Metis, Inuit, and First Nations voices are reflected in the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework. Firstly, community-level indigenous governments have participated in framework development, resulting in the identification of service gaps these communities find important (Employment and Social Development Canada, 2018). Secondly, there are three early education sub-frameworks, each of which represents one community’s culture-based perspectives on learning. For instance, the framework for First Nations emphasizes the sanctity of responsibility for children. The Inuit and Métis frameworks prioritize cultural revitalization and nation-to-nation/government-to-government approaches to education, respectively (Employment and Social Development Canada, 2018). These distinctions are important because they showcase the government’s recognition of the indigenous community and their cultural differences, which must be considered by educators.
As I shift my practice, the information shared within this framework can help me recognize the values and vision that my teaching should reflect. The framework establishes a shared vision, values, and a road forward for the country’s Indigenous early learning and child care (Employment and Social Development Canada, 2018). The goal is to ensure that all Indigenous children have access to high-quality, culturally rooted early learning and child care programming. Hence, as I shift my practice, I should still apply this framework to guide the way I approach lesson planning and my work with the class.
The TRC Call to Action Number 12 encourages policymakers and individuals involved in child education to develop practices appropriate for indigenous people (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015). Moreover, this call to action is designed for professionals at different levels, from government officials to territorial authorities. Hence, as a teacher, I can respond to this call to action by ensuring that I gather information about the needs of the Indigenous people in my community. Next, I should share this information with other educators to disseminate the knowledge and brainstorm a plan to create an inclusive education framework. I can take the first steps towards creating culturally responsive environments by communicating with students’ parents and assessing the curriculum to conclude its applicability to non-mainstream cultures’ perspectives on life and knowledge. Additionally, seeking practice-oriented advice from local experts in Aboriginal pedagogy is another way to approach the establishment of responsive environments that I can pursue. Implementing these steps would be possible due to intensive interprofessional and intercultural communication.
References
Employment and Social Development Canada. (2018). Indigenous early learning and child care framework. Web.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015). Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to action. Web.