Journey Towards Reconciliation
This is a summary of my thoughts and ideas surrounding reconciliation and part fo my personal journey towards it.
"The inclusion of Indigenous stories in the classroom creates further acceptance, making it a judgment-free place for students to be. Seeing these stories expressed can encourage students to feel like the classroom is a safe place for the expression of their own personal stories. This leads to further decolonizing the classroom, just as F. Pirbhai-Illich & F. Martin outlines in the paper A relational approach to decolonizing education: working with the concepts of invitation and hospitality “Central to a decolonial approach to education is, therefore, an understanding of invitation and hospitality as elements of an ethical, reciprocal educational relationship”. (p.7) Allowing students to share personal stories as well as the stories of their collective communities allows the classroom to become a space that is inviting and hospitable towards students. When these stories are encouraged within the classroom space the whole classroom is able to find where their views fit in the world and how to interact with these different beliefs. The 7 Ojibway teachings of love, wisdom, respect, truth, humility, honesty and courage (Couchene. 2014) are all central beliefs that every student will come to a unique conclusion about. Therefore the classroom space becomes a place with great influence on these beliefs. In creating this classroom space teachers are able to have students journey towards a personal understanding of how reconciliation may occur within the context of their lives.
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Being able to create spaces for personal and student growth in understanding the place I am grateful to call home is where my reconciliation occurs. In normalizing and including the culture and the land that I am a guest on I am able to further my reconciliation and make sure that reconciliation becomes an active part of the learners that I impact, today and in the future. My worldview will reflect what I have learned and have a deep impact on the resources I choose to use as a student, as a nanny, and as a future teacher. Making sure the stories of the past, the land and elders are incorporated throughout my personal learning and one day the learners that I will continue to grow with. The resources, especially literature used in the classroom has proven to be of extreme importance, and including the stories from the people who have me here as a guest is where I am able to recognize the wrongs of the past and move forward to a better future."