Module 1:

Centring Yourself and Building Relationships

Reflection of Learning

This module has laid a foundational and deeply meaningful groundwork for this learning journey. Through its curated readings and resources from the First Peoples Principles of Learning to guidance on terminology, land acknowledgements, and protocols for engagement I’ve been invited not only to acquire knowledge but to reflect on how I, as a learner and educator, participate in relationships rooted in respect, humility, and cultural awareness. I know to begin my days with awareness by recognizing the land, acknowledging the history and ongoing presence of Indigenous Peoples, and examining my own positionality. Learning about respectful terminology, from UBC’s guidelines to Queen’s and First Nations frameworks, underscored how language shapes our understanding and honors community identities. Exploring the importance of land acknowledgements through works by Linda Tuhiwai Smith and âpihtawikosisân has shifted my perspective from viewing them as ceremonial or performative to seeing them as commitments and invitations toward relationship, responsibility, and reciprocity. Perhaps most significantly, engaging with protocols for interaction (guidelines from the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund) has emphasized that building authentic relationships with Indigenous communities demands more than permission. It demands intention, cultural humility, and long-term accountability.

What I’m Carrying Forward:

Grounded Awareness
I recognize that learning begins with the land, the people, and their stories. This module reminds me that meaningful education must be rooted in place, relationship, and history.
Language Matters
The words I choose shape reality. Using precise, respectful Indigenous terminology is both an act of respect and a step toward decolonizing educational spaces.
Acknowledgement with Action
Acknowledging land and history is not enough - it must lead to action, to change, and to strengthened relationships.
Protocols as Pathways
Understanding and following Indigenous protocols helps build trust and demonstrates a willingness to learn in ways that are appropriate, respectful, and reciprocal.

Readings and Other Material

First Peoples Principles of Learning (FNESC)

Protocols for Engaging With Indigenous Peoples & Communities (Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund)

Indigenous Peoples: Language Guidelines (UBC)

Indigenous Foundations: Terminology (First Nations and Indigenous Studies, UBC)

Terminology Guide (Office of Indigenous Initiatives, Queen’s University)

What Is Indigenous Identity (Indigenous Corporate Training Inc)

The Significance of Land Acknowledgements as a Commentary on Indigenous Pedagogies (Linda Tuhiwai Smith)

Beyond Territorial Acknowledgements (âpihtawikosisân)

The Importance of Land Acknowledgements (The Region of Durham)

'I Regret It': Hayden King on Writing Ryerson University's Territorial Acknowledgement (CBC Radio)

Continuing our Learning Journey Videos (BC Ministry of Education)

Aboriginal Education (BCTF)

Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives in the Classroom: Moving Forward (BC Ministry of Education)

The First Peoples Principles of Learning Blog (Jo-Anne L. Chrona)

The Indigenous Ally Toolkit (Montreal Uran Aboriginal Community Strategy Network)

Generation 4 Equality: Allyship Fact Sheet (Native Women's Association of Canada)

The Role of Witness (Tamarack Community)

Witnessing as Classroom Pedagogy (Greg Sutherland)

Alexis Territorial Acknowledgement.mov

land acknowledgements can become a mundane and trivial thing to tick off a box if they are not authentic to the person speaking them; we must fight the apathy with genuine authentic acknowledgments (âpihtawikosisân, 2016).
land acknowledgements are NOT welcoming's and should not be treated as such - only indigenous peoples can welcome you to the land, we are visitors THANKING indigenous peoples for not being mad that we are here messing up their land (Region of Durham)
"Finally, the land itself is a witness to what occurs on it." (Tuhiwai Smith, 2023, p. 3)
land acknowledgments help visitors position themselves in connecting to this place and allowing them to show the proper respect
"I'd like to move towards a territorial acknowledgement where you provide people with a sort of framework and then let them write it themselves. The really important aspect of a territorial acknowledgement for me, anyway, is this sort of obligation that comes on the back end of it." (CBC Radio).
this is the land were on and THIS is how I am a steward

My new land acknowledgement:

I grew up learning the power of nature through experiences gifted to me through my parents. This privileged life of learning from forests and lounging in streams would not have been possible without the original stewards of this land that I call home - with gratitude and respect I thank the Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples of Songhees and Esquimalt Nations on which my home and workplace stand for allowing all of us to continue to grow on and learn from you and your land. I recognize the work of nations who have been here since time immemorial and will continue pass on this knowledge of stewardship through my own lineage. Hych'ka.

Takeaway #1: What is the significance of land acknowledgements?

