Indigenous Education

CC:ROSE (Cultivating Community: Reclaiming Our Spaces in Education) is a community that welcomes any self-identifying Indigenous (Turtle Island) student in grades 7 to 12 at HWDSB. Our meetings have provided fun and innovative ways to be in touch during these difficult times.

Please join us if you would like to:

• Have fun.
• Have a safe place to check in.
• Eat (not all the time, but a lot of the time!).
• Learn about Indigenous culture.
• Collaborate with other Indigenous students.
• Join some cool workshops like painting, cooking, cornhusk dolls, games (all virtual for now).
• Shape experiences and opportunities for Indigenous learners.
• Access leadership opportunities immersed in Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing.
• Be part of a community created for and by Indigenous learners at HWDSB, guided by the teachings of the Seven Grandfathers and the Good Mind.

Learn more here. 

Saaswin Kendaasiwin “Nest of Learning”
Tsi Nón:we Konttsí’nahkónnis “Where they make their nests"

Learning Nest PDF

Indigenous Cultural Safety
A culturally immersive learning pilot offered at Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board

Our goal

The Learning Nest is a culturally immersive Indigenous learning pilot offered to learners who self-identify as Indigenous, First Nations (status and non-status), Inuit and Métis (grades 9-12).

In the Learning Nest classroom, Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing are respected, valued and prioritized. The Learning Nest is a key piece of the ongoing development of an Indigenous Cultural Safety framework. Indigenous learners will see Indigenous knowledge reflected in the space, content and learning experiences.

The Learning Nest experience includes:

• A variety of credit-earning learning experiences, teachings, language and participation in cultural activities and observances
• Working cooperatively with learners, families and caregivers to ensure holistic health and well-being by emphasizing an asset-based model of Indigenous student success
• Holistic well-being plans and bridging to ‘next steps’ and/or life stage, respecting the unique needs and goals of the learner

How

Our team adheres to the following definition of Indigenous Cultural Safety:

Indigenous Cultural Safety is the develop­ment, implementation, maintenance and (ongoing) evaluation of education models that reflect the needs of the Indigenous community of Hamilton while being respectful of the 94 Truth and Reconcilia­tion Commission Calls to Action. This includes but is not limited to the teachings found within the Haudenosaunee teachings of the Great Law of Peace, which outlines three guiding principles:

• Peace – healthy mind and healthy body
• Power – harmonious, non-violent unity
• Good mindedness – justice between people and justice between nations

These principles are followed with the understanding that all decisions are made in the best interest of the ‘faces yet to come,’ meaning we begin the decision-mak­ing process by considering the best interest of our most vulnerable, the unborn, then the babies, then the crawling ones, then the children and so on…

We also use the following as part of our guide, the Anishinaabe teachings of the Three Fires model of past, present and future generations, the Seven Grandfather Teachings: Bravery, Honesty, Humility, Love, Respect, Truth and Wisdom, and the prophecy of the current generation whom represent the 8th Fire.

We approach the establishment of the Learning Nest from the perspective of a Cultural Safety model: returning to the village-model of caring for our children, educating them, displacing deprivation of identity with rich cultural teachings, based on our Indigenous worldview.

Why now?

This is a time of Reconciliation. The Learning Nest pilot is rooted in the concepts of “Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity and Responsibility” (Kirkness and Barnhardt 2001) and aims to increase the experiences of safety and wellness, while providing a high standard of excellence for Indigenous learners in education.

We are committed to ensuring that each learner, their families and or caregivers have a solid understanding of the roles and responsibilities for all within this
unique and culturally immersive educational experience.

Indigenous Education Team

You are welcome to learn more about Indigenous Education and/or Indigenous Cultural Safety at HWDSB.

Learners, families/caregivers, staff and the community may contact us directly via email or by phone.

NOTE: If you are calling on behalf of a learner, please ensure you have secured consent of the learner and or parent/guardian.

Jolene John, Indigenous Education Lead jjohn@hwdsb.on.ca
Kristina Zito, Indigenous System Social Worker kzito@hwdsb.on.ca
20 Education Court Hamilton L9A 0B9 (905) 527-5092 x2119
thelearningnest@hwdsb.on.ca