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Teacher's Orientation Aims to Teach First Nations Culture and Practices

Thursday, 15 August 2019 13:29

Teachers break for lunch on day 2 of the orientation

Teachers that are new to the Yukon were taught by elders ways to incorporate First Nations culture and practices into their classrooms.

A teacher's orientation was held out at Brooks Brook near Teslin on August 13th and 14th.

Teachers that are new to the Yukon were taught by elders ways to incorporate First Nations culture and practices into their classrooms.

The two day orientation had dozens of participants learning history, traditional medicine, and other cultural practices.

Toby Moisey, band teacher at F.H Collins, says the orientation has been an opportunity to try new things and experiences, "So far it's been great. Today I went to a session and learned about a few of the local place-names. The Indigenous names vs. the settler names. I went on a wonderful walk and learned about medicinal plants. I tried Labrador tea for the first time, which was a lot more delicious than I thought it was going to be. Also revisiting stories of what schools used to be like for First Nations kids and learning the past realities of that."

During the orientation, residential schools were an important topic. Teachers learned in depth about the effects of residential schools and how it continues to affect Indigenous peoples.

Tiffany Pickett, teacher in Watson Lake, says the process has made her feel more supported, "Being from out of the territory and coming here I didn't know a lot, so in the last two days I've learned more than I ever could have imagined learning. I feel so supported going into the education system. I'm able to teach everything that I've learned here to my students. I have people to go to and elders who are willing to come into the classroom and help. I can pass on these stories and knowledge and everything." 

Chelsea Reed, teacher at Whitehorse Elementary School, says the orientation has been inspiring, "The thing that has struck me the most is just the elders that have been here have been so inspiring and incredible to listen to their stories. I was a teacher in B.C. and we had lots of First Nations training but to see it in such a personal way, all the information, has been incredible for me."    

Elementary and Secondary school in the Yukon begins next week.

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