"We started to hear from educators that they needed more context and background information before sharing these films in their classrooms which is what inspired this teaching and learning initiative," said Sophie Quevillon, Learning Program Manager for NFB.
Based on this need, Bobbie-Jo and the LRSD Indigenous Education Team have been working on the Indigenous Voices project; 13 pathways to Indigenous education accompanied by inquiry-based curriculum for educators and students. Each pathway highlights a different topic such as Treaty and Land Acknowledgements, Language, Laws and Policies, Economies and Governance and more. Thanks to bilingual team members Joël Tétrault and Bobbie-Jo, these learnings will be available in both English and in French.
"Everything that we're doing with our NFB partners relates back to the professional learning we're leading in LRSD," said Bobbie-Jo. "Our hope is that these 13 pathways will become a foundation for Indigenous Education across Canada."
In the week leading up to Spring Break 2022, Indigenous students and graduates from LRSD as well as community Elders and Knowledge Keepers from the Council of Grandmothers and Grandfathers met at FRANK Digital to film three pathways.
Photo credit: Sophie Quevillon ©National Film Board of Canada
On the first day of filming, Luc and Aidan Wrigley, Grade 12 students at Collège Jeanne-Sauvé (CJS), recorded the Laws and Policies pathway. The following day, Mia Kutny, graduate from LRSD, and Luc met with Lionel Mason, Ed Azure, Sherry Copenace and Martha Evaluardjuk-Pal for a roundtable discussion about language. The youth asked questions about the importance of language, the impact of colonization, the importance of names and more. On the final day of filming, Isabelle Skead, Grade 12 student at CJS, recorded the Governance and Economies segment.
These three pathways will be available within the next year or so. The Indigenous Education Team will also be meeting in the coming months to develop scripts for six more pathways.
"The Indigenous Education Team and LRSD have been so dedicated and engaged in this project," said Sophie. "This is an Indigenous-led project with the intent to bring those voices into the classroom."
LRSD's Indigenous Education Team also recently partnered with NFB Education and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to help teachers educate students about Indigenous realities during National Truth and Reconciliation Week 2021, as well as throughout the year. The team helped create four mini-lessons that highlighted existing NFB films as well a video that featured students from CJS.
More information about the Indigenous Voices project will be shared with our community as it becomes available.
