4.9 Understanding Indigenous Worldview Values to Better Support Indigenous Students
Media Attributions
- Fig 3.1: Red River Cart © ShriMesh is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
Introduction
The Indigenous goal of living ‘a good life’ is sometimes referred to … as striving ‘to always think the highest thought’… Thinking the highest thought means thinking of one’s self, one’s community, and one’s environment ‘richly’ – essentially, a spiritual mindset in which one thinks in the highest, most respectful, and most compassionate way, thus systemically influencing the actions of both individuals and the community.
– Gregory Cajete (2000, p. 276)
Purpose of this section
This section provides an overview of the values in an Indigenous worldview, including:
- Land and traditional territory
- Elders
- Language
- The learning spirit
This section also includes Indigenized integral competency self-assessment to help us acknowledge these values in services and supports for Indigenous students, Indigenous staff, and Indigenous community partnerships.
This section will take four hours to complete as you’ll be conducting a self-assessment
By understanding and acknowledging Indigenous principles of holism and inter-relatedness, we can:
- Understand the importance of land to Indigenous self-identity
- Recognize the roles of Elders in service delivery
- See how revitalizing and using Indigenous languages creates transformative spaces
Land and Traditional Territory
Land is central to the identities and ways of life of Indigenous Peoples, and relationships to the land should be at the core of Indigenous services and programs.
The phrase “We will always be here and we are not going anywhere,” demonstrates Indigenous Peoples’ resiliency and perseverance in the face of ongoing colonization and their deep connection to the physical and metaphysical worlds that are in relationship to land, sea, and sky. This relationship is commonly expressed as, “We belong to the land, the land doesn’t belong to us,” foregrounding the idea that our role is as stewards for coming generations. There are over 30 distinct First Nations of British Columbia [PDF][1] whose territories transcend Western geo-political borders.
It now a common practice at public and private institution events, important meetings, and in formal documentation, to acknowledge an institution’s relationship to traditional lands and territories in which the campuses were built, as appropriate to the specific location. A helpful resource is the Guide to Acknowledging First Peoples and Traditional Territory[2] from the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT, 2017). It includes the territory acknowledgements of post-secondary institutions across Canada and states:
While acknowledging territory is very welcome, it is only a small part of cultivating strong relationships with the First Peoples of Canada. Acknowledging territory and First Peoples should take place within the larger context of genuine and ongoing work to forge real understanding, and to challenge the legacies of colonialism. Territorial acknowledgements should not simply be a pro forma statement made before getting on with the “real business” of the meeting; they must be understood as a vital part of the business.
- First Nations of British Columbia: http://moa.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/SchoolProgram-FirstNationsMap.pdf ↵
- Guide to Acknowledging First Peoples and Traditional Territory: https://www.caut.ca/content/guide-acknowledging-first-peoples-traditional-territory ↵
Elders
Elders are very important to Indigenous communities as they are central to keeping traditional wisdom and cultural knowledge alive and passing it forward. Their “credentials” are not determined by a university or other institution, but by their people and other knowledge holders, based on their lived experiences and their recognition as keepers of knowledge.
Elders are closely connected to land, language, and culture. Their insights and guidance shape the mission and programming of Indigenous units and departments, and institutions as a whole. Their involvement – and often, simply their presence – supports students, staff, and faculty, both in terms of the relationships they uphold and as role models of their cultural and emotional support and physical presence.
Ideally, Elders’ guidance touches all levels of the institution from the senior administration to the day-to-day experiences of students.
Language
Languages contain and reflect unique and distinctive ways of understanding and relating to the world around us, and they are central to understanding expressions of Indigenous identity and community. In British Columbia, there are 34 distinct and diverse languages spoken across the province as well as the Métis languages Michif and Chinook jargon. To see the distribution of languages, please see the Museum of Anthropology BC First Nations Languages map [PDF][1](version 4, 2011).
