“You can’t be what you can’t see.” 

—Marian Wright Edelman 

This powerful statement highlights the vital role of representation in education. Indigenous students feel valued and empowered when they see their culture, language, and traditions reflected in the classroom. As educators, we have a unique opportunity to create inclusive learning spaces that celebrate Indigenous knowledge, build meaningful relationships, and inspire learners to dream big. 

What does supporting Indigenous students look like in everyday classroom practice? How can we create learning environments where Indigenous students feel seen, valued, and empowered? If you’ve ever struggled with these questions, keep reading! This post explores culturally responsive teaching and offers practical strategies to support Indigenous students in meaningful and authentic ways.

Build Meaningful Relationships

It all starts with relationships—getting to know your students beyond their academic abilities and making space for their voices, experiences, and identities to be seen and heard. 

Take the time to get to know who they are, including their culture, language, interests, and unique gifts they bring to the classroom. Create meaningful opportunities for students to share their backgrounds through storytelling, art, music, or personal reflections. These moments of sharing help create a sense of belonging, respect, and community within your classroom. 

Use Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices

Creating an inclusive classroom starts with intentional, culturally responsive teaching to ensure every learner feels valued, seen, and heard. 

“15 Strategies for Teachers of Indigenous Students” is a useful resource for educators seeking to create an inclusive classroom. It provides valuable tips and ideas for creating supportive and meaningful learning experiences for Indigenous students. 

Another way to create a culturally responsive classroom is by integrating Indigenous perspectives across subjects. This way, Indigenous knowledge becomes a natural part of everyday learning, routines, and activities rather than being seen as separate.

Integrate Indigenous Perspectives

One powerful approach is Two-Eyed Seeing, a concept introduced by Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall. This concept weaves Indigenous and Western knowledge systems together to create a holistic learning experience. 

Indigenous Peoples have always held deep knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, even if these disciplines were not described in Western terms. It was and is a way of life. It is essential to acknowledge these long-standing Indigenous ways of knowing and weave them into the provincial curriculum. 

Indigenous ways of knowing are deeply connected to the land. Creating lessons that intertwine Indigenous land-based learning and the provincial curriculum will foster respect for the environment and deepen cultural connections. Integrating Indigenous perspectives goes beyond a classroom display. Integrating means interlacing Indigenous perspectives into daily learning experiences across all subjects.  

Indigenous perspectives can enrich every subject area. Here are just a few examples:

Science: Integrate Indigenous approaches to astronomy, land stewardship, medicinal plants, and sustainable harvesting of berries, fish, or animals. 

Art: Invite local Indigenous artists, beaders, storytellers, pow-wow dancers, or drum groups to share and, if possible, teach learners new skills or Indigenous art-study methods, techniques, and cultural expressions. 

Language Arts: Incorporate author studies on Indigenous authors, Indigenous storytelling traditions, and oral histories. 

Move beyond individual subjects by including class-wide projects that can foster a sense of belonging and cultural expression. Here are a few examples:

Create a Classroom Culture Quilt 

Creating a Culture Quilt is a fantastic way to celebrate identity and diversity. 

Invite each learner to create a square of fabric or paper representing their culture, interests, language, or identity. When each learner has completed their paper or fabric square, create a quilt by joining each square side by side to visually represent the classroom’s rich diversity and unity. The classroom culture quilt is a daily reminder that every learner belongs, every culture is valued, and every voice matters. 

Host a Bannock and Tea With an Elder Event

Another meaningful way to connect students with Indigenous knowledge is by inviting an Elder into the classroom. 

An Elder-led gathering allows students to share and listen to stories with the Elder. This is a great time to learn about family, culture, and language. Serving tea and bannock with an Elder will create a warm environment for the students to share and ask questions. Before inviting an Elder into your classroom, take time to learn the appropriate local Protocols and discuss expectations with your community partners.

Continue Building a Culturally Responsive Classroom

Amplify Indigenous Voices: Invite Elders, Knowledge Keepers, or family members to share stories, teachings, or histories. Storytelling is a powerful way to connect learning to lived experiences and identity. 

Ensure Representation: Students should see their language, culture, and traditions reflected within the school environment. This representation will create a sense of belonging, value, and connectedness. 

Highlight Role Models: Embed role models, success stories, or historical figures within the instruction to create a curriculum deeply rooted in culturally responsive teaching. Representation empowers students to see themselves as capable and important. 

Encouraging Self-Reflection

Supporting Indigenous students begins with self-reflection. As educators, we need to examine our own perspectives, assumptions, and teaching practices to create learning environments where every learner feels seen, heard, and valued.

Some questions to consider: 

• How do I ensure Indigenous students feel valued and heard in my class? 
• How am I integrating Indigenous perspectives authentically?

This self-reflection practice will resonate in the classroom and foster relationships with students and families. 