The general territorial acknowledgement for the district was written by the NA'TSA'MAHT Indigenous Ed Department within SD62 and it was recently updated to include the Malahat Nation that many of our schools border land with. This acknowledgment to me is quite generic and does not hold a lot of meaning behind the words, however the attention to punctuation, accents, and spelling is important and better than I have seen in other ones from my district. It doesn't sound personal and could have a story added to it and some words like "recognize" could be changed to sound less formal. I do appreciate the Visual Territory Acknowledgment titled Harmonious created by artist Connie Watts which I have included above. Her artist statement (link) is beautiful and you can see the meaning behind her art through the images that she chose like the sea foam, big fish, and accents of copper.

"With gratitude and respect, we acknowledge that we live, learn, and work on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish: T’Sou-ke Nation, SĆIȺNEW (Beecher Bay) Nation, and the Nuu-chah-nulth: Paaʔčiidʔatḥ (Pacheedaht) Nation. We also recognize that some of our schools are located on the traditional territories of the MÁLEXEŁ (Malahat) Nation, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples of Songhees and Esquimalt Nations."

The NA'TSA'MAHT Indigenous Education branch also created a PDF going over guidelines around how and when to use a territorial acknowledgement within a school, who should be saying them, and tips on how to integrate territorial acknowledgments into the learning environment. Within this document is where you can find four examples of territorial acknowledgments relating to where specific schoolsa re located within the district. Most of the schools fall under "Westshore Schools" meaning mostly Esquimalt, Songhees, and T'Sou-ke Nation but the district extends into Nuu-chah-nulth Pacheedaht, Scia'new, and Beecher Bay land. While each of the acknowledgements are basically the same, they do make a point to focus specifically on the specific nation that the school is on at the start before branching out to thank Coast Salish nations in general. Here is the one we used for the first 2 years at my specific school written by the district:

"Crystal View would like to acknowledge the traditional territories of the Coast Salish,specifically Esquimalt Nation and Songhees Nation on which the school is built; and the nations SD62 works with Beecher Bay, Scia’new Nation, T’Sou-ke Nation, and Nuu-chah-nulth Pacheedaht Nation to the west. We recognize the territory and nation. We thank them for sharing this beautiful land. Hych’ka (Coast Salish). Kleco Kleco (Nuu-chah-nulth)."

Something that the two grade 5 teachers have been working on the last two years is having the students write their own versions of the territorial acknowledgement following a very similar respect and process as many of the readings and videos outlined. Alongside our lovely Indigenous Ed Support teacher named Kaydence, the students double and triple checked that they were including all nations, with appropriate spelling and authentic language whenever possible, that live or have ever lived on the land we learn on because there is tons of fluidity on Vancouver Island. They then had free reign to included their own personal touched like a story about their connection to growing up here, a gratitude they have for the land or stewards, a fun fact about a plant, or anything that they felt showed their thanks properly. When they felt ready throughout the year, they went and asked their teacher to be put on the list to read it on the morning announcements on Monday mornings. It has been absolutely incredible to experience the students gaining confidence throughout the last two years as they hear their peers share their stories and gratitude for the land. It has really made these acknowledgements feel like something worth doing, not just something to tick off a box.

Something else that really stood out to me was a line that stated "Do those witnessing the spoken words understand the meaning?" when listening to an acknowledgement. If we are using jargon and key words that we know those in academia want to hear, it is not a true acknowledgement of all the land has witnessed to this day (Tuhiwai Smith, 2023). Rewriting the ackniwledgements with students, with our hearts, and with stories that relate to our own experiences on this land is the only way forward to ensure that those listening are actually hearing what is being said.

References

âpihtawikosisân. (2016). "Beyond Territorial Acknowledgements." Chelsea Vowel. Retrieved from https://apihtawikosisan.com/2016/09/beyond-territorial-acknowledgments/

CBC Radio. (2019). "'I regret it': Hayden King on writing Ryerson University's territorial acknowledgment." Unreserved with Rosanna Deerchild. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/redrawing-the-lines-1.4973363/i-regret-it-hayden-king-on-writing-ryerson-university-s-territorial-acknowledgement-1.4973371

SD62. (n.d.). "Traditional Territory." NA'TSA'MAHT Indigenous Education, SD62. Retrieved from https://www.sd62.bc.ca/programs/natsamaht-indigenous-education

SD62. (n.d.). "Traditional Territory Acknowledgments." NA'TSA'MAHT Indigenous Education. Retrieved from https://www.sd62.bc.ca/sites/default/files/docs/programs/Territory-Acknowledgement-Information-Sheet-1.pdf

The Region of Durham. (2022). "The Importance of Land Acknowledgements." Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftF3HK3InX8&t=236s

Tuhiwai Smith, Linda. (2023). "The Significance of Land Acknowledgements as a Commentary on Indigenous Pedagogies." Bank Street: Occational Paper Series. Retrieved from https://educate.bankstreet.edu/occasional-paper-series/vol2023/iss49/6/

Takeaway #2: How can I properly vet Indigenous resources?

