Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
The Richmond Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement (AEEA) is an example of how the principles of UNDRIP and DRIPA are being recognized and implemented in the district where I work. This agreement was created to set goals for the district as a whole. It acts as a guide to show the steps they are taking to become more culturally educated and support Indigenous students. It highlights the importance of Indigenous voice, cultural pride, reconciliation and academic success, which are all key points in both UNDRIP and DrippaThe goals set in the agreement are all interconnected to each other and support good work, there is room for reflection within this agreement. The main goal is for better schools, reconciliation and for a better Canada with students at the center.
This is the second enhancement agreement created by the district as student voice and community collaboration were absent from the first agreement. Local Indigenou nations were actively involved in creating this agreement and delivering workshops. These activities are not treated as add-ons or pull-outs, but now embed into everyday classroom, helping Indigenous students feel less othered and more connected
The AEEA outlines four main goals:
Goal 1 - Belonging
Students with Indigenous ancestry will work toward strong sense of belonging through pride in their cultural heritage
Stories will be honered and celebrated through individual strengths
Students learn to make drum and cedar weaving in a series of workshops
Goal 2 - Reconciliation Through Understanding
Community of learners and educators will engage with meaningful processes finding reconciliation through education
Develop an understanding and respect for Indigenous history, culture, and worldview
Educators participate in Elder led walks with Musqueam Knowledge keeper.
Goal 3 - First People Principles of Learning
Educators have become familiar with the FPPL and integrated them into their teaching practice
Educators district-wide are making intentional connections to the FPPL
Priority to have Elder visits to classrooms and schools
Goal 4 - Holistic Wellness and Achievement
Indigenous success teacher connect with students individually to focus on students as a whole
Community discussion emphasized in transitional periods
Parent gatherings and workshops to help build community
School District No. 38 (Richmond). Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement: February 2017 – June 2022. 2017, https://sd38.bc.ca/sites/default/files/2020-06/SD38-AEEA-2017-2022.pdf.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
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My name is Rae Postulo. I currently live, work, and learn in Vancouver, BC, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish Nations, who have lived here for time immemorial. I have French, English, Mi’kmaq, Blackfoot, and Crow ancestors.
I grew up on Vancouver Island, in the K’omoks nation, outside of my own nations. I moved to Vancouver in 2011. I am currently in my second year of teaching. I graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Education focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, and decolonization in 2023. I work in Richmond, school district 38, I teach Art and occasionally Science. I attended Emily Carr for a Bachelor of Fine Arts, which is where I really found my comfortability with being outspoken about my Indigenous heritage. I am very light skinned and had always felt like it wasn’t my place and having grown up outside of my community never felt particularly involved in any Indigenous community. I do try and incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing as much as I can but I would like to include it more.
I think for myself I want a deeper understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing in the classroom context, and how I can incorporate this more smoothly into everyday lessons. Also to find my way back to myself again, I feel like in these first two years I’ve been treading water a bit trying to catch my breath with starting a new career and want to become more involved in my own community again. I feel like I have lost a bit of the passion for incorporating Indigenous knowledge into my classroom and would love to get back to it.
Kinship in Indigenous terms, means sharing cultural practice with younger generations. Kinship is about sharing one's self with future generations so they will be able to learn the culture which will help heal past generations for future generations.
In Indigenous culture there is the seven generations principle, which states that all actions and decisions will impact the next seven generations. When thinking of this principle and how it relates to kinship, I think it is important because the things I do as an educator today will not only impact my students now but for the next seven generations. For this reason it is important to share with students who I am so that they can feel comfortable sharing who they are. I tell students on the first day in my classroom that it is a community and the space is as much mine as it is theirs.
A good leader disrupts the system when needed but is also open to new ideas and dialog. They advocate for their nation and offer community, collaboration, safety, responsibility, the ability to listen, strength, and courage. They must find balance to have a holistic well-being for their physical, mental, and spiritual self so that they can lead by example.
In the classroom, not being the leader all the time is part of being a good leader. It is knowing when to observe the needs of students and let their needs shape how the day or lesson will go. I think leading through land-based learning, checking in with students, having the flexibility that if it's not the day for a lesson to be able to do something else. I think this will encourage balance in the classroom, it creates a safe space for students to feel like they can actually be themselves and be honest this will inspire more self-connection and authenticity.
link to the resource and annotation of the source:
why you chose the resource:
I chose these resources as an interactive experiential learning experience for students to engage with. It is a land-based learning experience with the house post walk. I think these two tours together provide a meaningful experience for students to engage with Indigenous histories and cultural knowledge while still giving both sides of the good and bad.
how it’s a meaningful resource:
It tells the story/history through the voices of Indigenous people so it is a powerful experience. I think they give students time to reflect on the history while also learning about Indigenous experiences. I have experienced both of these resources myself and found them to be very informative and interesting. They provide a more holistic experience.
how you would use it in the classroom:
Take students on a field trip to UBC and have them experience two different important aspects of Indigenous culture. One is more history focused on the more negative side and the other is more celebratory. I think doing both of these experiences will create a more holistic experience for students to explore.
