Indigenization and Decolonization Resources

In this section, we offer suggestions of OER that can be used in a variety of courses to support Indigenization and decolonization in uOttawa’s curriculums. It is a very modest step in supporting uOttawa’s Indigenous Action Plan (2019-2024) and the library community’s commitment to reconciliation.^[1]

While these resources are listed separately in this first version of the guide to call attention to them, as this tool evolves and more OER in this area are created, we will attempt to integrate them throughout.

Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science, Book 1

Edited by Gloria Snively and Wanosts’a7 Lorna Williams (University of Victoria)

2017

Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Since Indigenous peoples have developed time-proven approaches to sustaining both community and environment, Elders and young people are concerned that this rich legacy of Indigenous Science with its wealth of environmental knowledge and the wisdom of previous generations could disappear if it is not respected, studied and understood by today’s children and youth. A perspective where relationships between home place and all other beings that inhabit the earth is vitally important to all residents—both inheritors of ancient Indigenous Knowledge and wisdom, and newcomers who can experience the engagement, joy and promise of science instilled with a sense of place. This book takes a step forward toward preserving and actively using the knowledge, stories, and lessons for today and future generations, and with it a worldview that informs everyday attitudes toward the earth. Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science is far more than a set of research papers or curriculum studies. The project outputs include both, but they are incorporated into a theoretical structure that can provide the methodological basis for future efforts that attempt to develop culturally responsive Indigenous Science curricula in home places.

Book 1 provides an overview of why traditional knowledge and wisdom should be included in the science curriculum, a window into the science and technologies of the Indigenous peoples who live in Northwestern North America, Indigenous worldview, culturally responsive teaching strategies and curric­ulum models, and evaluative techniques. It is intended that the rich examples and cases, combined with the resources listed in the appendices, will enable teachers and students to explore Indigenous Science examples in the classroom; and in addition, support the development of culturally appropriate curriculum projects.

Formats: Pressbooks WebBook, EPUB, PDF, MOBI, and more

Reviews: BCcampus – eCampusOntario Open Library

Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science, Book 2

Edited by Gloria Snively and Wanosts’a7 Lorna Williams (University of Victoria)

2017

Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Knowing Home attempts to capture the creative vision of Indigenous scientific knowledge and technology that is derived from an ecology of a home place. The traditional wisdom component of Indigenous Science—the values and ways of decision-making—assists humans in their relationship with each other, the land and water, and all of creation. Indigenous perspectives have the potential to give insight and guidance to the kind of environmental ethics and deep understanding that we must gain as we attempt to solve the increasingly complex problems of the 21st century. This book provides a window into the vast storehouse of innovations and technologies of the Indigenous peoples who live in Northwestern North America. It is our hope that the Indigenous Science examples, research, and curriculum models will inspire deep reflection regarding the under-representation of Aboriginal students in the sciences. It is intended that the rich examples and cases, combined with the resources listed in the appendices, will enable teachers and students to explore Indigenous Science examples in the classroom, and in addition, support the development of curriculum projects in home places.

Book 2 provides supportive research, case studies, curriculum projects and commentary that extends and enriches the chapters presented in Book 1. The chapters provide rich descriptions related to Indigenous cultural beliefs and values; teacher thinking about Indigenous Science; the perceptions and experiences of successful Indigenous students in secondary science; a metaphorical study of Indigenous students’ orientations (scientific, spiritual, utilitarian, aesthetic, and recreational) to the seashore and their adult orientations 19 years later;  the use of digital video as a learning tool for secondary Indigenous students; a cross-cultural marine education program involving an exploration of WS and IS related to the local Indigenous culture; and a WSÁNEĆ immersion school program focused on language revitalization and the concept of “knowledge of most worth.”

