Revising History - Rethinking the Bering Land Bridge

Many of the resources we still use in school refer to Beringia and the Bering Land Bridge Theory. Many of the Indigenous storytellers, community members and scholars that I know have argued against this based on their creation stories and traditional knowledges embedded in them. Now, anthropological evidence is catching up!

The Nature of Things with David Suzuki looked at the evidence against the land bridge in Code Breakers and this past month, a CBC article highlight findings which suggest Indigenous peoples have been on Turtle Island for 130 000 years.

For some non-Indigenous educators,  the discovery that what we have been teaching for so many years is incorrect is a painful realization. When this happens in my teaching practice (and it does) I try my best to sit with those feelings rather than avoiding them. A huge part of shifting my teaching has been about turning towards any shame or guilt I experience, processing, and moving through them to a more productive and honest place. 

I bring this up here because the Bering Land Bridge is a place of huge conflict and shame in some circles. Rather than listening to Indigenous peoples, I've long heard many folks reject their knowledges. That it is taking the findings of Western scientific and anthropological processes to accept Indigenous ways of knowing is telling in itself. 

Interview with an Educator - Kasia Niewiadomski, 5th grade teacher

Interview #2 in the Listen & Learn Teacher's Series is with Kasia Niewiadomski, a 5th grade teacher at Bakersfield Public School. Learning about Indigenous peoples and communities is a mandatory part of the 5th grade curriculum, and Kasia spoke to me about doing her best to go beyond the documents to teach about stereotypes and emphasize the diversity of Nations on Turtle Island. 

My favorite part of our discussion was around the complexities that arise when speaking to ten-year-old children about Residential Schools and other forms of oppression, and the results of her attempts to have the students share their emotions about their learning.


    Kasia also bravely spoke about what happens when we make mistakes as teachers, and how she keeps pushing the boundaries of her teaching. Like many of us, Kasia is grappling with the uncertainty that comes from learning information about Indigenous topics and Canadian history that are new. 

    I'd love to know what you took from my chat with Kasia! Email me with your feedback! 

    Questions to Consider

    • How can I encourage my students to reflect on their emotional reactions in relation to Indigenous content?
    • What subjects do I feel are not to be covered with my students? Is that about my discomfort or theirs?

    Versatile textbooks for Intermediate and Senior classrooms - Available in English and French!

    Aboriginal Peoples in Canada & Aboriginal Beliefs Values and Aspirations - Pearson & Goodminds

     

    These two texts, published in 2011, can most definitely be used beyond the Native Studies classroom and be useful for teachers at ALL levels who are looking to expand their own knowledge. If you are looking for a reliable resource for including Indigenous perspectives in your Law, Politics, Geography, History, Family Studies, Philosophy, or Religion & Spirituality classes, these are amazing references to ground your teaching. 


    Both books are full of case studies and feature short and longer profiles of many Indigenous peoples ranging in age, experience, and profession.


    These texts were written alongside a team of Advisers and Reviewers from a variety of Indigenous Nations as a resource to be used in the province of Ontario (however they do provide information about other provinces and territories). 

     

     

    My favorite unit is #3 in Aboriginal Beliefs, Values, and Aspirations entitled Sovereignty and Self-Determination. I have not yet found another school-aged resource which covers this important topic, and does so clearly from the perspectives of diverse Indigenous peoples. 

     



    These texts also have accompanying teacher guides, and are available in French! 

    Questions to Consider

    • What additional learning do I need to undertake to assist my students to extend their learning?
    • How can I interpret the curriculum to make room for Indigenous concepts, topics, or perspectives which are not included?

    Two Short Documentaries

    Two CBC documentaries caught my eye this month.

    Karihwanoron: Precious Things (14:22).

    This short film focuses on the Mohawk immersion program Karihwanoron located in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec. If you are interested in discussing language preservation with your students, or want to highlight contemporary images of resistance and resilience, this is a great place to start.

    Young students might find the first few minutes which focus on the daily experience of Yagorihwanirats, a young Mohawk child, relatable.  
     

    Headdress (5:45) by JJ Neepin (Fox Lake Cree Nation) reflects on the importance of the headdress to her ancestors and her identity. Also check out JJ's article Why I made the 'Headdress' for additional commentary and context. 

    If you are teaching about the appropriation of the headdress in contemporary population culture, this documentary could serve as a short but powerful perspective.  

    Open Space Technology in the Adult Ed Classroom

    For the past five weeks, I've been teaching Anti-Discriminatory Education to a group of 31 teacher candidates at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. The class is fast-paced, meeting twelve times, and twice a week, and for these candidates falls in the middle of their two-year program. 

    One of my intentions with this course, was to place responsibility and power over their own learning and education journey into the hands of the candidates, partially to model what this could look like in their own teaching, but in an effort to keep each of them as engaged as possible.

    Read more