A few ideas for reflection include seeking out learning opportunities that align with your needs. One example would be to attend professional development workshops or webinars focusing on Indigenous history, teachings, or ways of knowing.

A great place to start is the Indigenous Canada course created by the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. This free online course explores complex experiences Indigenous Peoples face today, as well as national and local Indigenous-settler relations from an Indigenous perspective.

Additional ways to connect include reading books, listening to podcasts, attending community events, or sitting with an Elder, community members, or Knowledge Keeper. 

We create meaningful change by taking the time to reflect on our biases, teaching approaches, and classroom practices. But self-reflection is just one part of the journey—our commitment to representation and cultural responsiveness must extend into all parts of education. 

A Commitment to Students

Representation matters. 

By embracing the Two-Eyed Seeing approach, fostering meaningful relationships, and ensuring representation in curriculum and classroom spaces, as educators, we can create environments that nurture pride, identity, and success.

By prioritizing self-reflection, culturally responsive teaching, and meaningful relationships, we create classrooms where Indigenous students feel a strong sense of belonging, and every learner benefits from richer, more inclusive learning experiences.

 

There is a growing consensus about the importance of reforming science education to include Indigenous knowledge. While some provinces and territories have tried to make K–12 science curricula more culturally inclusive, many educators still lack the key tools and training needed to integrate Indigenous pedagogies into the broader provincial curriculum. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore what it means to decolonize and Indigenize science education, address common concerns we have as we begin this work, and consider practical ways to integrate Indigenous pedagogies into our science teaching.

Decolonizing and Indigenizing Science Education

Let’s start by looking at the difference between decolonizing and Indigenizing education:

• Decolonizing education is about critically examining and dismantling practices and content that support colonial ideas. In science education, this might mean questioning the belief that Western science is the only true knowledge while ignoring other knowledge systems. 
• Indigenizing education integrates Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and learning into the curriculum. This helps create a more inclusive environment where Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are valued. 

To learn more about the distinction between these two approaches, check out our previous blog post How to Decolonize and Indigenize Your Teaching. 

Decolonizing and Indigenizing Your Teaching Practice with Care

Many of us feel nervous about beginning this process because we want to approach it thoughtfully and avoid making mistakes. Wanting to decolonize your teaching practice with care is a great place to start. One of the first things you can do is recognize and prepare for common pitfalls. 

For example, one of the first ways educators might start to Indigenize their classrooms is by mentioning Indigenous names for plants, animals, and places without understanding or explaining their specific cultural significance. Presenting this information without deeper context treats Indigenous knowledge as an “add-on” to the learning process and reduces Indigenous knowledge to surface-level facts. Meaningful Indigenization requires sustained engagement with Indigenous perspectives. As educators, it’s important that we blend Indigenous knowledge into the learning process so students understand how Indigenous and Western ideas can coexist and work together. 

So, what can you do to approach science education from an authentic and decolonial perspective? 

Rethinking the Approach to Science Education

One of the challenges in decolonizing science education is that Western scientific methods are understood and perceived as objective and fact-based. This can make Western science seem like the only valid way to understand the natural world. However, the science curriculum taught in schools across Canada is shaped by a Eurocentric cultural context. Recognizing this can help us appreciate Western science’s strengths and limitations.

Dr. Leroy Little Bear explains that Western science tends to divide knowledge into separate parts, while Indigenous knowledge views everything as interconnected—land, people, animals, and the cosmos. He points out that Indigenous knowledge challenges the Western idea of science being objective. 

When we understand that Western science is just one cultural perspective, we can take steps toward a more inclusive and holistic approach to science education. By bringing this into the classroom, we can help students see that science isn’t just about cold, hard facts—it’s also about relationships, perspectives, and context. Let’s explore two key frameworks for understanding Indigenous science pedagogy and look at real-life examples of how these frameworks have been applied in classrooms.

The Land as First Teacher

Indigenous Peoples have always lived off the land, had a close relationship with the environment, and possessed deep cultural knowledge of their connection to it. Dr. Sandra Styres, an educator who supports others in decolonizing and Indigenizing their teaching, explains this relationship through the Land as First Teacher philosophy. 

This philosophy highlights the meaningful relationship between Indigenous Peoples and their surroundings. It also recognizes that each Nation across Turtle Island holds unique teachings and perspectives about the world. This perspective recognizes that science and art are embedded in traditional Indigenous methods. Using the Land as First Teacher philosophy, knowledge is not delivered through pre-planned lessons but through hands-on learning and close collaboration with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community members. This approach shows how Indigenous thinking differs from Western ideas, shaping teaching through deep connections with nature. 

Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing)

As we rethink our approach to science education, it becomes clear that embracing diverse perspectives can broaden our understanding of the world. Rather than viewing these perspectives independently, we can integrate them to challenge the Eurocentric science curriculum widely used across Canada. One framework for achieving this is Etuaptmumk, or Two-Eyed Seeing. Introduced by Mi’kmaw Elders Albert Marshall and Murdena Marshall in 2004, this concept encourages us to view the world through two distinct but complementary lenses.