My second takeaway is something that stood out to me in regards specifically to my inquiry question - in Downie & Wenjack's article "Protocols for Engaging with Indigenous Peoples and Communitites" there is a section on Vetting Resources where the following quote is at the top of the page:

"Distribution of resources for educational and informational purposes is a benefit to increase awareness of Indigenous Peoples and communities. There are a few aspects to be mindful of when distributing resources or information that may not have been reviewed, vetted, or approved by Indigenous community members. It is an important step to take in order to reduce the potential for misinformation, misrepresentation, and misunderstanding. Any action or reconciliACTION undertaken is a benefit for all peoples in Canada; however, ensuring that affiliated resources are appropriately vetted before distribution is a precautionary step to ensure your organization is coming from an informed position" (p. 7).

To me this is an incredibly important section within this document because a lot of the time artists work in general is stolen and represented in a way that is not authentic to the artist. Without textbooks as new teachers we are often stuck trying to find and vet our own authentic resources - and sometimes even I notice afterwards that it may not have been as authentic as I hoped. Sometimes it's a non-indigenous editor that I have missed, or some language has changed and it is no longer accurate to our times. Finding resources that represent the children's lives in our school is difficult, especially resources and book about urban indigenous children. A lot of what they recommend is simple and what we should be doing for any material that we bring into the classroom as learning tools, but the one at the top is the one that stands out to me the most - do I actually have permission to use what I am finding?

"Indigenous Peoples have been involved in the development and/or vetting of the resource and you have permission to use it.
The resource references local Indigenous Peoples in your community, where possible.
Indigenous worldviews and cultural differences between nations are evident.
Indigenous Peoples are not stereotyped, portrayed in a negative tone, given a subtle bias, or paternalism (a sense of non-Indigenous superiority).
The use of language and terminology is appropriate.
The use of images, content, and information is not promoting cultural appropriation. If it is unclear, consult with an Indigenous professional who is experienced within that field or subject matter" (p. 6)

In this article it also states that if it is a published piece of work done by an Indigenous person then that usually means they have opened it up to be used however we want....but without a means to thank the creator of the work or validate that they actually wanted the work to be used in that way it is hard to be brave and use authentic tools. A change that I want to make in my classroom teaching is to just try, even if I am unsure if the material is perfect if I know that it has the right language, is teaching the truth, and pushes for reconciliACTION then it is the right thing to do. Having this checklist to be able to go down and check off every time I find a new material to use in social studies or general classroom teaching will be incredibly helpful and I hope it helps some of you too!

References

Downie, G., & Wenjack, C. (n.d.). "Protocols for engaging with indigenous peoples and communities." The Downie & Wenjack Fund. Retrieved from https://downiewenjack.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Protocols_for_Engaging_with_Indigenous_Peoples_2021.pdf

Takeaway #3: Why and how do words matter?

To me, casual word choice shows true feelings. Anyone can read from a script and say a land acknowledgement or run a lesson on the intricacies of Canada's history, but how we speak casually about the stewards of our land is what matters to shape the new generation in our position of power as teachers. Terminology matters because it informs us about truth in our history, challenges us to learn new perspectives by asking questions, and modelling the correct terminology is how we both change negative language and save lost language. Learning the language that is chosen and preferred by Indigenous peoples, as UBC's guidelines say, shows respect and accuracy not just 'political correctness' as many people view it as. Words hold power, with consistency they change societies and stereotypes for better or worse. Learning the correct words when speaking about someone else's culture is the basis for respect and relationship building, learning from one another is how we grow!

