 |
| Medicine Wheel Image (Littlejohn657, 2021) |
As
I reflect on Indigenous perspectives on teaching and learning, coming to the
end of my two year journey into Indigenous Education, it seems appropriate to revisit
Bell’s (2014) article Teaching by the Medicine Wheel which discusses an
Anishinaabe perspective on Medicine Wheels as pedagogical tools, using her experience
at the Anishinaabe Bimaadiziwin
Cultural Healing and Learning Program to help us understand. In the article, Bell discusses the diversity
of Medicine Wheel teachings throughout Turtle Island, and talks about some of
their shared commonalities which can be helpful for all teachers to understand. In many ways it feels appropriate to complete
this circle, and reflect upon this article with new understanding, while
exploring Indigenous perspectives of teaching, learning, creativity and
innovation.
One
essential commonality of Medicine Wheels noted by Bell (2014) is that they “transmit a common understanding of the
interconnectedness and interrelatedness of all things.” Similarly, she notes the commonality of the
circle as a metaphor for the continuity of life, and interconnection of all the
elements. She describes that Medicine Wheels
consist of multi-layered “rings”, which I have also heard described as spirals
(Halton, 2022) containing multiple metaphors for contemplation and reflection
to help us gain more profound understandings of our personal and collective
journeys through life. From these
aspects of Medicine Wheels, a view of teaching and learning as continuous, ongoing,
and inter-connected processes emerges. From
this model, we can also begin to get an understanding of the importance and depth
of reflection and contemplation in Indigenous pedagogies.
Bell, encourages us that Medicine Wheel tools
can be used as “pedagogical tools for teaching, learning, contemplating and
understanding our human journeys…” She
uses the example of a Medicine Wheel from Cree Elder Michael Thrasher,
which provides insight into how the Medicine
Wheel can be used to understand innovation or positive change in action. She quotes Absolon, noting that “the fourth
direction [of this Medicine Wheel] involves creating a healing movement towards
change – this is possible only when the other components have been
acknowledged.”6 As I reflect on my definition of
innovation as the practical application of creativity, to me this seems like
the action phase in this Medicine Wheel.
Bell explains that ”Moving into the “doing” phase of the north requires
taking the knowledge gained from all the directions and enacting that
knowledge.” In this Indigenous
tradition, innovation is therefore paired with wisdom. What might start as a spiritual “spark” of
creativity, cycles through reflection and reasoning, as well as considering its
interconnection with all our relationships. Thus, balance and harmony are cultivated,
while also allowing for positive change or innovation.
Bell talks about innovation in Indigenous Education
itself, noting the challenges Indigenous people face trying to navigate current
linear, Euro-centric models of education.
She explains how a shift to reclaim Indigenous pedagogies, “Moving from
linear models to the interconnectedness of the circle can guide the development
of pedagogy and vision for the future.”
While doing this, she also reminds us that diverse Indigenous cultures
have unique knowledges, located in specific geographies, and involve different protocols
and ways of transmission explaining “each
nation culturally determines for itself how it knows what it knows.” This reminds us of the deep respect for
diversity which is found in many Indigenous epistemologies.
In her discussion of Wisdom as “the goal of any educational process including living”, she explains the importance of multi-modal and experiential learning in Indigenous pedagogies, as important ways to experience understanding, noting that wisdom emerges “only once we are able to create some action with the learning and teach it to others.” Her experiences at the Anishinaabe Bimaadiziwin Cultural Healing and Learning Program give us practical examples of this Medicine Wheel pedagogical tool in practice; she highlights how the program developed students physical, spiritual, emotional and mental capacities through a holistic lens, while also layering in the rings of “Anishinaabe learning process of awareness, understanding, knowledge, and wisdom.”
Bell ends the article by noting “ the
teachings of Medicine Wheels provide an educational framework that can be
applied to any educational setting.” While I agree that the approach she
describes would be beneficial for all, I still feel a sense of apprehension,
being concerned about cultural appropriation and a tendency towards mono-cultural
pseudo-Indigenization in public schools.
It seems vital that Indigenous educators and local community members be
involved in taking the lead when incorporating Indigenous cultural traditions
into public schools. In my local area, I see many parallels between Bell’s
Medicine Wheel teachings and the cultural teachings of Ktunaxa scholar Dr.
Christopher Horsethief. For example, like Bell he speaks about the importance
in Ktunaxa culture of circle conversations, learning in community, and understanding
the connection of the head and the heart which is embedded in Ktunaxa language.
As Horsethief explains in his video From Awkward Kid to Awkward Father: Parenting Post-colonization.
(2017) “for us learning is not about putting things in our head. For
us learning is about putting things in our heart. All our words to do with
learning and concentration are about putting information into your heart.” He describes how Ktunaxa problem solving is a
reciprocal, collective activity where people gather in a circle so they can see
each other, understand each other’s feelings and feel a sense of trust, so that
they are “one heart working together”.
By listening and following the guidance of local Indigenous community
leaders, educators and Elders, I
am hopeful that the kind of shift Bell envisions in schools is emerging, although
there seems to be much work to be done in empowering and encouraging Indigenous
educators and leaders who bring much needed innovation based on local, culture
and place specific pedagogies.
References
Bell, N. (2014) Teaching
by the medicine wheel. EdCan Network.
https://www.edcan.ca/articles/teaching-by-the-medicine-wheel/
Bell, N. (2016, Sept. 30). ESD in teacher education:
keynote address - Nicole Bell 2016. [video].
Environmental
Learning in Faculties of Education Youtube.
https://youtu.be/xIN98gYzy00?si=MktZrKpxiKpJjdcd
Halton, J. (2022) personal conversations with local District
Indigenization Coordinator.
Horsethief, C. P. (2017). From awkward kid to
awkward father: Parenting post-colonization.
[video]TEDx Nelson Vimeo; Nelson, BC. https://vimeo.com/249222853/3c2e6533b1
Horsethief, C. (2017, Nov. 17). 2017 CRFF Keynote Speaker Christopher Horsethief.
[video]Rural Policy Learning Commons Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4gc_q1nHDo&t=12s
Littlejohn657.
(2021) Medicine wheel [Image]. CC BY-SA 4.0
<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Medicine_Wheel.png
Education Youtube. https://youtu.be/vj0eJNynkYw?si=diNKuz6JqGCX7LCS
Comments
Post a Comment