Katelyn Cudmore, a Bachelor of Education student at Nipissing University, received a scholarship from Indspire to attend its National Gathering for Indigenous Education last month in Winnipeg.
According to Indspire, the National Gathering is, “a one-of-a-kind venue where educators and partners can share their voices and work together to improve the educational outcomes of K-12 Indigenous students.”
Cudmore expressed how important this uplifting national gathering was for her to attend as a Métis post-secondary student and future educator.
“I want to create classrooms where Indigenous students feel seen, valued, and respected. This means incorporating Indigenous perspectives in a safe and positive environment,” says Cudmore.
The gathering allowed her to expand her knowledge on how to do just that. One important takeaway from the gathering that she hopes to implement into her work is the importance of land-based learning.
“Including land and water-based learning allows students to connect to the land and their cultural practices,” says Cudmore. “Land-based learning could be anything from harvesting, traditional foods, traditional arts, sharing circles on the land, trapping, and medicine teachings. All these aspects can be incorporated into the classroom or school community.”
Another big idea the conference emphasized was the need for students to see themselves reflected in the curriculum. Katelyn says this goes beyond just adding Indigenous content.
“It's about making sure Indigenous students see their cultures, values, and histories as a part of Canada. A good way to do this is by bringing in knowledge keepers. They bring wisdom and perspectives that go beyond textbooks and can help create a hands-on in-person learning experience for all students.”
Not only will Katelyn take these teachings into the classroom in her future career, but back to her local Métis community council in Barrie, where she serves as Youth Representative.
“There were a lot of Métis specific workshops that provided more information and resources for me to bring back to my community.”
Katelyn is currently in her final year at Nipissing University obtaining her bachelor's degree in education.