This framework encourages us to learn through two eyes: one that highlights the strengths of Indigenous knowledge—emphasizing relationships, holistic understanding, and the interconnectedness of all living things—and another that draws from Western science, which values empirical evidence, experimentation, and analytical reasoning.

By integrating these two perspectives, we can create science learning experiences that respect Indigenous worldviews alongside Western scientific perspectives. This approach not only enriches students’ learning experiences but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the diverse ways of knowing that exist in our world. Two-Eyed Seeing invites us to engage with science in a way that honours both knowledge systems, encouraging us to see the value in multiple forms of knowledge and to explore the natural world in a more comprehensive way.

You can explore this framework in your classroom with a guided inquiry activity (Grades 7–12). This activity incorporates Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing) to encourage conversations about science from Indigenous and Western scientific lenses, showing that neither perspective needs to be diminished to make space for the other.

Indigenous Science Education in Practice

Now that we’ve explored the Land as First Teacher and Two-Eyed Seeing frameworks, let’s look at a few examples of how educators are bringing these ideas into their science classrooms.

1. Netukulimk 12: Bridging Mi’kmaq and Western Science

Elder Albert Marshall developed a Grade 12 environmental studies course in Nova Scotia called Netukulimk 12, weaving together the strengths of Mi’kmaq and Western science. Throughout the course, students explore local ecosystems, examining the connections between natural patterns and cultural practices. By incorporating Elders and Knowledge Keepers into the curriculum, the course fosters a deeper understanding of environmental stewardship and encourages students to reflect on their relationship with the land. 

2. Hands-On Learning with Living STEM in Australia

Australia’s Living STEM project aims to integrate Indigenous knowledge systems into science curricula by promoting two-way science, where Indigenous and Western scientific methods coexist. The project engages students in hands-on learning experiences, highlighting the value of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). For instance, Indigenous rangers share ecological expertise, showing students how TEK works alongside modern scientific practices

3. High School Students Use Two-Eyed Seeing to Study Bison Health

Finally, students from the Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation teamed up with scientists at the University of Saskatchewan to study bison, using Traditional Knowledge and advanced scientific tools. Students collected bison bone samples and then analyzed them at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron to explore the impact of environmental changes and land stewardship on bison health. 

Conclusion

To decolonize and Indigenize science education, we need to go beyond adding a few pieces of Indigenous knowledge. Instead, we should explore Indigenous perspectives in depth, focusing on relationships, context, and a whole-picture approach. Using frameworks like Two-Eyed Seeing and Land as First Teacher can help create learning environments that respect and include both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing.

Almost a decade ago, I decided to become a high school history teacher. I am of resettler* descent, but the majority of my teaching career has been in remote northern communities in Canada. I have had the privilege of living, learning, and working with some amazing individuals in Eeyou Istchee (the James Bay region of Quebec) and in Whatì (in the Northwest Territories). Now, with several years of experience (and no time spent teaching history), I am here to share what I have learned on my journey to Indigenize my classroom and how that journey helped shape my teaching practice.

Teaching in the North and the South

When I taught in northern communities, all of my students were Indigenous. My first few years as a new teacher were spent learning about new cultures and trying to bring cultural connections into the curriculum. These early experiences immersed me in Indigenous communities. They helped me learn how to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and content into the curriculum in meaningful ways.

Life’s circumstances have brought me back to the community I was raised in. While I would never have considered it ‘South’ before, I can’t help but call it that now that I have lived in the North. I live in a rural farming community that hasn’t changed much since I left. Instead of feeling immersed in Indigenous culture, I feel disconnected from it here.

My desire to connect with my students started me on a journey. I wanted to learn more about decolonizing education and Indigenizing the curriculum. Superficial inclusions, like a quiet space teepee tent, just don’t cut it, regardless of where you teach. My goal of fostering an appreciation and understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing is the same wherever I am.

Lessons Learned While Indigenizing My Classroom

The biggest takeaway from this blog post is that Indigenizing the curriculum is necessary work, no matter who your learners are or where you teach. Indigenizing the curriculum is part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and a crucial step toward building a better future for everyone. Two-Eyed Seeing encourages us to understand the world through both Indigenous and non-Indigenous lenses. It is a great place to start. Let’s take a look at a few more steps you can take to Indigenize your classroom.

Start Small

If you’re intimidated by the idea of Indigenizing your classroom, consider it a good sign that you want to do it well! When I first started, I worried that I would not do enough. I also worried that I would get something wrong, but I learned that a small step goes a long way. The easiest way to start is by learning more about the Indigenous community(ies) in your area. Here are a few ways you can start:

• Visit a Friendship Centre or Band Office
• Attend local Indigenous events
• Follow local Indigenous groups on social media
• Explore resources about Indigenizing the curriculum

The First Nations Education Steering Committee has created amazing resources for ELA, social studies, science, and math teachers. Even if you aren’t in British Columbia, these resources are a great place to find ideas and get inspiration.

