Reflections

Reflections bring us to a place of humility, wisdom and growth as we honour our unique identities. This is designed for educators, team and/or community members in connection with the Indigenous Centre of Excellence to reflect upon their self-practice, and experiences engaging with Indigenous pedagogy. Reflections will be symbolic of Indigenous storytelling through: written, oral (via video) and photography methods.
The Indigenous Centre of Excellence encourages you to engage with these reflections, and participate in self-reflective practice through an Indigenous lens.

Video. Corn, Beans and Squash: The Three Sisters

Land Based learning in the Early Years.

Embedding Indigenous Pedagogy in Early Learning Environments

Gloria Oshkabewisens-McGregor, Nookomis/Ojibwe Elder speaks about incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into early years environments. This video is also available in the resource section of our website.

Fostering Indigenous Identity through Connection to Land - by Andrea Williams

As an Indigenous Community Educator with the Ontario Indigenous Centre of Excellence I have the privilege of being invited to participate in land-based gatherings held across the province. These opportunities allow for a chance to demonstrate one of the primary teachings held within Indigenous ways of knowing - land is our first teacher.

By modelling and sharing the importance of sustainability and stewardship to Mother Earth, I am taking part in planting the seeds for our future generations’ substantive environmental activism. As Indigenous people we inherited a connection to the land; connecting with the land and honouring the land is part of our blood memory.

Reflections on: Land is our First Teacher, Establishing and Maintaining Relationships Gathering

Beatriz Alvarez, Inuit Liaison Kortright Centre, Vaughan ON April, 2019

DAY ONE:

“Land is our first Teacher” began with windy weather and the threat of snow/rainfall which made it immediately obvious that nature takes it time regardless of all attendees’ eagerness to have spring-like weather greeting our day outdoor

A Community Educator’s Reflection

Michelle Taylor-Leonhardi ~ Indigenous Centre of Excellence Ottawa Community Educator

Storytelling is a method of cultural production that brings Indigenous customs and values to the forefront. I would love to begin my new journey with educators, children and families by sharing stories together. Incredible stories of our images of the child, images of ourselves, images of our families, and images of our communities. Each child brings a unique gift, what is that gift? What gift as educators do we see each child has? (this will be different, and it’s OK to be different) What is the gift of our educators? How can we help make that gift grow? What can we feed it to thrive? We are more alike than we think. All with a story to tell. Each story will be different. Each story will be unique. Each story once told will build on our strengths. I would love to share my incredible journey I had with Oshkiigmong Early Learning Centre that brought me here to all of you. Sharing our success’s and our failures!! Failures are a learning story that need to be told.