Something that stood out to me from the readings that I want to incorporate in my practice was the simplicity of the Queen's University guidelines - sharing this or a presentation similar with other staff members would be a great way to ensure language continuity across grades. A quote that stood out to me was "When in doubt as to what is the most appropriate term to use, ask the person or group involved, learn what is in use in your area or subject field, or simply ask someone knowledgeable" (2019, para. 7). Something I enjoy about my district is a connection that we have with the W̱SÁNEĆ school board (https://wsanecschoolboard.ca/) and a goal that SD62 has is to help revive the SENĆOŦEN language (https://www.firstvoices.com/sencoten) through learning in our schools located in Saanich. These two ideas feel both like a one off professional development and the language is something I aim aiming to add into my daily teaching practice whenever going over lists, speaking about animals, or sharing gratitude to start. The learning from these articles will continue to help shape my daily language in my teaching practice, including new learning such as the word unceded being used mostly by the Musqueam peoples and reminders about securing permissions for use of artwork if it is not public domain. Something that stood out to me in the ally readings (MUACSN, n.d., p.5) and across many readings in this module is the focus on asking when you don't know about something - all language is intentional and it shows a lot of your intention behind the work you are doing if you have taken the time to ensure you pronunciation and spelling is accurate and respectful.

References

Montreal Uran Aboriginal Community Strategy Network. (n.d.). Indigenous Ally Toolkit. Retrieved from https://www.segalcentre.org/common/sitemedia/201819_Shows/ENG_AllyTookit.pdf

Office of Indigenous Initiatives. (2019). Terminology Guide. Queen's University. Retrieved from https://www.queensu.ca/indigenous/ways-knowing/terminology-guide

The University of British Columbia. (2021). Indigenous peoples: Language guidelines (Version 3.0). Retrieved from https://assets.brand.ubc.ca/downloads/indigenous_peoples_language_guide.pdf

Takeaway #4: What does it mean to be an ally?

"Challenging Assumptions and Living with Bravery" (BC Ministry, 2019, Module 1)

"Being an ally is about disrupting oppressive spaces by educating others on the realities and histories of marginalized people" (Montreal Uran Aboriginal Community Strategy Network, n.d., p. 2).

This 'toolkit' really did help me challenge what I think of when I think of the word ally - it is not a passive act, it's a brave and courageous everyday fight for what is right. I should not have been surprised by this though as I know that being an ally for the LGBTQAI+ community also involves standing up and speaking, so why would it be any different for being an Indigenous ally? Ally is not a name that you can give yourself, it is a name that you earn by showing that you are one. The deeper dive into being an accomplice and co-resistor are both areas that I hope to reach in my life and they all start with the bravery of speaking out against stereotypes and oppressive spaces, no matter how micro the aggression. An ally is someone who is critical of their own biases, actively supports the work, speaks up ALWAYS, uses their privilege to help others, and acknowledges that being an ally is a way of life and learning in everyday life (p. 3).

Educators and students can be allies to Indigenous peoples and communities in and out of the classroom by always researching and using the respectful and accurate language that the nations around you have chosen themselves to be identified as (p. 5), ensuring that all language and plans around representing Coast Salish culture as a staff are centered around local Indigenous people actually leading the conversation, teaching students specific language to use when they hear stereotypical language, recognizing our own feelings of guilt as a mainly white staff and talking about our privilege more openly and how we can use it for reconciliACTION, and mostly ensuring that we are teaching this history as ongoing and recent, no something that happened hundreds of years ago (p. 8). For example, a second article written by the Native Women's Association of Canada outlines a concept of “Calling in" which is a way for students to correct others while skill understanding that "everyone is at a different level of knowledge and understanding about Indigenous Peoples (p. 2). A great example is if you overhear a classmate is going to be Pocahontas for Halloween, you can let them know that it is cultural appropriation and is misrepresenting Indigenous Peoples and cultures for entertainment value.Teaching these words to our students and other staff members is key to challenging the stereotypes and ensuring we are promoting authentic allyship. There are definitely more takeaways from this toolkit that I am missing, but my overall reflection is that allyship towards any community that has been marginalized has to be lifelong, humble, and active in the community itself in order to actually be considered allyship.

"...being a good ally is about risking your voice to elevate others" (p. 9).