I took small steps at the start, like including culturally relevant examples in word problems and literature. As I gained more experience and knowledge, I expanded my approach. I included activities around traditional harvesting practices, organized visits from Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and facilitated discussions about local languages and ecological stewardship. The most important thing is to start somewhere.

Looking for more information on where to start? Read our previous blog post, Engaging with Indigenous Communities in the Classroom: 5 Tips for Educators!

Integrate Indigenous Pedagogies

I teach math and science primarily. These two subjects, while seemingly neutral and objective, are still infused with Western perspectives. All cultures, including Indigenous cultures, have mathematical and scientific thinking. However, these approaches do not always fit within Western models. How can you Indigenize a curriculum that doesn’t lend itself to Indigenous culture? Indigenize your pedagogical approach. We can still teach the standard curriculum while shifting our pedagogical methods.

There are several features of Indigenous pedagogies that you can bring into your classroom. Here are three key components that have been identified by researchers at Indspire:

• Relationality: teaching students about the importance of balance between our relationships with each other, the land, animals, our ancestors and future generations.
• Intergenerational learning: learning from our Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
• Experiential learning: learning through a process of observation, action, reflection and further action.

You’ll find more practical strategies for decolonizing your math classroom in our previous blog post.

Put it into Practice

Using methods like talking circles, land-based learning, community engagement projects, sharing experiences and listening to stories can bring Indigenous pedagogies into your classroom. For example, we’d cover animal body systems in class, and then attend the community trapper’s festival to learn about harvesting those organs. These are some of my favourite memories. Some of my least engaged students really came alive for this project, creating booklets, posters and even slide decks about the experience. We also learned about tendons using ptarmigan legs that year.

Growing, harvesting and preparing food to enjoy with your community is another great way to teach students numerous skills while keeping relationality, intergenerational and experiential learning at the forefront of your pedagogy. Culture days brought the entire community together. We spent time learning language, making traditional crafts, and preparing traditional food. It’s also an opportunity to see your students in a new light—I gave some of the rowdier crew a lesson in how to cut caribou meat (after being taught by an Elder myself), and it felt so good to trust them to take it seriously and behave safely.

Stories and storytelling are my favourite ways to engage students in any subject. I often use case studies to cover various topics in my science classroom. One year, the Nation published an article about global warming and the environmental changes being observed in the James Bay region. I still have the paper copy today. I photocopied it and distributed it to my Grade 10 class the year it was published. They were totally engrossed in it because the voices of their community members were included in the writing. You can also invite local Elders, Knowledge Keepers or local experts to talk to your students about something you’re covering in class.

Be Transparent with Your Students

Share your goals about including Indigenous perspectives, content, and pedagogies with your students. Tell them why this is important to you and what you want them to learn from these experiences. This is also a space where you can be vulnerable. Use this opportunity to model how to foster relationships with Indigenous communities, learn about Two-Eyed Seeing, and be a lifelong learner committed to reconciliation.

Conclusion

When I started teaching, Indigenizing my classroom felt like an enormous task. However, my first few teaching contexts lightened the load because I saw no other option but to adapt my teaching practice rapidly. I will always be grateful for these experiences and the lessons they taught me. I am equally excited about what I still have to learn. Looking back, taking steps to Indigenize my classroom has been one of the most meaningful parts of my teaching journey.

No matter where you are on your journey to Indigenize your classroom, even if you are just taking your first few steps, your commitment to this act of reconciliation is valuable and benefits all your students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike.

*I use the term resettler because settler implies that Turtle Island wasn’t occupied before the arrival of Europeans. The term settler reinforces the concept of terra nullius when, in reality, Indigenous Peoples have occupied what we now call Canada since time immemorial.

June is National Indigenous History Month, culminating in a nationwide celebration on June 21 in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day. Across the country, communities gather to celebrate Indigenous cultures through ceremony, traditional dances, artwork, music, storytelling, and food.

For educators, National Indigenous History Month is an opportunity to help students learn about the unique cultures, traditions, histories, and contemporary experiences of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. It is also a time to honour the stories, achievements, leadership, creativity, and resilience of Indigenous communities.

As you prepare for National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day, consider how you can create meaningful opportunities for students to explore Indigenous voices, perspectives, and contributions. In this post, we share ideas for bringing National Indigenous History Month into the classroom through student research projects, discussions about contemporary Indigenous leaders and creators, and learning opportunities that extend beyond a single celebration.

Bringing National Indigenous History Month Into the Classroom

As educators, it’s important to bring the celebrations and learning that define National Indigenous History Month into the classroom in meaningful and engaging ways. Creating opportunities for students to learn about Indigenous leaders, artists, athletes, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and changemakers helps learners understand that Indigenous cultures are vibrant, diverse, and contemporary.