The IRSHDC can be used as a tool to research records of residential schools as well so it may be a good resource for a project/presentation to do following the field trip.
Circles In the Classroom
1. A talking piece is the primary mode of regulating the conversation, so that each person has an equal opportunity to speak.
2. Participants engage in an intentional conversation about values and a set of guidelines for how they want to be together.
3. The process opens and closes with some form of ceremony.
4. Building relationships precedes and is treated as equally important as tackling difficult issues.
Circles draw on our best values;
Circles help participants respond from one’s best self;
Circles build community;
Circles create a space for deep listening and being heard;
Circles generate mutual understanding and respect;
Circles honor all voices equally;
Circles make decisions by consensus;
Circles cultivate mutual support;
Circles honor the gifts, knowledge, talents, and experiences that each participant brings.
My understanding of language is similar to the way Lindsay Morcom explains, ‘ it is a window through that world, connecting to family, ancestors, community, and culture.” Language is passed down from our elders to the next generation. That is true of all languages, who teaches you your first word, be it your parents or a family member, it is passed down. I can’t imagine not being able to communicate in the way that I do because of a law or a system that was put in place because of colonialism and the wanting to erase the ‘Indian problem’.
I do see some steps being taken to revitalize the language in my local area such as places whose names were renamed going back to their Indigenous name, and land acknowledgements which include the language group of the host nation. I think there should be more steps taken to ensure that these languages do not completely become erased. The recommendations relating to language would be a good start for the revitalization of the culture. I also think having some language specific classes would be good to offer for students who are interested, having these classes would make students more self-confident, and proud of their culture.
TRC Calls to Action in reference to language:
1. Ensure adequate and funded education including Indigenous culture
2. Acknowledge Indigenous rights including language rights
3. Create an Aboriginal language act aimed at acknowledging and preserving Indigenous languages
4. Create position for Aboriginal Language Commissioner
5. Post secondary language programs
6. Replace names of places with Indigenous names that were remained
Annotated Bibliography:
Deer, Tracey. Club Native. National Film Board of Canada, 2008. https://www.nfb.ca/film/club_native/ Title: Club Native
Author and year of publication: Tracy Deer and 2008
This documentary explores the fragmented relationships that people of mixed ancestry have within the Indigenous community of Kahnawake (Mohawk). Through personal stories, the film examines the impact of community member laws, which dictates who can claim Mohawk status based on ancestry and their relationships within the community. The director, Tracy Deer, herself is of Kahnawake ancestry which makes this film more personal. She investigates how the rules affect people as individuals, particularly women, who get into relationships with non-Indigenous spouses. The documentary focuses attention on themes of cultural preservation, gender discrimination, and the challenges of living on reserve in the modern world. This film is an important resource for showing and learning about identity, self-governance and the issues Indigenous communities face because of colonization. How is it authentic: This is a film director, Tracy Deer, is an Indigenous person from the nation featured in the film. This film focuses on Indigenous relationships within the community.
Critique: This documentary only focuses on one nation so I think that if used as a resource in class making sure the students are aware that not every nation is the same and people may have very different experiences from nation to nation. It also doesn’t really explore very deeply what the other side of the issue could be, like why people have such strict rules about the nation. I think it would be a great resource for a class discussion and could be impactful for students to understand the dynamics of some nations.
LINE Media Reports. "Indigenous Artist Retelling the Stories of Elders Through Paintings - Artist Feature by LINE." YouTube, uploaded by LINE Media Reports, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy2OuH K1bjs.
