| dc.contributor.author | Wheeler, Winona | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2010-06-23T16:14:33Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2010-06-23T16:14:33Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2010-06-23T16:14:33Z | |
| dc.identifier.other | 3rd Annual Aboriginal Education Research Forum Shawane Dagosiwin in Winnipeg, MB, May 1-3, 2007 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/2149/2557 | |
| dc.description | I presented my paper on day 2 of the conference in a round table venue with about 30 people in attendance, including Aboriginal & non-Aboriginal education and Indigenous Studies scholars, high school teachers and administrators, university students, the conference organizers and others. Because of time issues all of us in the 10:30 to noon sessions had to squish our 1.5 hr presentations into 1 hr so I had to edit as I went along.
The presentation I gave is not written out in formal or informal format. The form and function are based on oral tradition and that is how I presented it. Throughout the narrative I created spaces for people to ask questions and provide their own insights.
The verbal feedback I received during and following the session was positive. A number of high school teachers and administrators noted that this teaching model is unique and they believed that students would be able to relate to it and that it would capture their interest. Many asked if they could use the teaching model in their classrooms and since the model was created for sharing I was very pleased.
I have not yet received formal feedback on the session. Everyone in attendance received the evaluation form but I am not sure how many actually filled it out nor am I sure if I will be getting a summary of them.
The discussions that my presentation prompted among attendees were insightful and I was encouraged to write it down for publication purposes so it could reach a broader audience. So, this is now on my academic “things to do” list. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | It is a common truth that in order to understand were we are at today we need to understand how we got here—we need to understand our history. More than ever our youth need the understanding and empowerment that comes from being able to make a personal connection between our Peoples’ historical experiences and our current conditions. Without an understanding of where we are at today it can be an overwhelming challenge to face the future with hope and enthusiasm.
The history of Indigenous Peoples is often taught in an alienating vacuum with disempowering and frustrating results. Many youth today find little connection between life as they know it and the “noble savage” rendition or the more common “the Indians” approach that objectifies and distances them from their past even more. “Towards a Cree Understanding of Colonialism” tells the story of how we came to be in the situation we are in today by placing the student in the centre of his/her learning experience and providing them with hands-on analytical tools. The foundations of this teaching model are traditional
Teaching Circles which explain how our families and communities related, functioned, and flourished prior to European intrusions. The old ways are then systematically dismantled as new ways were introduced, imposed & eventually internalized. Personal enlightenment and empowerment comes from decolonizing ourselves at the individual level— decolonization is where we are at today as we strive to create a place for ourselves on our terms in the society that envelopes us. | en |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Academic & Professional Development Fund (A&PDF) | en |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | 92.927.G978; | |
| dc.subject | Indigenous Peoples | en |
| dc.subject | colonialism | en |
| dc.subject | teaching model | en |
| dc.title | Toward a Cree Understanding of Colonialism: A Teaching Model | en |
| dc.type | Presentation | en |
