Re-generating knowledge [electronic resource] : inclusive education and research

"Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the
Canadian Indigenous and Native Studies Association (CINSA)
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada, May 29-31, 2002)."

Wherever colonizers have overwhelmed and marginalized Indigenous peoples, the educational system has failed these populations because it has been racialized and hegemonic, Eurocentric practices have subverted other ways of knowing. Despite the diversity of today's classrooms, minority world views are not provided space within educational discourse. Consequently, marginalized students struggle to achieve self-esteem and have high dropout rates. In inclusive schools, multiple ways of knowing are represented according to the terms of all participants, and the diversity of the student population is reflected in the physical environment of the school and in the educational materials used. Storytelling, drama, song, and experiential practices are methods of transmitting knowledge in Aboriginal cultures and could be incorporated into a more holistic learning methodology. A curriculum that reflects an appreciation of all students encourages the acceptance of differences among individuals, enhances self-esteem, develops critical thinking, and promotes social justice. Aboriginal epistemology is spiritual. Therefore, incorporating Indigenous knowledges into the educational system entails including spirituality. However, this is one area that is usually resisted in Western educational models. Teachers must be educated to understand Indigenous knowledges and what they have to offer. Diversity in the teaching staff can provide role models and contribute a diversity of worldviews to the curriculum. Schools must develop sustainable community involvement by actively seeking direction from all community members. Culturally appropriate educational research must be situated within the wider picture of self-determination, must take for granted the validity and legitimacy of the culture, and must be guided by the concerns and interests of the community.