Title: Indigenous Artist Retelling the Stories of Elders Through Paintings - Artist Feature by LINE
Author and year of publication: Line Media Reports on Mar 10, 2022
This video is an artist talk and shows work of Anishinaabe (Ojibway/Odawa) artist, Mishiikenhkwe (Autumn Smith). She uses painting to share and preserve the oral history and teachings from her Grandmother and other elders. She explores the intersection of art and cultural storytelling, highlighting the importance of uplifting Indigenous voices in contemporary art. The video provides an appreciation for how traditional knowledge is passed down and can be reimagined into artwork. This video is a useful resource for understanding the importance of identity, generations knowledge, and how to Indigenize or decolonize art practices. How is it authentic: Although the artist who is highlighted is Indigenous, the film company who created the video is not. I think because they are uplifting the voice of Mishiikenhkwe, I would consider it to be a good and authentic resource but at the same time wonder what the motivation for the Line Media Report
Critique: There is well rounded information in the video for an art class. It does show why the artist is making the work and how it connects with her culture and identity. She goes into detail about a specific painting while showing the painting. I do think this resource would need some context before using other resources for students to have a better understanding and background knowledge.
Indigenous Cultural Safety: An outcome based on respectful engagement that recognizes and strives to address the power imbalances inherent in colonial systems. It results in an environment free of racism, and discrimination where Indigenous people can feel safe.
Strategies for Promoting Cultural Safety:
Break down the status quo and colonial narratives and barriers
Acknowledge history accurately and honestly
Promote and uplift voices who have lived experiences
Build a foundation of knowledge
Engage in thoughtful and meaningful conversations
Be okay with being uncomfortable
Hold space
Create a bias incident reporting system
Discourage and confront racist rhetoric
Understand Indigenous students are exposed to harmful stereotypes and representations of their culture
Testify on behalf of Indigenous students about racist incidents
Support Indigenous students mental health
Make Indigenous culture visible
Provide presentations about misrepresentations and excursion of Indigenous history
Encourage school to have guest speaks from host nations
Give Indigenous students dedicated space and time to discuss issues they face
Build relations with local nation
Listen to families
Support language revitalization
Provide opportunities for Indigenous youth to be included in gifted/talent programs
Provide multimodal lessons and assessment
Provide support for Indigenous students
Have collaborative and land-based learning opportunities
Use Indigenous literature
Use FPPL when creating lessons
Build relationships with Indigenous students
Use anti-racist strategies
Examine and acknowledge power imbalances
Learn about nation and provide land acknowledgements
Lesson Plan
Nature Journalling:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nqHO9RUiajYuxguoMB95-BTdKKSOCDkLK2-GQXkZpFg/edit?tab=t.0
Feature Friday:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ld2raIzhmf-gebA_Zj9NDjAZRamUtXn1n7WOFvFIeY4/edit?tab=t.0
Button Blanket:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zsj8XEjIdbD016lVkC9N8cJ15WnhXJU-1rWdSNLgWJE/edit?tab=t.0
There are many factors which may make conversations about race difficult for educators. Some may think students aren’t ready for these discussions, that the topic is too taboo, or that they may disengage. Another important factor is the educators own racial identity, experiences or misconceptions or biases they hold. All of these factors can make it intimidating to hold discussions about race.
For me, the biggest concern would be unintentionally causing discomfort to the marginalized students who are part of the classroom community. That’s something I would be mindful about if I was to have these conversations within my classroom. Creating a safe space, supportive space for these conversations with clear expectations is crucial to having productive conversations about race.
While I do not often talk explicitly about race in my classroom, I do more implicitly through the artist I chose to showcase and use Indigenous ways of knowing as a foundation for all of my lessons. I believe these conversations are important, and I feel like if I was teaching a more lecture-heavy course it would be something I would incorporate more directly in my lessons.
From the readings, my main takeaways were that it is okay to feel uncomfortable, there are so many different perspectives, and it is okay to to be wrong and learn from students' lived experiences. Most importantly, I have learned that being honest allows students to be honest too, which encourages deeper understanding and connections.
Racialized people face greater indifferences than white people. They are at greater risk of poverty, unemployment, inadequate housing/homelessness, and food insecurity. The issues racialized groups face is systemic, it is written in the policies to ensure that the system is built to not allow them to progress or be uplifted. In the article there is the quote, ‘We aren’t truly free, until we’re all free’, this idea sticks with me because we are thought to be in a free country. The system dehumanizes us all and by not being anti-racist there is a compliance to an oppressive system. The voices of marginalized people need to be amplified and their lived experience needs validation.
“Modern scholarship views these socially constructed racial identities as often being created by socially dominant groups, and involving the subjugation of groups seen as racially inferior. As stated by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, these “racial identities reflect the cultural attitudes of imperial powers dominant during the age of European colonial expansion.”
Canadian Human Rights Commission. Discussion Paper on Systemic Racism. 2020, https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/resources/publications/discussion-paper-systemic-racism. Accessed 20 May 2025.
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