One way to structure this learning is through a culminating classroom project leading up to National Indigenous Peoples Day. Throughout the month, set aside time for students to work on a research presentation about an Indigenous community leader, artist, athlete, activist, or creator of their choice. Presentations can take the form of a slideshow, poster board, video, or artwork. Encourage students to create something that can be displayed throughout the school so others can learn from their work. 

As students research and prepare their presentations, encourage them to think critically about place, identity, and impact. Ask students to consider:

• Why did they choose this person?
• What Nation or community is this individual from? 
• What languages do they speak or advocate for?
• What Traditional Territories or treaty areas are connected to this person?
• What do they find inspiring about this person?
• What impact has this person had on their community or on a broader scale?

Giving students the freedom to choose from a wide range of professions and experiences helps demonstrate the diversity of Indigenous life and leadership.

Exploring Different Research Topics and Areas of Interest

Encouraging students to choose a topic that genuinely interests them can help create a more meaningful and engaging learning experience. Students may connect strongly with music, film, sports, leadership, activism, or the arts, and giving them a variety of options helps demonstrate the diversity of Indigenous experiences and contributions.

Below are some examples of different areas students can explore as part of their presentation.

Music and Film

Students can research an Indigenous musician, actor, filmmaker, or author, exploring where they’re from, what kind of work they create, and the themes or stories they share through their art. For example:

• Tanya Tagaq, an Inuk throat singer
• Jeremy Dutcher, a classically trained Wolastoqiyik singer 
• The Halluci Nation / A Tribe Called Red, a DJ collective founded by 3 members of Six Nations of the Grand River
• Tanya Talaga, an Anishinaabe award-winning journalist and author
• Cherie Dimaline, a Métis internationally best-selling author

If students focus on a TV show or film, encourage them to think critically about how Indigenous Peoples are represented in contemporary media. How does this piece of media reflect authentic lived experiences? Does it challenge stereotypes or colonial narratives about Indigenous Peoples? If so, how?

Social Media and Influencers

Students may also choose to learn about Indigenous influencers and content creators who use social media to share language revitalization journeys, humour, activism, education, fashion, or cultural teachings. Read through this list to learn more about different Indigenous influencers in Canada.

Sports and Traditional Games

Students interested in sports can research Indigenous athletes in hockey, lacrosse, and other professional sports. Encourage students to examine lacrosse’s history from an Indigenous perspective and learn about athletes who continue to shape the sport today. 

Though lacrosse may be one of the better-known Indigenous sports for those living in the southern parts of Canada, it’s not the only one. There are many traditional Inuit games and sports that are a major part of Inuit life. One such game is nalukataq, or blanket toss. Participants are thrown into the air from a walrus or seal skin held by others. Originally a hunting technique used to spot game, the blanket toss is now used for celebration and competition.

Social and Political Leadership

Students interested in politics, advocacy, or social change could research Indigenous leaders, scholars, activists, and changemakers. For example, students might explore the work of Dr. Cindy Blackstock, co-founder of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, or the Honourable Murray Sinclair, Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. 

Students could also explore Indigenous scholars and writers who discuss Indigenous resurgence, self-determination, community relationships, and Indigenous ways of knowing. This might include one of the following individuals:

• Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, who brings together storytelling, music, and Indigenous knowledge to explore Indigenous resurgence and resistance.
• Taiaiake Alfred, whose work focuses on Indigenous governance and rebuilding Indigenous ways of living and thinking.
• Pam Palmater, who writes about strengthening relationships between Indigenous communities, governments, and future generations.
• Glen Coulthard, whose work examines Indigenous self-determination and alternatives to colonial political systems.

Artisans and Traditional Art

Students could also research Indigenous artists, painters, carvers, beadworkers, or craftspeople to learn more about traditional and contemporary Indigenous art forms. Encourage learners to think about how art can communicate stories, teachings, identity, and relationships to land and community. For example:

• Anishinaabe artist Norval Morriseau, who was the first Indigenous artist to have their work featured in a contemporary art gallery in Canada.
• Métis visual artist Christi Belcourt, best known for her large painted floral landscapes of Métis beadwork.
• Haida sculptor Bill Reid, whose work helped bring attention to Haida art and Northwest Coast Indigenous art.
• Interdisciplinary Cree visual artist Kent Monkman, whose work explores the complexities of historic and contemporary Indigenous experiences.
• Inuk artist Kenojuak Ashevak, who is widely celebrated and remembered as one of the leading figures in modern Inuit art. 

Continuing the Learning Beyond June

National Indigenous History Month can cap off a year of learning that integrates Indigenous voices, perspectives, and experiences across the curriculum. While June provides an important opportunity for celebration and reflection, meaningful Indigenous education should continue throughout the school year.