References

Montreal Uran Aboriginal Community Strategy Network. (n.d.). Indigenous Ally Toolkit. Retrieved from https://www.segalcentre.org/common/sitemedia/201819_Shows/ENG_AllyTookit.pdf

Native Women's Association of Canada. (n.d.). "Generation 4 Equality: Allyship Fact Sheet." https://nwac.ca/assets-knowledge-centre/1-Dec-G4E.pdf

Reflection on the First Peoples Principles of Learning

Some of these readings are ones that I have seen many times over the course of my teaching career so far such as the FPPL poster, AWP Moving Forward, and the BCTF's Aboriginal Ways of Knowing but it was a very nice reminder to read them with fresh eyes through this course. I was proud of myself for a lot of the ways that I do incorporate FPPL in my classroom and while I know that it is a life long journey, I am proud of the growth I have made in the last five years already. Even just in how the students I teach talk about stewardship themselves I can tell that I am being a good model of that part. The part that stood out to me the most this time from AWP was the piece about the creation of the document and how it really came from general discussions from gatherings of passionate people (p. 7). This to me is how to change the conversation from being fear based to being proactive - they even state that not everyone agreed about everything, but by talking about it change was made. I think that my favourite resource from this section was Jo-Anne's blog. It is chalk-full of amazing examples and connections of how to put these ideas into practice and I wish I had it years ago. The connections to the core competencies and implication lists for each Principle are so clear and well thought out. I really appreciate being shown this blog. Teaching through an indigenous lens is so much about both the content and how you model language for the students and community around you. The acknowledgement that the videos started off with was very moving and felt very authentic to how the person speaking really felt. He clearly is inspired by the work of those around him and really made me engaged with watching the rest of the videos even though I was skeptical of them being quite 'advertisy' - I was very wrong. The assumptions they challenged like "we already teach in a multicultural system, so why are we bothering with only mandating indigenous content?" are things that I have heard throughout my teaching career and in my own life so it was nice to hear Jo-Anne's responses on them. I have never thought about the fact that this is one of the only places in the world that the language of those originally from here has not spread anywhere, it was broken. I have known this fact for over a decade, but I have never thought about the fact that we are the ONLY place like that. Very eye opening. Another piece from the videos that really stuck with me was the reflection on my own teaching that Jo-Anne prompted for me - how does my place in the west coast teaching in 2025 affect what I see as important? And what my peers see as important? How does that affect my passions? I will be exploring these thoughts more throughout this course. This was an interesting assignment, it was good to review the information and remind myself that everyone is at a different path when learning about Indigenous peoples and Canada's history.

Things I already do...

land stewardship by identifying, creating sineage for indigenous plants in SENĆOŦEN, and caring for local Garry Oak ecosystem with SD62 Indigenous Educators brought in by our school (FPPL, n.d.; Chrona, 2014, "learning ultimately supports...").
share stories to support learning; 'the power of story' (BC Ministry of Ed, 2015, p. 8).
research Coast Salish art heavily to see what I can include in my classroom with natural or recycled materials (ex. weaving, beading) and bringing in elders to support learning and shared experiences hopefully ensuring that I am not "trivializing the knowledge by turning deeply meaningful cultural practices into 'arts and crafts' in the classroom" (Chrona, 2014, "learning involves recognizing...")
classroom environment is positive and learner centered with a focus on what each student can do and building from there (BC Ministry of Ed, 2015, p. 48).
critically examining what I am teaching within the year and why it has been considered important to teach and learn; teaching the true history of Canada even when it is uncomfortable (Chrona, 2014, "learning ultimately supports.."; BC Ministry of Education, 2019)
making explicit connections to the social responsibility aspect of learning through modelling and student self-reflections (Chrona, 2014, "learning ultimately supports..")
model that learning is a lifelong journey that takes courage, patience, and humility with the words I use teaching (BCTF, n.d.)
having patience and respect towards my own learning and keeping myself in a place of curiosity to learn new things, even though I went through an education system that did teach me small amounts about Indigenous knowledge (BC Ministry of Education, 2019, Module 2)
modelling that Indigenous knowledge, especially oral language and stories, has inherent value, the same value that we place on textbooks and other 'academias' (BC Ministry of Education, 2019)
listen to my learners and their stories and create meaningful relationships with the students in my school; this could definitely be extended more into the community

Things I want to do...

