U of S conference to showcase Indigenous education
- Fraser Needham | February 16, 2016
Showcasing the strengths and attributes of Indigenous education to as wide an audience as possible is one of the major goals of an upcoming conference.
The Think Indigenous Education Conference takes place March 16-18 in Saskatoon.
The annual conference will be hosted by the University of Saskatchewan’s Indian Teacher Education program.
ITEP Director Chris Scribe says the conference aspires to breakdown some of the existing misconceptions surrounding Indigenous education.
“To breakdown the stereotypes, to breakdown the ignorance and really showcase how brilliant and amazing Indigenous knowledge is,” he says. “That knowledge exists here and it’s plentiful and that resource is everywhere.”
Scribe adds conference organizers are hopeful that in turn this will motivate educators to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into their teaching.
“This is what Think Indigenous is for. To bring people together, to network, to showcase some of the great work that’s been done and inspire teachers to start thinking from an Indigenous perspective when they’re teaching.”
Leslie Morin is a fourth-year ITEP student.
Morin co-presented on traditional forms of Métis dance at last year’s conference.
He says the event provides an opportunity to show how education can be combined with culture.
“We presented for 30 minutes to an audience of educators, counselors, people who are in the field of education, just to give them a different idea and perspective from what influenced us in our home communities,” Morin says. “That gave us that drive and incentive to keep going with education.”
Keynote speakers at this year’s education conference include Indigenous child welfare rights activist Cindy Blackstock, Indigenous human rights lawyer Sharon Venne and University of Regina Education professor Shauneen Pete.
About 600 educators from across Saskatchewan are expected to attend.
The theme is “Inspiring change through Indigenous education practices and knowledge.”
Sessions include those on cultural competency development, institutional change, environmental protection and using ancestral knowledge to create sustainable and ethical alternatives for the modern world.
This is the second year the conference has been held.
The Think Indigenous Education Conference will take place at the Saskatoon Inn and Lakeview Church.
Related: Aboriginal educators from across the province share ideas at U of S conference