As educators, we can support this learning by creating opportunities for students to engage with Indigenous histories, contemporary experiences, treaties, Truth and Reconciliation, and local community perspectives in respectful and age-appropriate ways.

The following resources can help support ongoing classroom conversations and learning:

• Discussing Indigenous History and Contemporary Issues in the Classroom
• Carrying Truth and Reconciliation Forward in the Classroom
• Teaching Through the Four R’s of Indigenous Education
• Respecting and Honouring Treaty Relationships

By creating respectful, relationship-based learning opportunities throughout the year, educators can help students build a deeper understanding of Indigenous Peoples while fostering empathy, curiosity, and meaningful connections within their classrooms and communities.

As educators, we aim to create classrooms that value all students. Respectfully engaging with Indigenous communities, families, and students is an important step towards reconciliation and creating a culturally responsive classroom. This type of engagement goes beyond simply incorporating content about Indigenous cultures into the curriculum. It requires ongoing learning, self-reflection, and collaboration with community members to ensure meaningful and authentic teaching.

Below are 5 practical tips for engaging with Indigenous communities and creating a more inclusive learning environment for all students.

Tip #1: Learn About Local Indigenous Communities and Cultures

A strong starting point for engaging with Indigenous communities in the classroom is learning about the Indigenous Nations connected to the land where we teach. Each community has its own unique language, customs, stories, and traditions. 

We can begin by finding out about:

• Whose Traditional Territory we’re on
• The language or languages spoken in the area
• The historical impacts of colonization, such as residential schools, and how these events continue to affect Indigenous communities today

Tools like Whose Land or Native Land Digital can help us identify local Nations and territories. Resources such as the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and the Orange Shirt Society can deepen our understanding of the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization.

We can also bring this learning into our classrooms. I always take the time to explain to my students whose Traditional Territory (or Territories) our school is on and how to pronounce a Nation’s name. Many students are genuinely curious and want to learn more. Over time, these conversations become more natural and can occur in any subject—even math and science.

Building this foundational knowledge can help avoid stereotypes and misrepresentations, fostering a more accurate and respectful understanding of Indigenous cultures within the classroom. Share what you’ve learned with your students, or find ways to involve them in the learning journey as well!

Tip #2: Build Genuine Relationships

Whether you’re working with Indigenous students and families in your classroom or reaching out to local Indigenous communities to create specific learning experiences for your students, building genuine relationships is key. These relationships should be based on mutual respect, trust, and an open willingness to learn. We should approach Indigenous community members with humility, acknowledging that we may not know everything and that there is always more to learn.

• Take Time to Listen: Whether it’s talking to Indigenous students, parents, or Elders, listening to their experiences and perspectives is crucial. Give them space to share their voices and ensure they feel heard.
• Show Commitment: Attending local Indigenous events, such as cultural celebrations, Powwows, or public meetings, can demonstrate your interest in the community and care for the culture and people.
• Communicate Consistently: Building relationships is not a one-time activity. Maintain relationships with Indigenous students, families, and community members with consistent, respectful communication and engagement. Reach out to families regularly, not just when issues arise.

If you want to learn more about inviting Indigenous guests to your school or hosting Indigenous events, check out this blog post. 

Tip #3: Incorporate Indigenous Knowledge Across the Curriculum

To create a more inclusive classroom, we can integrate Indigenous knowledge across all subject areas, including science, math, history, social studies, and art. Indigenous ways of knowing emphasize a holistic approach to learning, often involving a deep connection to the land and environment.

Some ways to incorporate Indigenous knowledge include:

• Literature: Include books and stories written by Indigenous authors in your classroom library. These can provide students with authentic perspectives on Indigenous life and culture.
• Science and Math: Incorporate Indigenous scientific knowledge and practices, such as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), into lessons on biology, ecology, or environmental science. Similarly, explore Indigenous counting systems or patterns in math. For more strategies on decolonizing your math classroom, check out our previous blog post. 
• Storytelling: Indigenous cultures often use storytelling to pass down knowledge and life lessons. Integrating storytelling as a teaching method can engage students and honour Indigenous traditions. For more strategies on integrating storytelling into your teaching, read through our previous blog post.

Consulting local Indigenous educators, Elders, or Knowledge Keepers is the best way to ensure content is respectful and accurate. If you want to learn more about incorporating Indigenous pedagogies into your teaching practice, check out this blog post.

Tip #4: Create an Inclusive and Respectful Environment

Each Indigenous community follows specific Protocols for sharing knowledge, inviting guests, and participating in cultural practices. As educators, we need to learn and follow these Protocols to show respect, and we can encourage our students to learn these Protocols as well.