Great harm was caused to Indigenous languages by the assimilative policies of residential schooling and other forms of colonialism. Decades of damaging policies resulted in a significant decline in speakers of many Indigenous languages, to the point that many languages in Canada currently have no living fluent speakers. Today many Indigenous communities are working to revitalize their languages. First Voices[2] through the First Peoples’ Cultural Council supports language revitalization through an online archive and teaching resource.
- BC First Nations Languages map: http://moa.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/Resources-BCFirstNations_Languages.pdf ↵
- First Voices: https://fv.nuxeocloud.com/ ↵
The Learning Spirit
Learning for Indigenous people is not institution specific and goes beyond formal education; rather, it is lifelong, place-based, relational, experiential, communal, and purposeful. Indigenization of post-secondary institutions and systemic change means we create different spaces for these gifts to be shared and learned.
Mi’kmaq scholar, Marie Battiste defines the learning spirit:
What guides our learning (beyond family, community, and Elders) is spirit, our own learning spirits who travel with us and guide us along our earth walks, offering us guidance, inspiration, and quiet unrealized potential to be who are. In Aboriginal thought, the Spirit enters this earth walk with a purpose for being here and with specific gifts for fulfilling that purpose … Our individual gifts for fulfilling our purpose are expressed in ourselves, in our growing talents, and in our emerging of shifting interests (p. 15).
As more and more Indigenous students enter post-secondary institutions, we need to examine processes of reclaiming culture and reframing identity and relationships through the services and supports offered across the institution to ensure transformation can occur and there is joy in learning.
Indigenized Integral Professional Competency Self-Assessment
On our journey of decolonization and Indigenization, it is helpful to self-assess our own intentions and behaviours within the post-secondary institution. The Indigenized integral professional competency self-assessment below is a tool you can use to identify your strengths and areas for development in working with Indigenous students and communities.
How it works
In each quadrant of the Indigenized integral professional competency, the competencies are clustered by proficiency level; general skills and knowledge, interactive competencies, and self-mastery. As you read through the self-assessment, please rate your competency level using the following rating scale.
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | I have no knowledge or experience of this and would need guidance or training to achieve it. |
| 1 | I have very little knowledge or experience of this and would need some guidance or further training to achieve it. |
| 2 | I have enough skill and/or knowledge to do this confidently on a regular basis without any support. |
| 3 | I am very confident I can do this and feel I have developed such a high level of knowledge and/or experience that I could help others do this also. |
| n/a | Competence not required for my job role. |
Once you have completed the assessment, review your answers for the competencies you rated:
- “0” or “1” flag those as areas for development and training.
- “2” indicates that you’re meeting the competency.
- “3” means you have exceeded the competency and are able to support and develop others in this area.
For more information about the framework that was used to create this self-assessment tool, see Appendix A.
Indigenized integral professional competency self-assessment
Bear (Intention)
Learning goal: Understand your responsibility to develop an appreciation for Indigenous Peoples’ ways of knowing and how decolonization and Indigenization benefits all students.
Learning outcome: Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of acknowledging Indigenous Peoples and place, of the historic challenges for Indigenous Peoples with respect to education, and how you in your role can mitigate these systemic barriers.
| Area | I am able to: | My rating (scale of 0 to 3) |
|---|---|---|
| General knowledge and skills | Welcome Indigenous perspectives to expand my own understanding of others. | |
| Formally acknowledge the territory(ies) that my institutional campus(es) are built upon. | ||
| Identify the services and resources available to Indigenous students on my campus and within my community. | ||
| Interactive competencies | Demonstrate approachability and openness to Indigenous ways of knowing and being. | |
| Demonstrate awareness of, and responsiveness to, challenges and systemic barriers faced by Indigenous students. | ||
| Generate, and when appropriate, implement solutions to mitigate these challenges within my designated area of responsibility. | ||
| Self-mastery | Seek opportunities to make connections and strengthen relationships with Indigenous students and Indigenous community members. | |
| Demonstrate awareness of, and responsiveness to, how colonization and systemic barriers have an ongoing influence on the policies and practices that shape my role. | ||
| Actively participate in policy and practice change that aligns with Indigenous strategic priorities for my department/institution. |
Raven (Behaviour)
Learning goal: Engage respectfully with Indigenous students and communities. Respond appropriately to particular circumstances of Indigenous students and actively work to remove systemic barriers.
