Indigenous Education In Action

Mulgrave’s Indigenous Education programme is central to our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation (Canada’s official attempts to reckon with the shameful legacy and ongoing intergenerational impacts of residential schools).

A school-wide Indigenous Education Coordinator guides our teaching and learning in this area, working with students, faculty and staff, families, our Board, and school leaders to advance our efforts towards Truth and Reconciliation, promote First People’s Principles of Learning, decolonise the curriculum, develop an appreciation for the richness of Canadian Indigenous cultures and worldviews, and cultivate mutually beneficial and authentic connections with local Indigenous communities. Here are a few examples of our efforts in action:

Early YearsOutdoor Education

In the Early Years, students love our school trail and getting outside, and recognise how fortunate we all are to learn and play on the land of the Squamish Peoples. Ms. Georgia from the Outdoor Education team often joins classes to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into explorations. A favourite lesson was when she took Kindergarten classes out to look for cedar. Students learned that cedar is incredibly important in local Indigenous cultures and is sometimes called the ‘Tree of Life’ as it is used for so many things, such as ceremonies, celebrations, and medicine. To tell if a tree is a cedar, Ms. Georgia says you need to think of a snake and cedar boughs have a texture that looks just like snake scales. They also have two little points on the end like a teeny-tiny snake tongue.

Junior SchoolGrade 4 Acts of Reconciliation

During their How We Organise Ourselves unit of inquiry, students inquired into the changing relationships between settlers and Indigenous Peoples throughout our history and the impacts of colonisation and assimilation on Indigenous Peoples’ rights and ways of living. After learning more about the experiences of Indigenous Peoples across Canada, students also looked into the roles and responsibilities of institutions and organisations in the reconciliation process. They decided that, as individuals, we can all take action to reconcile as well. Our students hope you are also inspired to make your own commitments!

Middle School - Grade 8 Interdisciplinary Unit

Students in Grade 8 participate in an Interdisciplinary Unit (IDU) that focusses on Indigenous storytelling, the formation of Earth, and conversation. In sciences, they learn about Two-Eyed Seeing - gaining knowledge from Indigenous and Western perspectives. Students are challenged to reflect on how they gain knowledge and how different perspectives can strengthen their understanding of the world. Their final assessment looks at salmon conservation and how best practices from Indigenous and Western technology can be utilised.

Senior SchoolGrade 10 English

Scan the QR code to learn more about Grade 4’s acts of reconciliation

Through a social studies lens, students examine how cultural practices reflect environmental conditions and can be guideposts for sustainable development and living. By bringing in creation stories from local Indigenous communities, students are encouraged to consider the role of perspective and voice. To better understand the world, this IDU challenges students’ ideas of where information comes from. They deconstruct and decolonise the ways they learn by using oral stories and Indigenous perspectives to foster diverse ways of thinking and learning.

2022-23 was the first year of our new Grade 10 English course, Indigenous Literary Studies. Students have explored a range of themes and concepts, such as the interconnectedness between identity and language, the loss and appropriation of Indigenous cultures, the legacy of residential schools, intergenerational trauma and resilience, oral storytelling, Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing, and our relationship to the land. A variety of text types examined these themes, including nonfiction essays, novels, a play, poetry, and graphic novels. Non-literary texts such as posters, photography, opinion articles and political cartoons have also been introduced.

Together, classes have come to understand the power of Indigenous literature and texts in decolonisation and the process of Truth and Reconciliation. The English Department is keen to continuously evaluate and improve how we respectfully bring in Indigenous voices whilst preparing our students to engage with confidence in our collective journey of Truth, Reconciliation, and ReconciliAction.