• Respect Elders: In many Indigenous cultures, Elders play significant roles and serve as trusted guides and holders of knowledge. When inviting an Elder to speak in the classroom or at an event, make sure they are introduced respectfully and given the appropriate time and space to share their knowledge. Offering a small gift, such as tobacco, as a token of appreciation is often a traditional sign of respect.
• Seek Permission: If you plan to teach about specific Indigenous stories, art, or cultural practices, make sure you have the proper permissions. Some aspects of Indigenous culture are sacred and not meant for public or educational use without approval from the community.
• Participate Mindfully in Ceremonies: If you’re invited to participate in a ceremony, observe and follow the guidance of community members. If you’re unsure, ask for guidance on appropriate behaviour, attire, or participation.
• Be a Good Host: If you invite Indigenous guests to your school, consider the space carefully. You’ll need to think about transportation, accessibility, and refreshments. Elders may need help with travel and a place to sit. Food and drink should be offered.

We can also involve students in planning for guest visits or events. This helps them learn alongside us and begin building their own respectful relationships with Indigenous communities.

Tip #5: Commit to Ongoing Learning

Engaging with Indigenous communities requires ongoing learning and reflection. This means staying informed about current Indigenous issues, being open to feedback, and reflecting on your own practices.

• Attend Professional Development Workshops: Many organizations offer workshops or training on Indigenous education, cultural sensitivity, and anti-racism. These can help deepen your understanding of Indigenous communities and the issues they face.
• Collaborate with Indigenous Educators: Reach out to Indigenous teachers, support workers, or community members who can offer guidance and share their expertise.
• Reflect on Your Teaching: Regularly evaluate how well you’re integrating Indigenous perspectives into your classroom and whether or not your classroom practices are inclusive. Be open to making changes based on what you learn or notice.

Conclusion

Engaging with Indigenous communities as a teacher is an ongoing process grounded in respect, humility, and relationship-building. As educators, we can deepen our practice by learning about local communities, building meaningful connections, and creating inclusive classroom environments.

This work supports Indigenous students while helping all learners develop a deeper understanding of Indigenous cultures, histories, and ways of knowing. When we approach this work thoughtfully, we create classrooms that reflect respect, connection, and shared learning.

Mathematics is often viewed as a neutral and objective subject governed by strict rules and universally accepted principles. However, scholars and educators have increasingly argued that math, like any other discipline, is shaped by the cultural context in which it is taught.

Decolonizing your math classroom involves recognizing the discipline’s Eurocentric roots and intentionally integrating Indigenous knowledge systems into instruction. When we examine whose knowledge is highlighted and whose is left out, we create space for more accurate and inclusive learning. Decolonizing math does not mean lowering standards. It means broadening our understanding of mathematics and honouring the diverse ways communities think, measure, calculate, and problem-solve.

In this post, we’ll explore why decolonizing math education matters. We’ll also share practical steps you can take to create a more inclusive classroom.

The Colonial Foundations of Western Mathematics

Western education systems often present mathematics as universal and culture-free. This framing limits how students understand mathematics. Many curricula emphasize European mathematicians like Euclid, Newton, and Pythagoras while minimizing contributions from other cultures.

Indigenous Peoples across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia have long used complex counting systems, geometric designs, spatial reasoning, and measurement practices in daily life. Yet traditional math instruction rarely highlights these systems.

When schools present math as culturally neutral, they overlook the worldview embedded in how the subject is taught. Decolonizing your math classroom requires more than adding a single lesson on Indigenous contributions. It requires recognizing that mathematical knowledge develops within cultural contexts.

Why Decolonizing the Math Classroom Matters

Decolonizing mathematics is not just about inclusion; it’s about creating a more accurate and holistic understanding of the world. Mathematics, like any discipline, is shaped by culture. Communities around the world have developed distinct approaches to problem-solving, patterning, and measurement. 

When we acknowledge that math has multiple origins and is practiced in diverse ways across the globe, we enrich our understanding of the subject and challenge the idea that there is only one “correct” way to approach mathematical problems. This shift can reduce fear and perfectionism in math classrooms. Many students hesitate to participate because they worry about making mistakes. Broadening how we frame math encourages exploration and confidence.

Decolonizing math can be transformative for Indigenous students. Many Indigenous learners struggle with math, not because they lack ability, but because the way it is taught feels disconnected from their experiences and values. By integrating Indigenous knowledge systems into math education, we can help these students see themselves reflected in the curriculum and foster a sense of belonging.

Decolonizing math also benefits non-Indigenous students by exposing them to different ways of thinking and learning. In today’s globalized world, understanding diverse perspectives is essential. A math education that includes Indigenous knowledge can help students develop critical thinking skills and a deeper appreciation for the complexity of the world around them.

Practical Steps for Decolonizing Mathematics

Decolonizing math requires both reflection and action. Below are practical strategies you can begin using in your classroom.

1. Integrate Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives

One of the most important steps in decolonizing your math classroom is recognizing and valuing Indigenous knowledge systems. Move beyond simply adding content and instead explore how Indigenous Peoples understand measurement, patterning, quantity, and spatial reasoning within cultural and land-based contexts.

