Indigenous Peoples Day and Final Thoughts By Summer & Maggie

Did you know that June 21st is Indigenous Peoples Day?

Today is an important day to reflect on and acknowledge the history, heritage, and contributions, of Indigenous peoples. On the day of this year’s summer solstice, we took a moment to remember and reflect on the tragedies of Canada’s far and recent history. We hope that you can also take time for reflection and/or celebrate by participating in an activity in your neighbourhoods! 

Summer:

One of the workshops I attended during my practicum was run by an Indigenous member of my school staff. She reminded me how we have responsibilities as teachers to incorporate the First Peoples Principles of Learning into our curriculum. I had a few deep conversations with her after the workshop and we formed a great connection. In addition, she encouraged me not to be afraid. A struggle I had in the past was being afraid to pass on incorrect information or being unintentionally disrespectful. Being a teacher in Canada, I want to do my best to acknowledge the true history and current events. However, as a non-Indigenous person, it can be difficult due to my lack of confidence/knowledge. I feel so blessed to have created relationships with Indigenous peers and mentors. They have been so helpful in my teachings and have provided me with the confidence I needed. Whenever I teach my students, I aim to make my Indigenous peers and mentors proud.

I reminded myself of my own promise to never forget the past and to be a vocal ally in our community. I believe that my knowledge from these workshops will be amplified by our lessons in the Orchard Garden. Many Indigenous topics and principles speak to the land. And what better place to connect and learn about the land than… in the garden! One of our own TC’s, Shelby, will be teaching us how to create Indigenous art from elements found from the land. This is a beautiful activity, and we are all fortunate that she is passing on her sacred knowledge to us. Planning for our CFE workshops and celebrations reminded me to make a conscious effort to connect my curriculum to the land. We look forward to celebrating Indigenous Day with our future students!

Below is a photo of artwork I did with students in my practicum class!

Maggie: 

Reflecting on my experience in the UBC Orchard Garden, I feel incredibly grateful to have learned more ways to meaningfully incorporate the First Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPL) in my everyday life as well as in an outdoor classroom. I could see myself weaving in all of the FPPL in a lesson that involves being outside and in the school garden. I knew from the beginning of my journey that I wanted to explore outside of my comfort zone by learning how to approach teaching in an outdoor environment. The FPPL that has been at the forefront of my mind is that “Learning involves patience and time”; I wanted to take everything in quickly, but I soon became aware of the significance of sitting with questions, exploring, and reflecting – this inquiry cycle takes time. Furthermore, I learned that knowledge can come from different places; sometimes the Land is the best teacher and what I have to try to do more of is listen. Connecting this back to Indigenous Peoples Day, I will continue to take the time to educate myself about, appreciate and acknowledge the history, heritage, and resilience of Indigenous peoples, communities, and nations across Turtle Island. I think it is also important to keep in mind that today and every day, Indigenous peoples deserve to feel respect, peace, and joy. Also, today is not only a celebration of the diversity of Indigenous peoples, but also a celebration of Mother Earth who provides for us and our relationship with her. 

Although my roots are from Hong Kong, I grew up in Richmond with my mom, older sister, and grandma. I remember on my first day of Kindergarten, my mom walked me to the classroom door where I was greeted by Mrs. Green, the Kindergarten teacher. “I will be fine,” I whispered to myself. That was until Mrs. Green asked me to write down my address, which I had no clue what it was! The only memories I have where I felt connected with the land I was on was when I went outdoors to ​徐步 (to walk slowly) with my grandma. There were clues in the environment to help me find my way around the neighbourhood… like the tiny playground nearby my home where I discovered what I thought was a piece of the sun, like the willow tree around the corner that had hair as shaggy as the hair on a bearded collie, and the trees by the crosswalk where the spiky green balls would rain down on windy days. I often collected the treasures that were hidden inside – chestnuts! I knew where I was because of the landmarks I saw every day.

Today, I watched a video titled “Sea to Sky: Making of a Public Artwork” where I learned about a landmark in Richmond that was recently created on January 20, 2022. It is a five-storey-high glass artwork located on No. 3 and Cook Road. The artist, Thomas Cannell, designed the landmark to celebrate the art and culture of the Musqueam Nation. When people walk by it, it is meant to be a reminder of Richmond’s Indigenous heritage. I enjoyed learning about the meaning behind every choice made by the artist and the symbols that are included, such as the Eagle and Salmon. According to Thomas Cannell, the building looks like it is moving, so he tried to incorporate that fluidity into the art as well so that there is no clear beginning or end. While looking at photos of the landmark, which I have walked past before, I noticed various First Peoples shapes I introduced in a geometry unit, including crescents, trigons, and ovals. I also found it interesting how Thomas Cannell used blues and greens in the design since I have learned that the Coast Salish use a wide palette of yellows, blues, greens, blacks, reds, and whites.

Link to video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KHJ3WVZUek&t=332s&ab_channel=CityofRichmond  

Link to Thomas Cannell’s website: 

https://thomascannell.com/art-works/ 

It wasn’t until university that I learned that “Canada” is stolen land; that the land on which I live, play, and learn on which is now called Richmond is the unceded, ancestral, and traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples. It was also my first time learning about the forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women, which still happens today. It was when I sat in one of my university classes that I saw a photo of Kent Monkman’s The Scream (2017) and learned about the history of residential schools. Throughout my undergrad, I kept thinking about the FPPL “Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.” So even though I didn’t know that Richmond rose from the silt deposits of the Fraser River about 9,500 years ago, or that the Musqueam and Hul’q’umi’num’ speaking peoples are some of the first people of the land where I grew up and that they named spots along the shoreline… I know now that the stories and histories of these people who were here and still are here are living and carved into the land.

In the evening, I went to ​​徐步 with my mom to a look-out point of the West Dyke recreational trail. I wondered what other eyes have seen this beautiful view. If you listen, like really listen, you can hear the music of nature and the living creatures that inhabit the area during different times of the year. And again, I wonder, whose ears besides mine have been blessed to listen to the unique singing of nature. On the way back, I thought about how neat it would be to invite children to do some digging about the land they step on every day on the way to school – What plants are native here, and what plants have been brought here? What can Indigenous knowledge tell us about these plants? What animals do I see and what are their connections to Indigenous peoples? What did the land look like before it was turned into a school site? The pathways we walk on in life aren’t always the ones we think: smoothly paved roads, evenly-spaced sidewalks that fit two people, human-made trails – Please stay to the right. Like the wrinkles by my mother’s eyes and on her lovely hands, I can find paths, maps, and stories – on the bark of trees and in their root systems. Now whenever I see a tree, I can’t hold back my desire to reach out my hand, press it against the bark, and listen.

My walk outside reminded me of how during my long practicum, I learned that the Richmond city council does not do a land acknowledgment before meetings because of ongoing lawsuits that involve the government and Indigenous peoples. This was for an ethical dilemma writing block that I was planning, so the students and I called Richmond City Hall to ask questions. A meaningful step towards healing and repairing our relationship with Indigenous peoples and the Land may be to not only find ways to reconnect with Mother Earth and consider how we can grow our learning by turning to Indigenous ways of knowing, but also create our own land acknowledgment in the classroom. I look forward to finding more ways to decolonize the classroom, and to continue learning and taking steps towards reconciliation.

Thank you so much for following along with our journeys and for reading our blog posts. We will leave you with the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass:

“Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart.”