Implementing, as an educator, first should be done in accordance with the culture and traditions of the "place" these lessons/activities are being conducted. Secondly it should be done in accordance with the visions of the New Paths of Education Document:
"Land-based education provides First Nations students with the opportunity to learn while connecting with the land. It challenges students to discover new personal limits and build leadership skills and confidence by using traditional knowledge and teachings.Land-based education also strengthens intergenerational knowledge transfer which contributes to positive identity formation, increased self-esteem and pride. It has the potential to improve the well-being, mental health and academic success of Indigenous students; and enhance student engagement in school."(Northern Affairs Canada, 2018)
There are a few ways to implement land based programming into your classroom, but it's entirely depended on you, the students and the "place" that it is being done in. But here are a few strategies that can help with the implementation:
"Land-based education provides First Nations students with the opportunity to learn while connecting with the land. It challenges students to discover new personal limits and build leadership skills and confidence by using traditional knowledge and teachings.Land-based education also strengthens intergenerational knowledge transfer which contributes to positive identity formation, increased self-esteem and pride. It has the potential to improve the well-being, mental health and academic success of Indigenous students; and enhance student engagement in school."(Northern Affairs Canada, 2018)
There are a few ways to implement land based programming into your classroom, but it's entirely depended on you, the students and the "place" that it is being done in. But here are a few strategies that can help with the implementation:
- Set Plan: Developing a set plan for the land based activities to occur can help to organize lessons and activities in a way that is more conducive to student learning
- Elder Visits: These should occur as often as possible. Elders are the authority on traditional/community knowledge and culture, they also provide a great chance for students to connect with the programming more. In turn this will help you as the facilitator to develop meaningful learning.
- Talking Circles: This are great ways to wrap up an activity and allow for peer learning. It allows each student to have a voice and share there learning, while also upholding community values.
- Peer Sharing: This is something that should be done before each land based activity is conducted. Presenting students with a topic and allowing them to disseminate the knowledge they already have will go a long way in providing meaningful connects (done much in the same way "math talks" are conducted)
- Cultural Team: Where ever you may be conducting this program/activities it's important to have a team of individuals who have a personal connection with the place it's being conducted. These individuals will not only help you as a teacher develop teaching strategies to best go with the activities but it will also aid in developing the learning strategies for the activities.