Learning outcome: Acknowledge personal and professional responsibility in fostering a positive learning environment for all students. Use self-reflection to gain insight, self-understanding, and awareness of one’s self and one’s role in relation to engaging respectfully with Indigenous students and communities.
| Area | I am able to: | My rating (scale of 0 to 3): |
|---|---|---|
| General knowledge and skills | Recognize the importance of fostering intercultural engagement among Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, faculty, and staff. | |
| Share information within my institution, and beyond, to inform current and prospective Indigenous students of the array of services, programs, and supports available to them at my institution. | ||
| Demonstrate awareness of, and responsiveness to, verbal and nonverbal communication across cultures. | ||
| Interactive competencies | Engage in self-reflection and recognize the strengths and limitations of one’s own worldview on my communication with others. | |
| Examine my own personal beliefs about experiences of trauma and reflect on the impact these have on your interactions with Indigenous students, colleagues, organizations, and systems. | ||
| Generate ideas for resources, spaces, and approaches that promote dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, staff, and faculty at my institution. | ||
| Self-mastery | Collaborate with Indigenous colleagues and students in support of decolonization work to identify and overcome the systemic barriers for Indigenous students faced at my institution. | |
| Prioritize welcoming and respectful learning environments on my campus(es) through the implementation of programs, services, support mechanisms, and spaces dedicated to Indigenous students. | ||
| Actively promote the importance of Indigenization of curricula (including co-curricula and extra-curricular) through responsive programming, orientations, and instruction. |
Wolf (Community)
Learning goal: Build relationships with community partners and service providers.
Learning outcome: Apply respectful communication skills with students and communities through meaningful engagement and informed action and recognition that oral history is valid.
| Area | I am able to: | My rating (scale of 0 to 3): |
|---|---|---|
| General knowledge and skills | Appreciate the importance of Elders and community involvement in programs and services offered on and off my campus(es). | |
| Recognize and value the significant roles and voices of Indigenous students and people in my community. | ||
| Demonstrate the awareness of the relationship of my institution and community Indigenous advisory committees. | ||
| Interactive competencies | Identify Indigenous programs and services offered in my community and understand how to refer students to these resources. | |
| Demonstrate mutual respect for different ways of knowing and recognize the contributions made by Indigenous people on my campus(es) and in my community. | ||
| Actively seek opportunities to foster a reciprocal relationship with Indigenous students and Indigenous students services on and off my campus(es). | ||
| Self-mastery | Provide opportunities for non-Indigenous students to build awareness and knowledge on the realities, histories, cultures, and beliefs of Indigenous people in Canada. | |
| Consider priorities raised by Indigenous students and Indigenous community members when developing unit operations and practices. | ||
| Actively promote partnerships among educational and local Indigenous communities to maintain an open, collaborative, consultative, and reflective process on the specific needs of Indigenous students. |
Salmon (Systems Fit)
Learning goal: Know how to value Indigenous expertise, knowledge, practices, and how to provide a culturally safe environment for Indigenous people.
