A research and expository notebook by Orest Kinasevych
“Many students have reported that ‘traditional life’ in the wilderness brings a feeling of serenity and peace to one’s heart and spirit” (p 186)
“One clue is that the Japanese are more aware of synchrony than the average Westerner. Those tremendous Sumo wrestlers, for example, must synchronize their breathing before the referee will allow the match to begin, and the audience is fully aware of what is happening. In this same vein, Japanese who are conversing will frequently monitor their own breathing in order to stay in sync with their interlocutor!” (p 164)
“However, one of the contradictions of schooling is while it can be an institution of colonization, it also has the potential to decolonize (Smith 2000) and support the development of self-determination for Indigenous students and their communities.” (p 200)
“In our more highly organised world we face a new problem. Something called education is given to everybody, usually by the State, but sometimes by the Churches. The teacher has thus become, in the vast majority of cases, a civil servant obliged to carry out the behests of men who have not his learning, who have no experience of dealing with the young, and whose only attitude towards education is that of the propagandist.” (p 110)
“Having a personal relationship with students meant the teachers were aware of the characteristics and interests of their students and were able to use these to connect students to the curriculum.” (p 167)
“No single teaching approach was used for every class or by every teacher to effectively connect students to the process of learning. Each teacher used a variety of approaches that included mastery learning, concrete materials, storytelling, one-on-one, the talking or sharing circle, group work, and learning that was experiential, community-based, activity-based, or land-based learning.” (p 148)
“The use of Indigenous language, patterns of communication, and incorporation of Indigenous knowledge and values in the class created a sense of familiarity and belonging, so that students would be open to learning.” (p 122)
“Trust was also related to setting and enforcing clear expectations and boundaries for performance and behaviour. Students needed to trust that a teacher would be firm in dealing with inappropriate behaviour, impose fair consequences, and follow up.” (p 110)
“The principles of effective teaching for Indigenous students apply to all students, but Indigenous education has unique features based on the history, culture, and philosophies of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, who tend to view the world in a more holistic way than the European framework that is the basis of our education system in Canada.” (p 78)
“The concept is further complicated because, in addition to living beings, it includes life force entities such as toboggans, spears, cars, record players, and so on. These latter entities are considered forms of life, not inanimate objects or things.” (p 56)