Faculty of Education Education News Fall 2011 / Winter 2012 Page 17
Photos credit : Christina Johns outside of northern Saskatchewan . Increasing urbanization , and the ongoing impact of colonizing / inferiorizing practices embedded within mainstream media and education are complicated by the emphasis on First Nations content and history . It is possible that this class will be the initial phase in assessing and further strengthening Métis knowledge and practice throughout the program .” ( Farrell-Racette , 2011 )
In class , students participate in Métis traditions such as rug braiding , beading , constructing a Red River cart , Métis dance , Michif speaking , oral storytelling and cooking . Students are introduced to these traditions by community experts who often employ the ‘ listen , watch , do ’ technique of teaching . The result is that students can begin the cultural reclamation process while learning how to help their future students in elementary schools do the same . They learn how a Red River cart can be used to teach geometry , how a Métis recipe can be used to teach measurement , how re-telling a story can involve analysis and synthesis , how de-coding historical pictures can deconstruct societal biases , and how a Red River jig is a great way to culturally engage children while getting a workout ! The benefits for themselves and their future students are endless . For the University of Regina at large , ESST 190 contributes to the greater movement to “ decolonize the academy .” In other words , to assert our cultural presence and to make the University a more welcoming and inclusive place for Métis students and Indigenous knowledge in general .
The creation of ESST 190 is just a small step in a larger process that is seeing SUN- TEP grads make significant cultural , economic , and social contributions to the Métis community and to the Province of Saskatchewan . In the words of Dr . Farrell- Racette , “ This is not learning about , this is learning to become — with the specific goal of citizenship and leadership development within the larger context of sovereignty and self-government .” ( 2011 ) As SUNTEP Regina students and faculty continue to engage in the decolonization process , it is hoped that like a braided rug , the knowledge gained in ESST 190 will be woven into the mosaic of school-based learning , adding all the richness , colour , and depth of Métis knowledge and traditions .
First year students learning to bead
First year student beading
ESST stories 2012
Students jigging
The Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program ( SUNTEP ) is a program of the Gabriel Dumont Institute . The goals of the program are to ensure Métis people are adequately represented in the teaching profession and to ensure that SUNTEP graduates are educated to be sensitive to the individual needs of all students and particularly those of Aboriginal ancestry . In partnership with the University of Regina , SUNTEP offers the University of Regina ’ s Bachelor of Education degree .