For example, many Indigenous communities use geometric designs in beadwork, weaving, and quillwork that reflect sophisticated mathematical thinking. If you are teaching about pi, you could explore this concept through a quill box activity that highlights the work and artistry of the late Mi’kmaw Elder Dianne Toney. This activity helps students see how circumference and pattern connect to cultural practice.

You can also draw on broader curriculum resources such as the Math First Peoples Teacher Resource Guide from the First Nations Education Steering Committee or the Math in a Cultural Context (MCC) program hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 

Both resources offer culturally grounded approaches to mathematics. The Math First Peoples Teacher Resource Guide supports educators working with First Nations in British Columbia. Educators elsewhere can draw inspiration from it, provided they localize examples and clarify cultural context. The MCC initiative integrates Indigenous knowledge with mathematics instruction by grounding lessons in local cultural practices and community knowledge.

In addition, consider highlighting contributions from other non-Western cultures, such as the development of algebra in the Middle East or the concept of zero in ancient India. When students understand that mathematical knowledge has multiple origins, they begin to see math as globally shaped rather than culturally neutral.

2. Connect Math to Students’ Lives

Dr. Lisa Lunney Borden, a leading scholar in decolonizing mathematics education, emphasizes the importance of making math relevant to students’ everyday experiences. She explains that when learners see how mathematics connects to their lives and communities, they engage more deeply and develop greater confidence.

This approach is especially meaningful for Indigenous students. Many Indigenous cultures have long applied mathematics in practical, land-based contexts. Activities such as fishing, hunting, gathering, and resource management involve estimation, measurement, pattern recognition, and spatial reasoning. Designing lessons around these real-world practices helps students recognize math as lived knowledge rather than abstract procedure.

Educators can also incorporate patterning and geometry through Indigenous art. Exploring symmetry, repetition, and design in beadwork or other artistic traditions provides meaningful entry points for discussing mathematical concepts. If you’d like a starting place, try our free resource kit to begin bringing patterns and Indigenous art into your curriculum.

By connecting mathematics to students’ experiences and communities, educators make the subject more engaging, relevant, and accessible.

3. Use Indigenous Languages in Math Instruction

In many Indigenous languages, mathematical concepts are embedded in everyday communication. Language carries ways of counting, measuring, grouping, and describing relationships. For example, the Mi’kmaw language includes specific terms for numbers, measurements, and geometric forms that reflect how the community understands quantity and space.

Where appropriate, educators can incorporate these linguistic elements into math instruction. This might include introducing Indigenous counting systems, using local language terms for shapes, or discussing how measurement is described in a specific language. 

You can also invite students to share how their families describe counting, grouping, or measuring. Asking learners to explain how something is counted or described demonstrates respect for their knowledge and affirms that multiple systems of understanding exist. Educator Stavros Stavrou models this approach in practice by encouraging students to explain mathematical concepts through their own linguistic and cultural frameworks. 

By centring language in math instruction, educators move beyond content integration and begin to honour the deeper cultural frameworks that shape mathematical understanding.

4. Rethink Assessment Methods

Traditional math assessments often rely on timed tests and standardized exams. These formats measure speed and accuracy, but don’t always capture deep understanding. This is especially true for Indigenous learners who may approach problem-solving differently. Educators should consider alternative assessment methods that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways. For example, students could create projects, work in groups, or explain their thinking through storytelling.

The process of decolonizing math also involves reconsidering how we assess learning. This includes offering students multiple ways of demonstrating their understanding. For example, students might create visual projects, solve real-world problems in groups, present their reasoning orally, or explain mathematical concepts through storytelling. 

Alternative assessments value process as much as product. They create space for collaboration, reflection, and multiple problem-solving strategies. This approach supports Indigenous learners while benefiting all students.

Shifting away from strictly pen-and-paper assessments also aligns with principles of Indigenous pedagogies. These approaches emphasize relational learning, observation, and experiential understanding rather than isolated performance. You can explore these principles further in our post, 6 Ways to Use Indigenous Pedagogies in Your Classroom.

By rethinking assessment practices, educators create math classrooms that honour diverse strengths and ways of knowing.

5. Learn from Indigenous Communities

Finally, educators should engage with Indigenous communities and seek to learn from their knowledge and experiences. This might involve inviting Indigenous Elders or Knowledge Keepers to speak to students, attending professional development workshops on Indigenous education, or collaborating with local Indigenous organizations to develop culturally relevant math lessons.

Conclusion

Decolonizing mathematics requires ongoing reflection and action. By valuing Indigenous ways of knowing, educators can create more inclusive math classrooms that challenge Eurocentric assumptions and honour diverse knowledge systems. This shift benefits all learners by making math relevant, engaging, and culturally responsive. 

Photo: Beaded lanyard, Nemaska, Quebec. Photo by Hannah Arseneau-Danielis.