Learning outcome: Understand how policies and systems can better include Indigenous perspectives and principles.
| Area | I am able to: | My rating (scale of 0 to 3): |
|---|---|---|
| General knowledge and skills | Respect the practices, customs, values, and norms of Indigenous persons, cultures, and backgrounds. | |
| Develop awareness and sensitivity of Indigenous cultures at my institution and understand the diversity of Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia and Canada. | ||
| Recognize the role of post-secondary institutions in facilitating access and enabling a supportive learning environment for all students. | ||
| Interactive competencies | Develop human resources strategies that increase the number of staff and faculty, applying to, hired at, and retained at my unit/institution. | |
| Develop and sustain formal relationships with Indigenous communities to transform the physical place and infrastructure of the campus to reflect Indigenous people and honours the relationship with Indigenous people and their communities. | ||
| Raise awareness among government partners and stakeholders of our institutional commitments to and the importance of investing in sustainable initiatives that advance post-secondary opportunities for Indigenous youth. | ||
| Self-mastery | Advocate for Indigenous students and programs from an informed position. | |
| Develop fiscal plans and policies that ensure Indigenous programs, students, and concerns are adequately supported. | ||
| Demonstrate cultural acumen to lead institutional change as a non-Indigenous person. |
Summary
“Thinking the highest thought” in this section explored some key Indigenous worldview values. Relationships and interconnections to place (the land), our relationships with those knowledgeable and helpful (Elders), and the ways in which we communicate (language) all demonstrate Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. Keeping Indigenous values centred in your self-assessment takes time and concerted effort but it leads to an Indigenized service that benefits all students who come to your institution. Using these values, the framework and self-assessment tool and framework look help us understand Indigenization of self, processes, and systems in an interconnected and relational way.
Activities
Activity 1: Thinking spatially
Type: Individual
Time: 30-60 minutes
Download and read the 2005 article from Yuchi scholar, Daniel Wildcat, “Indigenizing the Future: Why We Must Think Spatially in the Twenty-First Century.”[1](American Studies, Volume 46, no. 3/4.)
Reflect on:
- Where is your campus located and on whose territory is your campus built?
- Have you heard or witnessed oral history of the traditional territory? How did it make you feel? What drew your attention?
- How did you or your family come to be on that territory? Remember your first experience on the land that made you feel connected.
Activity 2: Elders as strength builders
Type: Individual
Time: 1 hour
Read the chapter by Alannah Young Leon entitled “Elders’ Teachings on Leadership: Leadership as Gift” from the 2014 Living Indigenous Leadership: Native Narratives on Building Strong Communities.[2]
Reflect on the following:
- Who are the Elders that work with your institution?
- Who are the key contacts in your institution for working with Elders?
- How have you previously interacted with Elders?
- In what aspects of your work do you see Elders being helpful?
- How would you respectfully engage with Elders?
Activity 3: Language revitalization as an act of reconciliation
Type: Individual
Time: 30 minutes
Read the June 2016 article “Revitalizing Indigenous Languages is Key to Reconciliation”[3] from the Policy Options online journal.
Reflect on the following:
- What languages are spoken by the community or communities on whose territory your institution is built?
- How can you engage with and support language use in your role?
- How can you support language retention and growth?
Activity 4: Exploring the Self-Assessment Tool
Type: Individual
Time: 1-2 hours
Complete the Indigenized Integral Professional Competency Self-Assessment Tool.
- Name three key competencies you scored high and explore ways to meet competencies that received a low score.
- What is your personal action plan for Indigenizing your practice and building competencies? Explore the opportunities for learning about Indigenous experiences and relationships at your institution and build this into your professional development.
Attribution:
“Pulling Together: A Guide for Front-Line Staff, Student Services, and Advisors “ by Ian Cull; Robert L. A. Hancock; Stephanie McKeown; Michelle Pidgeon and Adrienne Vedan is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Reference:
- Indigenizing the Future: Why We Must Think Spatially in the Twenty-First Century: https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/5841?show=full ↵
- Living Indigenous Leadership: Native Narratives on Building Strong Communities: https://www.ubcpress.ca/living-indigenous-leadership ↵
- Revitalizing Indigenous Languages is Key to Reconciliation: http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/june-2016/revitalizing-indigenous-languages-is-key-to-reconciliation/ ↵
