Section 1: Understanding Decolonization, Indigenization, and Reconciliation
Introduction
Culture is based on beliefs, values, economic status, perceptions, and actions and is influenced from what you learned from your family, your community, and society. Intercultural learning is a way to hold more than one view in an equitable way. How you perceive other cultures and the ability to view from a different culture takes personal reflection, education, and conscious effort. While there is no way you can totally understand another’s culture, you can be aware of your own culture and your position in a growing relationship.
As you work through this section, take a moment to reflect on the following questions:
- What do you hold as important when you work with students?
- Do you sometimes not understand why an interaction with a student goes the way it does? Is it because of miscommunication or a cultural misconnection?
- Do you take the time to try to see a situation from another viewpoint?
Purpose of this section
This section is intended to help you develop an understanding of the meaning and importance of Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation, and how you can participate in Indigenization at your institution. We explore the following topics:
- Decolonizing and Indigenizing as an unlearning and relearning process
- Pathways toward reconciliation
- Becoming an ally
This section can take up to two hours to complete.
Note: The sections “Decolonization and Indigenization,” “Pathways Toward Reconciliation,” and “Becoming an Ally” include information that was originally used in the Curriculum Developers Guide.
