learn from the Residential School System
Immeasurable lasting effects and consequences
Widespread abuse and mistreatment throughout these schools
Selected Issue
On Site Maker Series
Ensure that this is appropriately planned as these sites are considered places of trauma for many
Connect with Indigenous communities and arrange for making activities to happen at the sites of former Residential Schools
School Re-Design Making
The act of making on these site could be an act of reclaiming the spaces for the Indigenous communities of that area and historically affected by the school
On-site making activities could be lead by Indigenous artists, designers, makers, fabricators, engineers, etc. This could be develop as a series of making activities for the community and could also be used as a element of truth and reconciliation
Looking at the physical features of these former residential schools, a making activity could involve the redesign of these spaces.
This maker challenge could first seek to educate the participants as to the history of the former residential school building and then to consider how the physical spaces could be redesigned to promote inclusive learning with Indigenous considerations
As many former residential school have been demolished, these maker activities could take place outdoors which would be in line with the emphasis of place and space in Indigenous teaching and learning
The redesigns could be made as physical models using a range of materials or they could be designed digitally using a program like Sketchup
Connection through Stories
Connecting to the picture book "Shi-shi-etko", the maker activity could start by having a facilitator read the book aloud to the participants
In the book, Shi-shi-etko, a young Indigenous girl, enjoys her last days with family before she is taken to residential school.
In the story, Shi-shi-etko is given a deer hide bag to keep her memories while she is away
In this maker activity, participants could learn how to make a memory bag, perhaps including certain Indigenous making techniques and materials
Participants could then fill the bag with small tokens that memorialize of their home, community and family and could share their contents with others
The could then connect to Shi-shi-etko and discuss how they might feel if they were taken away from all these things and what the bag and it's contents would mean to them
Connecting to the companion book to "Shi-shi-etki", "Shin-chi's Canoe"
These maker activities would also encourage the sharing of teachings and knowledge from mentors/elders to youth, which is a large aspect of Indigenous teaching and learning
Basing this activity off a reading reinforces the focus on oral storytelling and learning through stories that is an aspect of Indigenous teaching and learning practices
In the book, Shi-shi-etko's younger brother Shin-chi join her at the residential school the following school year. When leaving, Shin-chin's father gives him a small carved wooden canoe as a reminder of home and to the promise that they will make a dugout canoe together
In this maker activity, participants could learn how to carve wood using a range of tool including Indigenous wood carving tools. This activity could teach them how to carve something of choice or all participants could be led in learning how to carve a miniature canoe
With the right community partnerships, perhaps a dugout canoe could be presented at the activity and an Indigenous elder could speak about their traditional woodworking practices
Redesigns could then be displayed at the site of a former residential school and the community could be invited to engage with the models and discuss what a inclusive learning space could be and what it should have
It would also be meaningful for participants to have the ability to harvest their wood in a responsible way or at least acknowledge and respect the material. If possible, participants could complete a nature walk in a nearby area and collect wood from trees that have fallen. This would be in line with Indigenous perspective on the role of humans as caretakers of the natural world
School Signs
Inspired by Len Pierre's video talk, makers could be challenged to develop inclusive signs for schools in their community that help show everyone that they belong and are welcome there
These signs could be displayed outside of schools and public places as that is usually one of the first things people see when entering a space
Participants could discuss feeling of inclusion/exclusion and whether they have ever felt unwelcome or not accepted somewhere. They could watch a short video about residential school and the ways that people are still not always welcome even at our own schools
Experiential Learning
Place-based Learning
As a maker challenge, participants could be tasked with making a digital story from the perspective of a student at a residential school. This could be a fictional student or perhaps the participants could connect with residential school survivors or families of survivors and listen to their stories. From there, participants could try to tell that story using a range of mediums choices. These could include: stop motion animations, coded animations on Scratch, digital storybooks, etc.
Design a Monument
In this challenge, makers could be presented with a prompt about a call for art submissions for a monument at a former residential school site. The prompt would suggest that the community is looking to erect a statue/monument that would help acknowledge the sites former wrongdoings but also serve as a reconciliation piece looking towards the future
Participants could design their monuments using a computer-assisted designed software and have them 3D printed
The activity could conclude with a gallery where community members, and hopefully Indigenous community members, could attend and look at the monument ideas
This could be an opportunity for the makers to interact with elders and learn from them. It could also be a chance for elders to hear the idea of youth and how they envision moving forward without attempting to erase the past
These stories could then be made into AR experiences with QR codes so that they could be displayed around residential school sites so visitors could listen to and learn from the stories there
Goals of Maker Ideas
Provide a space to learn from the past and think critically about the present.
Participate in truth and reconciliation
Engage with and build stronger relationships with local Indigenous communities
Consider ways to decolonize formal education and ensure that all students are welcome and valued at school