include teaching about generational roles and responsibilities more (FPPL, n.d.)
overcoming racism and addressing it more proactively in the classroom and school environment (BC Ministry of Ed, 2015, p. 12)
looking for more ways to relate not just to students selves but to their families and communities, engaging as much as possible with parents and extended family (BC Ministry of Ed, 2015, p. 16; Chrona, 2014).
- ensuring that students can see the relevance of what they are learning in the context of their families and communities (BC Ministry of Ed, 2019)
bring in more traditional teaching and language instruction with local elders (BC Ministry of Ed, 2015, p. 34).
reflect and look for indicators of success so I can know if I need to change what I am doing to provide more of an indigenized learning experience in my teaching practice
depict more CURRENT themes and issues important within my local First Peoples cultures, like talking about the construction on the Malahat highway and writing letters (Chrona, 2014, "Authentic Resources and Appropriation").
provide patience and time for students' learning (FPPL, n.d.); provide more flexible scheduling in my classroom so students don't feel as rushed (Chrona, 2014, "Learning involves patience and time.")
use more films from places like the National Film Board of Canada that depict true history and online resources that tell stories from children's perspectives like the Siha Tooskin Knows series (BCTF, n.d.)
Challenge more assumptions that I hear in my community and be brave to stand up and break stereotypes (BC Ministry of Ed, 2019)
connecting what I am teaching more to the relevance of the students lives explicitly and spending more time having those conversations before and after the lessons/projects (BC Ministry of Ed, 2019)
take more time to ensure that every single resource I use is actually an Authentic Indigenous Resource (BC Ministry of Ed, 2019, Module 3)
be braver and actually ask if I can use stories that I have heard instead of simply not using them in the classroom

References

BCTF. (n.d.). "Aboriginal Education." Webpage. Retrieved from https://www.bctf.ca/topics/services-information/aboriginal-education#knowing-and-being

BC Ministry of Education. (2015). "Aboriginal Worldview and Perspectives in the Classroom: Moving Forward." Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/indigenous-education/awp_moving_forward.pdf

BC Ministry of Education. (2019). "Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in British Columbia - Module 1." Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-pQ_UqBwkI

BC Ministry of Education. (2019). "Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in British Columbia - Module 2." Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIrG5FlMGkc

BC Ministry of Education. (2019). "Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in British Columbia - Module 3." Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs2zMQV8ApQ

Chrona, Jo-Anne L. (2014). "The First Peoples Principles of Learning Blog." WordPress. Retrieved from https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/

First Nations Education Steering Committee. (n.d.). "First Peoples Principles of Learning." Retrieved from https://www.fnesc.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/PUB-LFP-POSTER-Principles-of-Learning-First-Peoples-poster-11x17.pdf

Takeaway #5: How can I meaningfully implement the act and art of witnessing in my classroom?

I was unaware that the art of witnessing made the ceremony legal and binding, I wonder if the witness is allowed to take written notes or if they have to rely on memory alone to recall who said exactly what (Lickers, 2018, p. 1). The significance of gifts being tied to oral history so that the witness can remember the ceremony better is another new learning for me. The responsibility of being a witness is definitely heavy, it carries a weight of perspective and unwavering commitment to the truth and history - "retelling what was said or done, not what you think was said or done." (Lickers, 2018, p. 1). The concept of "Deep Listening'" that Lickers discusses is incredible and explains how we are able to be able to hear the stories that are shared with us today. Knowing that all of us are witnesses anytime we step into any community event or ceremony is an honour that I am incredibly privileged to be able to have living on the West Coast, even though it is daunting.

The responsibility of being a witness is definitely heavy, it carries a weight of perspective and unwavering commitment to the truth and history - "retelling what was said or done, not what you think was said or done." (Lickers, 2018, p. 1). Implementing the act and art of witnessing in the classroom is something that I feel has to be done with immense respect and with an understanding within the classroom that we have not called to be witnesses for Indigenous peoples in that sense, but that we are utilizing a way of being and a beautiful protocol used by the Coast Salish people to help us also create and share our own classroom history orally (Sutherland, 2022, p. 1). Something that I would love to bring into my classroom is the concept of 'Deep Listening' that Lickers wrote about and learning more about that. Learning how to listen is a skill within itself and it is a foundational part of being able to re-tell events accurately, and a foundational part of connecting as a community. During restorative practices with students after a conflict, bringing in explicitly taught listening skills where students actively listen, repeat each others words, try to see the issue from a non-biased perspective by hearing it from the other side, then reflect aloud at the end to "speak to their [own] experiences" and how they will change their behaviour in the world. I would also love to structure my classroom the way that Sutherland describes in his article with witnesses sharing their experiences and connections for the week with the class. Classroom community can only grow when we all become villagers for one another and sharing our experiences and proud moments with one another strengthens relationships between students themselves and you as the teacher.

References

Lickers, M. (2018). "The role of witness in ceremony." Tamarack Community, [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Miscellaneous/Role%20of%20Witness%20in%20Ceremony.pdf Tamarack Com

Sutherland, G. (2022). Witnessing as classroom pedagogy. Retrieved from https://bpb-ca-c1.wpmucdn.com/myriverside.sd43.bc.ca/dist/e/34/files/2022/04/witnessing.pdf

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