“Often times, we jump into reconciliation prior to sitting in truth. We must remember that our reconciliation journeys must be informed by truth.”
~ Heather Watts, Principal, First Peoples Group
Commemorating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30 provides a reminder to non-Indigenous Canadians to challenge colonial narratives and continue our reconciliation journey informed by truth. For many of us, this requires unlearning and relearning the histories of the lands we are on today.
To inform the College’s own groundwork for reconciliation, we needed to understand more about early childhood education (ECE) from an Indigenous perspective. Early childhood education has been present in Indigenous cultures long before colonial systems were imposed.
Indigenous communities see education as medicine, and it is valued as a powerful tool for healing. Reclaiming and connecting to ancestral wisdom, revitalizing language, addressing historical trauma, and promoting an awareness of reconciliation are all made possible by education that is grounded in Indigenous knowledge.
To support our learning, First Peoples Group, who worked closely with the College on the planning, engagement process and development of our Reconciliation Action Plan, researched and compiled A literature review of Indigenous early childhood education.
Indigenous early childhood education pre-colonization
The review opens with a look at Indigenous ECE prior to colonization. We learn that Indigenous pedagogy is rooted in relationality, observation and experiential learning. Children were viewed as sacred beings with strong spiritual connections (Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples,1996). Elders played a central role in intergenerational teaching and language transmission (Indigenous Early Childhood Development in Canada: Current State of Knowledge and Future Directions, 2019). The practice of the oral tradition of storytelling served as the foundation of cultural education and moral teaching. Learning occurred through everyday life, land-based practice, and community participation.
From there, the literature review explores the evolution of Indigenous ECE, across Ontario and Canada, through colonization to the present time. It highlights report recommendations, research and current successful Indigenous ECE initiatives and early childhood educator training programs.
The review also discusses:
- the impact of colonization on Indigenous child development
- academic research concerning Indigenous pedagogy
- the journey toward Indigenous control of Indigenous education
- legislation and government frameworks
- Indigenous Early Childhood Education in Ontario
- Indigenous Early Childhood Education training
Further exploration and learning
The literature reinforces that Indigenous peoples require self-determination and control over the education of their children. This means that ECE programs on-reserve, as well as in urban and rural communities, are equitably funded and supported, and offer culturally appropriate curriculum with educators whose practice is grounded in cultural humility and best practices for supporting Indigenous children in ECE.
Sharing our learning, sharing our growth
This resource has been valuable in our own learning and understanding, and we are pleased to share it with members, employers and sector partners. We encourage you to explore A literature review of Indigenous early childhood education to further your knowledge about the long history of early learning and care in Indigenous communities.
Learning about Indigenous early childhood education through this resource is a topic RECEs can focus on as part of their own reconciliation work, but also for their Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) Portfolio learning goals and activities.
Acknowledgements
The College extends thanks to Heather Watts (Mohawk, Six Nations) and her team at First Peoples Group, whose guidance through the Reconciliation Action Plan process has been invaluable.