Teaching and Learning Indigenization

What is this page about?

This page primarily aims to support faculty in enhancing Indigenization efforts in their classrooms and beyond. Staff and administration at Alexander College are also welcome to use these resources.

What is Indigenization?

Indigenization is the process of showing respect and acknowledgement that First Nations and Indigenous peoples are the original people of Canada. It is a recognition within institutions in Canada to engage in reconciliation work and create an opening for Indigenous peoples’ tellings and stories, and an awareness of Indigenous peoples’ experiences, learning and voice. Indigenization is an emphasis on respectfulness toward First Nation’s cultures, languages, lands, traditions and healing as well as a commitment to be supportive of the above in the spirit of reconciliation.

A Presentation by Elder Dean Dokkie (West Moberly First Nations) on the Meaning and Significance of Truth and Reconcilliation

Our Efforts

A Teaching and Learning Indigenization and Reconciliation Working Group (TLIR) has been active at Alexander College since 2022. This group includes representation from multiple disciplines and has primarily focused on curriculum, working to encourage the Indigenization of our course content and pedagogy.

As an important support to these efforts, our working group has also organized Indigenous Elder campus visits, where Elders have spent time on campus engaging with the college community through activities such as bannock-making workshops, guest speaker presentations, and talk-back sessions. These initiatives have greatly enhanced the college community’s understanding, appreciation, and engagement with Indigenous peoples, their knowledge, experiences, and issues.

To further support Indigenization, the working group has developed a Canvas course that has been shared with all faculty across Alexander College. This Canvas course offers Indigenized definitions of key terms, as well as both general and subject-specific Indigenized teaching resources.

Additionally, an Indigenization Teaching Guide has been developed and distributed to all of our instructors. This guide includes practical suggestions for implementing Indigenous methodologies and ways of knowing both inside the classroom and beyond.

Our TLIR Working Group is currently engaged in ongoing data collection to assess the extent to which instructors across all disciplines are implementing Indigenization principles in their courses. Alexander College continues to explore and deepen its commitment to reconciliation and Indigenization, identifying additional ways to meaningfully integrate these perspectives within classrooms and across the broader college community.