Kim Barker-Kay and Jason Bigcharles (Cree Wāpastim or White Horse) joined Dr. Rick Gilson and Charlie Kraig to share a conversation centred on Kim and Jason’s work in developing a comprehensive website and series of YouTube videos to support teachers as they work to imbue Indigenous culture-based learning within the Alberta Curriculum.
A little background on our guests in this episode:
Kim Barker-Kay: Previously a teacher, principal, and researcher in northern Alberta, Kim’s work evolved into building educational equity. This path led her to the work of many influential educators in the field, such as Curtis Linton, Anthony Muhammad, John Hattie, and Mike Mattos. She spent many years involved in diversity leadership training with the National Coalition Building Institute. Additionally, Kim had the unique experience as the protege of a Cree Elder for ten years. As a principal, Kim was able to put all she learned into practice with favourable results in student achievement. She learned firsthand the complexities involved in building educational equity.
Jason Bigcharles (Wāpastim, White Horse): A father of 7 and grandfather of 17! He is Métis from the Métis settlement of East Prairie. He has lived on the East Prairie Métis Settlement his whole life. He has been a teacher for 17 years. Although he is Métis, his family is deeply rooted in Woodland Cree cultural practices and spiritualism. They continue to maintain a very high subsistence lifestyle, carrying on those traditions. Jason is an Outdoor Education Specialist and enjoys and mentoring teachers and students in Woodland Cree traditions and practices. He has experience in planning and administering Land-Based-Learning Camps to students of all ages which focus on traditional Land-Based teachings of the Woodland Cree Peoples both traditional and contemporary.
We definitely would like to encourage educators to visit the website that has been a central focus of Jason and Kim over the last couple of years, the resources and curriculum connections are incredible. You can access the website by clicking on the image.
While there are links to videos (an amazing number of videos) within the website they can also be accessed at the APLC YouTube channel individually and in organized playlists.
Charlie shared a related book, “There Are Rivers in the Sky” by Elif Shafak as the conversation spoke to the Indigenous beliefs of living and learning on, with, from the land prompting Jason to share the story of the Mountain Taranaki Mounga in New Zealand has been granted legal personhood by the New Zealand government.
Other books and resources discussed in the podcast included the following. Jason and Kim both had the opportunity to teach the author of Hey, June in High Prairie, Alberta who goes by the pen name, Cree Nomad. We invite everyone to check out these titles. Adam Shoalts book, A History of Canada in Ten Maps, and Valley of the Birdtail, provide excellent foundational knowledge as works of non-fiction of the history of Canada and the history of Canada’s relationship with its Indigenous peoples.
