Abstract
The Indigenous Action Group (IAG) is an alliance of solidarity between Indigenous and settler faculty at the University of Toronto Mississauga with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN), whose Treaty lands the campus is located on. This partnership of responsibility supports the MCFN goals of truth (through public knowledge and recognition of their history), and reconciliation (through the support and equitable sustenance of Indigenous pedagogy, knowledge systems, and research methodologies in educational institutions). The IAG has developed a Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) course to bring ontological pluralism to the Academy to legitimize Indigenous knowledges, epistemologies, and involve the placemaking of local Indigenous communities (Tuhiwah Smith, 2012). This second year undergraduate course entitled “Anthropology and Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (in Canada)” was developed and implemented by the Indigenous Action Group to prioritize first person voices from the local Indigenous community. We are hoping this diverse educational model will change the discourse in anthropology courses to begin a collective understanding of ongoing power imbalances and oppression in education from colonial mechanisms.
Highlights
Decolonization is a difficult term to define, but it generally refers to dismantling the mental and physical structures of colonialism (Battiste, 2013; Tuhiwai Smith, 2012)
Decolonization is not “the means to an end” but rather a series of approaches to “disrupt colonial relations and, in doing so, inform education, schooling, and possibilities for transformative teaching practices” (Styres, 2017, p. 14-15). This means that Indigenous research frameworks in education must be valued by all stakeholders, and requires a universal understanding of the impact of historical relationships between educational institutions and, in our context, Indigenous peoples in Canada
Truth and reconciliation is about the establishment of right relationships– and that requires deep engagement...Indigenous people must be at the centre of decision-making, with full agency and not as people being acted upon...Our collective goal [is] to genuinely embrace Indigenous presence.” (UofT Steering Committee, 2016, p. 31). This is a moment in time, when both national and institutional calls to action are encouraging an “education for reconciliation” which align with the Mississauga of the Credit First Nation’s (MCFN) goals of truth, and reconciliation
Summary
Decolonization is a difficult term to define, but it generally refers to dismantling the mental and physical structures of colonialism (Battiste, 2013; Tuhiwai Smith, 2012). This is a moment in time, when both national and institutional calls to action are encouraging an “education for reconciliation” which align with the Mississauga of the Credit First Nation’s (MCFN) goals of truth (through public knowledge and recognition of their history), and reconciliation (through the support and equitable sustenance of Indigenous pedagogy, knowledge systems, and research methodologies in educational institutions) Such an approach to education for reconciliation would prioritize Indigenous curriculums based on a foundation of respect and equity for Indigenous epistemologies, ontogenies, and axiologies (Wilson, 2018). The first major initiative of the IAG, following the symposium, was the development of a course that would prioritize Indigenous voices, pedagogies, and ways of knowing To realize this project, we chose to use a community-engaged learning (CEL) model. Given that we have only run the course one time at the writing of this essay, we are currently unable to share any findings from this research
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