June is Indigenous History Month and on June 21, Indigenous Peoples Day. Many Indigenous groups celebrate their culture during this time and it is a wonderful time to honour and celebrate the contributions of Indigenous Peoples.
If you are looking for ways to learn about and include Indigenous ways of knowing and being with your students, you are in the right place.
As you may or may not know, ETFO has a plethora of resources that can be found at etfofnmi.ca. With links to ETFO publications including posters, resources and webinars as well as links to great bookstores, relevant and appropriate Truth and Reconciliation and residential school resources, ministry documents, and many other Indigenous organizations, etfofnmi.ca is a great resource to check out when you have some time to devote to exploring this site!
Another great resource I want to share is published by the Indigenous Family Literacy Circle of the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Children and Youth Services planning Committee. The resource titled Come Walk in my Moccasins Newsletter is published once a month. I have absolutely love the consistent format and ease of use of this newsletter. Each issue includes the following categories Books, Our Music, Our Words, Our Stories, Our Traditions, and Recipe. Our Arts, and other categories are sometimes included as well.
In the Books section there are always at least a few books recommendations, each with a brief description, image of the book cover and the age/grade level the book is geared towards. Our Music highlights a song, often with many Indigenous words or phrases and teachings. For example, this month’s song is “Wichita” ~ the water song. The newsletter provides a link to the a short (under 3 minutes) video from the Ontario Native Women’s Association’s Virtual Drum Book. In the Our Words section, you will learn some Indigenous vocabulary. I have noticed that much of the language lessons are Mohawk, however, some also include other Indigenous languages such as Ojibwe. In the April Newsletter, for example, Animal names are introduced in Mohawk and Ojibwe languages through the use of puppets, and in under 2 minutes. Our Stories, again with links to other sites, will provide you with stories that will help you understand the worldview of many Indigenous People as stories are always connected to the land, animals, plants, and the natural world around us. Want to learn more about traditions and ceremonies? Our Traditions is the section to go to. With teachings including Sunrise Ceremonies, Berry Fasts, Star Blanket Making and Baby’s First Moccasins you’re sure to deepen your understanding of Indigenous ways of being and knowing. Recipes and Indigenous Infusion offers just that: An Indigenous infused recipe. March’s Issue shared Pork Chops with Pears and Sweet Onions from the Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle Recipe Collection. Additional information is often found at the bottom of the newsletter, which may include upcoming courses, community events (local to the Kingston area), other relevant resources.
What I really appreciate about this newsletter is the accessibility of each issue. It is geared toward anyone interested in learning, regardless of entry point. The content is well organized, and with relevant, up to date and short videos, busy educators can quickly find inspiration for a short lesson or additional information for a lesson already planned. If you’re interested, subscribe using the link below and each month you will have access to curated Indigenous content. https://kflachildrenandyouthservices.ca/indigenouslearningcircle/
I hope you find opportunities to recognize, honour and celebrate Indigenous ways of knowing and being with your students as we continue to work towards Reconciliation, throughout the month of June and beyond!
