Eyes Open, Eyes High

EDUC 530 is a course on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit History, Education, and Leadership, and it’s a requirement for undergraduate students going into their final year of the B Ed program in the Werklund School of Education.

The course guides students as they learn about historical and contemporary legislation, educational policy, teaching and practices related to Indigenous peoples, with a goal to a better understanding of the current educational landscape for First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.

“Learning about Indigenous issues as teachers is incredibly important,” says Christopher Klune, president of the Education Students’ Association (ESA).  “With the Deans’ Accord on Indigenous Education, Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, and the re-design of Alberta curriculum, society can no longer ignore the stories of Indigenous communities.”

“They deserve to be told, and Education has to lead the way on this.”

Now, two of the course instructors, working with the ESA, have organized a special event to bring students, educators, and community together.

It’s called Eyes Open, Eyes High: Inspiring Visions in the Midst of Difficult Teaching and Learning, and Yvonne Poitras Pratt and Aubrey Hanson say the December 3 event will feature speakers and discussion, a digital showcase of the Werklund undergrads learning, and a guest performance entitled "New Blood," presented by Strathmore High School students.

“More and more, we are hearing that education is essential to the work of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada,” says Poitras Pratt. “As Indigenous educators in the Werklund School, we are keenly aware of our role in this work but we are also advocates for how the arts provide a powerful entry point into some of the more difficult topics that surround the teaching of Canada’s colonial history and its impact on the First Peoples of Canada.”

“This event is a celebration of the learning our preservice teachers have been doing for a few years now in the required course on Indigenous perspectives in education,” continues Hanson.  “It’s also a celebration of the dynamic show performed by Strathmore High School students that will bring audience members to engage with Indigenous perspectives.”

Poitras Pratt says the best outcome would be for teachers, learners and community members who attend the reconciliation-focused event to walk away with ideas and visions of what a future of reconciliation might look like. “By watching, listening, learning, and talking to others, people will start to understand why the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is foundational to our nation’s future.”

Ultimately, say both Poitras Pratt and Hanson, the goal is to inspire guests to continue to engage in their own learning around First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people. “We also hope this afternoon of learning from, and dialoguing with, students and future educators, will inspire audience members to seek out further opportunities to explore their own path to reconciliation, through the arts, or other means.”

There will also be refreshments and the opportunity for conversation throughout the afternoon.

The program runs from 2:30-5:00 pm, and tickets are $10, with proceeds going to support the ESA’s legacy fund for reconciliation initiatives.

Purchase tickets here.