Formats: Pressbooks WebBook, EPUB, PDF, MOBI, and more

Our Stories: First Peoples in Canada

Collective (Centennial College)

2018

Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Led by a diverse team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous creators, Our Stories: First Peoples in Canada is a unique multi-media resource developed with Indigenous peoples from across Canada. Eliciting an unsettling of Western authority, this free eTextbook encourages recognition that moves beyond a colonial lens. This dynamic text allows the reader to engage with Indigenous histories, culture, and knowledge in a unique format that includes videos, podcasts, interactive tools, and more. Our Stories: First Peoples in Canada includes: contemporary and historic information and media; a balance of sources about injustice and resistance; both urban and remote Indigenous perspectives in Canada; and oral stories about the lived experiences of Indigenous community members. Answering the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada’s Calls to Action, the team developed Our Stories: First Peoples in Canada through a decolonizing lens. The materials present a balance of historical and contemporary materials that value Indigenous perspectives.

Formats: PDF, Kindle, and iBooks

Includes: Videos and podcasts

Pulling Together: Foundations Guide

Kory Wilson (BC Institute of Technology)

2018

Licence: CC BY-NC 4.0

The Foundations Guide is part of an open professional learning series developed for staff across post-secondary institutions in British Columbia. These guides are the result of the Indigenization Project, a collaboration between BCcampus and the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. The project was supported by a steering committee of Indigenous education leaders from BC universities, colleges, and institutes, the First Nations Education Steering Committee, the Indigenous Adult and Higher Learning Association, and Métis Nation BC. These guides are intended to support the systemic change occurring across post-secondary institutions through Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation.

Other titles in the series:

Pulling Together: A Guide for Leaders and Administrators

by Sybil Harrison, Janice Simcoe, Dawn Smith, and Jennifer Stein

Pulling Together: A Guide for Curriculum Developers

by Asma-na-hi Antoine, Rachel Mason, Roberta Mason, Sophia Palahicky, and Carmen Rodriguez de France

Pulling Together: A Guide for Teachers and Instructors

by Bruce Allan, Amy Perreault, John Chenoweth, Dianne Biin, Sharon Hobenshield, Todd Ormiston, Shirley Anne Hardman, Louise Lacerte, Lucas Wright, and Justin Wilson

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

Formats: Pressbooks WebBook, EPUB, PDF, MOBI, and more

Includes: Learning goals, activities, knowledge checks, and glossary

Historical and Contemporary Realities: Movement Towards Reconciliation

Susan Manitowabi (Laurentian University)

2019

Licence: CC BY-NC 4.0

This open textbook is written as a resource for educators to teach students about the Indigenous historical significance of the lands encompassing the Robinson-Huron Treaty area and more specifically the Greater Sudbury and Manitoulin area. It also, through the use of interactive mapping strategies, serves as a guide for educators to develop a similar resource to document Indigenous stories from their own areas.

Formats: Pressbooks WebBook, EPUB, PDF, MOBI, and more

Includes: Instructor and student resources

Living Earth Community: Multiple Ways of Being and Knowing

Edited by Sam Mickey (University of San Francisco), Mary Evelyn Tucker (Yale University), and John Grim (Yale University)

2020

Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (selected chapters under CC BY 4.0)

Living Earth Community: Multiple Ways of Being and Knowing is a celebration of the diversity of ways in which humans can relate to the world around them, and an invitation to its readers to partake in planetary coexistence. Innovative, informative, and highly accessible, this interdisciplinary anthology of essays brings together scholars, writers and educators across the sciences and humanities, in a collaborative effort to illuminate the different ways of being in the world and the different kinds of knowledge they entail – from the ecological knowledge of Indigenous communities, to the scientific knowledge of a biologist and the embodied knowledge communicated through storytelling. This anthology examines the interplay between Nature and Culture in the setting of our current age of ecological crisis, stressing the importance of addressing these ecological crises occurring around the planet through multiple perspectives. These perspectives are exemplified through diverse case studies – from the political and ethical implications of thinking with forests, to the capacity of storytelling to motivate action, to the worldview of the Indigenous Okanagan community in British Columbia.

Format: Online and PDF

Includes: Vlog series

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