Restoule et al (2013)
Some of the ways that you see reinhabitation and decolonization happening throughout the narrative.
The reading for this weeks blog listed many examples of reinhabitation and decolonization. The beginning of the article examined the peoples environment with the land and how the land is affected by extraction of resources. The project involved a 10-day river trip with the youth, adult and elders, by travelling together and exploring traditional waters and lands they are able to connect with each other as well as the environment. They also shared their experience and relation to the land as well as bringing out the issues, through the community building activities, they are able to bring light to the issues of economic exploitation, accumulation and development. As mentioned in the article “connection to nature is important to children’s intellectual, emotional, social, physical and spiritual development” (Kellert) exploring peoples relationship with nature and the land was vital to gaining more knowledge on cultural identity. Younger generations were re-introduced to traditional ways of knowing, as well as gain more knowledge about the land, the whole purpose of the project was to bring generations together and learn that the land is not just for resources, it is a “the land...is a complex being – a spiritual and material place from which all life springs” (Haig-Brown and Hodson).
How might you adapt these ideas / consider place in your own subject areas and teaching?
The article was able to bring light on a different method of teaching allowing students to discover and explore the land and environment as well as deepening their relationship with the people around them. Incorporating different ways of knowing as well as addressing the ongoing issues that revolves around the land, allows students to get into a more hands on learning experience as well as being informed. Something as simple as more outdoor times while learning, getting to be more involved with the traditions, having Elders and other speakers and learning about other cultures is a way to connect with others as well as the environment (place). As a future educator I think it is very important to teach students the importance of the land and territory as well as helping them build relationship to the land as an ongoing theme.