11 Relevance of Indigenous Worldviews

A realm that most Indigenous worldviews recognize and affirm is the circles of influence of individual well-being. Through interactions and connections with the world, community or nation, and family, an individual gains strength to form a healthy identity and a place within culture. Indigenous worldviews recognize that the strength of and support for an individual contribute to the wellness of communities, nations, and the land. For educators, a strengths-based approach acknowledges interconnections and intersections of knowledge and practice:

In addition to knowing their students as individuals and configuring instruction to connect with their interests and build on their strengths, teachers who espouse a learner-centred approach typically adopt an outlook characterized by: a willingness to see themselves as facilitators of students’ learning rather than autonomous classroom managers; a focus on “setting the bar ever higher” with respect to what students can do rather than on magnifying their awareness of what they cannot yet do (i.e., a deficit focus); an emphasis on promoting student self-regulation and student initiative with respect to their own learning; the more extensive and frequent use of student self-assessment activities; and the ability to nurture reflective learning (including the use of student-generated criteria for assessment).

– Province of British Columbia (2015, p. 48)

While the above quote relates to the role of teachers in K–12 education, it applies to post-secondary education as well. Indigenous worldviews should not only be part of the content that is taught, but be part of a relevant and responsive assessment process as well.