The latest collection spotlight is up! Visit UBC Education Library’s book display: June is National Indigenous History Month! Many of the items on display can be found in our Indigenous Literature and Education booklists.
Connections to the Curriculum:
In BC’s K-12 curriculum, First Peoples content, perspectives, and Principles of Learning are acknowledged and affirmed through Big Ideas, Core Competencies, rationale statements, and learning standards. Teachers are encouraged to center the place and communities in which they teach in order to embed Aboriginal knowledge and worldviews in meaningful ways.
From the Overview of the BC Curriculum: “British Columbia’s education transformation therefore incorporates the Aboriginal voice and perspective by having Aboriginal expertise at all levels, ensuring that Aboriginal content is a part of the learning journey for all students….An important goal in integrating Aboriginal perspectives into curricula is to ensure that all learners have opportunities to understand and respect their own cultural heritage as well as that of others.”
From the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada:
BC’s education system also has an important role to play in responding to the TRC’s Calls to Action. The following are two of the calls to action identified in Education for Reconciliation:
62 i: Calls upon all levels of government to consult and collaborate with Aboriginal peoples and residential school survivors to “Make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for Kindergarten to Grade Twelve students” (pg. 7).
63 i: Calls upon Ministers of Education with regards to “Developing and implementing Kindergarten to Grade Twelve curriculum and learning resources on Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of residential schools (pg. 7).
You can read all of the TRC Calls to Action at http://trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
Resources for BC Educators:
First Nations Education Steering Committee. (n.d.). Learning First Peoples classroom resources. Retrieved from http://www.fnesc.ca/learningfirstpeoples/
British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2015). Aboriginal worldviews and perspectives in the classroom: Moving forward. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/teaching-tools/aboriginal-education
British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2006). Shared learnings: Integrating BC Aboriginal content K-10. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/teaching-tools/aboriginal-education
