A Digital Bundle by Jennifer Wemigwans

Author:Jennifer Wemigwans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Regina Press
Published: 2018-10-26T19:37:53+00:00

Reframing

Reframing is about taking much greater control over the ways in which indigenous issues and social problems are discussed and handled. . . . The framing of an issue is about making decisions about its parameters, about what is in the foreground, what is in the background, and what shadings or complexities exist within the frame. The project of reframing is related to defining the problem or issue and determining how best to solve that problem. . . .

[There is a] constant need to justify difference experienced by many other communities whose initiatives are about changing things on a holistic basis rather than endorsing the individualized programme emphasis of government models. The need to reframe is about retaining the strengths of a vision and the participation of a whole community. (Smith, 1999, 153–54)

The Deepening Knowledge Project at Oise, University of Toronto, is all about reframing how teachers in the mainstream educational system teach students about Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Angela Nardozi (2014), the project manager, explained that teachers do not feel comfortable teaching students about Indigenous Peoples in Canada for many reasons. They think that the curriculum is outdated, and more importantly they do not feel equipped to teach in this area because of a lack of adequate training. They lack confidence and knowledge as well as access to good resources. To better understand why teachers think that current curricula are outdated, one only needs to reflect on Nardozi’s experience of mainstream education and how Nardozi was taught about Indigenous Peoples:

I remember growing up in high school. I was a pretty smart kid. I got a lot of A’s, and yet I came away from high school thinking that Native People worshipped animals. I only graduated ten years ago, so what does that say about the curriculum in our schools? Now I see teacher candidates who are completely surprised by the fact that there are so many diverse Indigenous Nations in Canada. They have internalized the notion that there is only one kind of Indigenous person, and that is the stereotypical image of the Native with the plains war bonnet and the teepee. So what they are learning is very new for them.

Nardozi elaborated that “my work with teacher candidates has shown me that many people have had similar experiences, learning very little and very inaccurate information about Indigenous Peoples while going through school.” The current curriculum on Indigenous Peoples and their histories is in desperate need of an overhaul, and teachers’ understanding of history from social and political contexts able to shed light on current issues is desperately required.

The Deepening Knowledge Project provides teachers with resources that they can trust. The project seeks to reframe responsible citizenship in Canada by emphasizing that “we are all treaty people.” Nardozi (2014) acknowledged that the training of teachers is new for them:

We encourage them to think about how they can teach current events and history from a social justice perspective that acknowledges and respects the rights and sovereignty of Indigenous People. So many teacher candidates are really starting from scratch.

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