ABORIGINAL ENGAGEMENT

After the long practicum ended, the class of 2014 became the first ever BEd class to have Aboriginal Education as a mandatory class. This class, like so many others, landed close to my heart. While it was often difficult and humbling, it also had a powerful and positive effect on my perceptions. I feel that ethically and professionally, UBC should continue to promote the course and continue to connect new educators with Aboriginal histories, culture, people, and the issues those people have faced and often continue to face today.

Across the expanse of Turtle Island there are many Indigenous Nations and Peoples, and while European perspectives tend to lump all the diverse cultures and histories of these groups into one monolithic amalgamation, it is almost never safe to make generic, sweeping statements about their histories and identities. However, one common factor does exist in the fact that all of the many peoples of this place had each developed complex oral traditions of histories and stories which had no written component.

As a specialist in English Literature, I am awe-struck and fascinated by the ability of Aboriginal peoples to maintain their stories without a written record. In addition to oral cultural traditions, stories were recorded visually through artworks that spanned every part of life, from the simplest tools and everyday clothing, to the most complex ceremonial items and regalia. These works of art melded form and function and acted as decoration, visual record, and mnemonic device, among other uses.

With my background in Fine Arts and my past creative writing experiences, I saw potential in how I might adapt an oral and visual focus to a storycrafting lesson. While I have not yet attempted this lesson at this time, my experiences thus far suggest that this lesson would support learning outcomes not only for Aboriginal learners, but also for English Language Learners, visual and auditory learners, and arguably all other learners through its multisensory and interdisciplinary attributes and emphasis on improving students' conceptual and symbolic understanding of how meaning can be conveyed through different aspects of communication.