Educators respect and value the history of First Nations, Inuit and Metis in Canada and the impact of the past on the present and the future. Educators contribute towards truth, reconciliation and healing. Educators foster a deeper understanding of ways of knowing and being, histories and cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Metis

Professional Standards for bc educators

This standard has a lot of ways of implementation. First Peoples Principles of Learning, incorporating language and stories from local nation(s), bringing in elders, reading books by Indigenous authors, teaching about unceeded territories, treaties and how Indigenous peoples have been treated throughout history and present days. I think part of this standard is also valuing the different ways each person knows things and shows their knowing. Further, valuing that each person receives knowledge differently and giving knowledge in a variety of ways.

Right at the start of the program we got the assignment of creating something that represented the a standards, the 9 First Peoples Principles of Learning and the 9 Rs (as coined by Dr. Tina Fraser). For my project I knew I was going to crochet something right from the start. I had a lot of ideas, but many weren’t practical for this project. I thought about making a Turtle Island model, of using the Season wheel for inspiration, but nothing felt right.

My cardigan, as described in the paragraph beside.

I decided I needed to try something new. Even if it was crochet, I wanted a type of crochet I had never tried. I tried to think of something I could make with tapestry crochet. In the end, though, I tried a different way to make a cardigan. I made what is called a hexagon cardigan. One side, my right side of the cardigan, the colours are those used in the general area of “Northwestern BC” as paints. Black for charcoal, red for red ochre (hematite), blue for vivanite and green for caledonite. On the left side, I used the “modern” colours often used for national days or programs that involve or help Indigenous people. Black as a general and tie colour, bright red for MMIW and Red Dress Day, Orange for Every Child Matters and Yellow from the Medicine Wheel. I put these colours on the left side because these topics involve the heart. These topics are close to so many peoples hearts that lost loved ones and should be discussed with kindness and compassion.

I want to use my cardigan as a teaching tool. I can wear it for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, National Indigenous Peoples Day and Red Dress Day at the least. I can tell students what the colors are for.