Inspiring Perspectives

Drawing Inspiration from the Indigenous Way of Life

Sustainability is a concept that reaches far and wide; it presents as all encompassing. It acknowledges the past, the present, and the future. It involves the interactions between and within systems. Teaching for sustainability is as important as it can be intimidating.

Perhaps it is easiest to use multiple perspectives in order to feel that teaching sustainability is manageable.  For this first post, I will focus on the integration of the Indigenous perspective, or the spirit found within it, in pedagogy. 

Netuklimk and Nishnaabeg Intelligence

In the above video, Elder Albert Marshall describes Netukulimk. "Netukulimk is a complex cultural concept that encompasses Mi'kmaq sovereign law ways and guides individual and collective beliefs and behaviours in resource protection, procurement, and management to ensure and honour sustainability and prosperity for the ancestor, present and future generations." (Prosper et al., 2011, p.1) 

Netukulimk it is a way of life. The guiding principles lead to a deep understanding of sustainability. I propose that we, as Canadian educators, take a similar approach to teaching sustainability. Rather than seeing it as the topic of a unit, sustainability should be interwoven in pedagogy across the curriculum. There is a need to frame the learning by teaching the meaning of sustainability, but I would like to suggest that there is great value in teaching it through Nature. 

Leanne Betasamosak Simpson makes the case for Land as Pedagogy. In her article, Simpson presents the story of Kwezens, a young lady who discovers maple syrup through her interactions with the world around her. In this story, Kwezens learns from Nature by observing the relationships between the objects around her. "The land, aki, is both context and process. The process of coming to know is learner-led and profoundly spiritual in nature" (Simpson, 2014, 7).   This depiction of learning through the land can and should inspire our teaching. It promotes a connection between the learner and the environment, inquiry-based learning, respect within the learning community, and an interconnectedness with Nature. 

Both the Nishnaabeg intelligence and the Mi'kmaq concept of Netukulimk draw on the connection between the learner and Nature. 

When inspired by these approaches, experiential learning and genuine hands-on activities outdoors should be a prevailing method of teaching sustainability.  Unlike the Aboriginal, the predominant culture in Canada, as I have experienced it, does not inherently promote connections with Nature. In fact, children see examples of man controlling nature for their gain everyday. Learning through and within Nature could promote the creation of personal connections between the student and elements of Nature. 

Taking the spirit of the teachings from Aboriginal thought, we can encourage students to see themselves as part of the ecosystem. 

The Social Ecology Model

The Social Ecology Model is a Western model of sustainability. 

Figure 1.1 From the prevailing model to the Social Ecology model.

source: An Introduction to Sustainability: Environmental, Social and Personal Perspectives

The Social Ecology model "makes it clear that sustainability needs to be a daily preoccupation for all of us because our capacity to live sustainably begins with our existing environmental impacts and modes of interacting with other people and society at large" (Mulligan, 2015, 5). There needs to be a balance between the three perspectives. By bringing Nature into our pedagogy, we are providing students with an opportunity to interact with it and to draw connections, which will allow them to be conscious of their role towards a sustainable world. 

Two-Eyed Seeing

The approach I am proposing through this blog is in line with principle of Etuaptmumk, outlined in the Institute for Integrative Science article "Two-Eyed Seeing" (n.d.). Etuaptmumk, or Two-Eyed Seeing, is explained as "learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing, and from the other eye with the strengths of Western knowledges and ways of knowing... and learning to use both these eyes together, for the benefit of all" (n.d.).

This approach can emerge into our pedagogical practices. I propose that we expand our concept of the classroom to include Nature, either by bringing learning outdoors or allowing Nature into our classroom.

Nature in an Urban Setting

In the absence of green space, within the cement walls of a school, it seems difficult to imagine a way to get students to interact with Nature and its processes. Emma Marris, in her 2016 TED talk "Nature is Everywhere - We Just Need to Learn to See it," challenges the definition of Nature commonly used as "purist," stating that it is so strict we are "stealing nature from our children." She suggests that in its place, we should define Nature "by the presence of multiple species, by the presence of a thriving life," rather than untouched by humans because, in her words, "it excludes most of the nature that most people can visit and have a relationship with, including only nature that children cannot touch." She feels children should be able to interact with Nature, stating that "that which is untouched is unloved." As educators, we need to look beyond the pristine image of Nature that we may hold and look in and around our schools. According to Statistics Canada (2015), 86% of homes were close to a park or a green space in 2013, which means there is likely a green space near our schools. These can be the outdoor area that provide you with the opportunity to introduce, connect, and immerse students in Nature.

This brings me to my next post, where I will provide examples of students touching and interacting with Nature in a meaningful way. This leads to the creation of an understanding of and inclusion within the ecosystem.