Recommendation 2

Recommendation 2: Shared Decision Making

First Nations and Métis people are involved in meaningful ways, including decision-making processes.
First Nations and Métis parents/community, Elders, governments and schools work together in a shared decision-making process through:
Authentic engagement and representation; and
Collaborative planning and shared responsibility;
Fostering community and Youth leadership; and
Building partnerships.

“The pedagogical challenge of Canadian education is not just reducing the distance between Eurocentric thinking and Aboriginal ways of knowing, but engaging decolonized minds and hearts.” -Battiste, M. (2002)

Engaging First Nations and Métis parents/community, Elders, and Governments:

One common hesitation when beginning to work with and engage with Indigenous Peoples and communities is inadvertently causing offence. While every situation is unique to each community, there are some general guidelines to bear in mind.

Teacher General Considerations for Mindfulness Teachers¹

Establish a relationship between the Indigenous community(ies) and the school so that they learn from each other;
Engage the learners at a physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual level by using a variety of teaching methods;
Create an environment that is safe for Indigenous learners to feel comfortable and proud to learn and share information about their culture and history;

Create an environment where humour and ‘group talk’ is encouraged, respected and accepted; and
Understand that sometimes family or community issues will take precedence over attending school.

C.V. Harquail (2009), principal researcher at Authentic Organizations, suggests the following seven principles are necessary for authentic engagement:²