 My name is Dr. Herman Michele, I'm a member of the Berenlands First Nation, which is part of Treaty Tanda Straddles, Northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. I come from a long line of traditional land users that have occupied this region for centuries. My people are the Woodlands Cree. I am a university educator that specializes in indigenous education. I am a published author of numerous books and articles. Today, I want to share with you some of my emerging thoughts on homeschooling from an indigenous lens. My talk today is not meant to be prescriptive. I ask that you take what you need from this presentation in order to build on what you already do within your respective practice. Homeschooling to me is the ultimate way of taking over your child's education. I begin this talk with the understanding that Canada's colonial education system has taught indigenous children to live in a way that is not our own. However, curriculum theories and schooling have changed over the years. Provincial standards have also changed. The integration of indigenous knowledge in school curriculum is now a mandate in many public schools and indeed First Nations schools. However, not much literature exists on how you can do this using a homeschooling approach. Indigenous peoples have a different way of perceiving knowledge. We also have our own ways of passing on what we know. I have always envied parents who choose to teach their children at home. Homeschooling can seem like an isolated way of teaching and learning. However, from an indigenous lens, homeschooling has a strong family and community involvement orientation with links to the lands we occupy. Students receive intensive one-on-one learning. There's a small classroom environment focus. It is important to understand what may work for one child may not necessarily work for another. There are successes. Kids have gone on to become professionals and leaders in different careers. It might be worthwhile to connect your children with role models who have been homeschooled. Homeschooling is not for everyone. In many situations, students require extra supports from external resource people. It takes a lot of hard work and patience. It requires routine, structure and rigor. There's also a lot of freedom. Parents want the very best education for their children. And given the chance, they will expose them to what is important. They know what works and what doesn't work. They also know how to push boundaries that go beyond the comfort zone of learning. It's not about feeling the head of your child. Elders say they come into this world with inherent knowledge and wisdom. Parents know the strengths of their own children and where they may be headed in terms of career choices. Homeschooling from an Indigenous lens is about reinforcing the concept of lifelong learning. It is a process. Elders say we could never know all there is to know about Indigenous knowledge in a lifetime. Indigenous education is about relevance. Connect teaching and learning with everyday life. Kids need to know why they are learning about certain things. We live in a virtual world with access to thousands of materials and resources. I highly recommend parents to explore the NCCIE website. There are lessons and activities that can be integrated into homeschooling. Gone are the days when memorization and regurgitation of facts was the only way to teach and learn. Diversity and enrichment of learning experience is the key. We want children to think on their own and become independent. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people come from diverse cultures, communities and environments. There are diverse knowledge systems across the country. The teachings and practices are incredibly rich. There are also commonalities that thread through all cultures regardless of race or other social markers. The value of respect is the guiding principle we use to teach our youth. We want to prepare them to walk through multiple worlds in pride. Despite the diversity of teaching and learning practices, First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples share a strong connection to the land. There is a shared world view. Indigenous people see the world in an interactive way. Humans are interdependent with the rest of creation. We want our children to think in a holistic way, which is the foundation of teaching and learning from an Indigenous lens. We have a shared vision of self-determination. We all want our children to be able to learn from an Indigenous lens. We have a shared vision of self-determination. We all want our children to be able to take care of themselves as they grow older. Homeschooling is not new for Indigenous peoples. We have done this since the beginning of time. In traditional times it was our extended family members that were our teachers. They have diverse knowledge and skill sets. From where I come from in Northern Saskatchewan, we do certain things at certain times of the year. The carriers of traditional knowledge are the elders, the hunters, the trappers, the fishers and the gatherers of medicine. Our seasonal cycle is the framework we use to develop teaching and learning activities. At the forefront of Indigenous education is the importance of teaching the essence of our oneness with the lands and the lakes and the rivers and the oceans within our respective territories. Elders say all humans must bond with the earth in all of its facets. There are natural laws rooted in the land. There are also spiritual laws that guide how we think, how we behave and how we relate to one another. We have counting systems in our languages. Numbers do tell a story. Math can be taught through beading, through sewing, through cooking, carpentry and preparing for periods of isolation in camps. Teach students how to read the land in waterways. Storytelling is one of the main ways of passing on knowledge. Share stories and allow them to make links with the world around them. Teach them deep thinking skills. There's a time and a place for everything. There's a time to sit with them and a time they must work alone. Indigenous education is based on whole child development. Engage in activities for mental, for spiritual, for emotional and physical development. Learning is not only about mental development. Elders say the longest journey we will ever make is to connect our heart and mind. Teach students to express themselves in multiple ways. For example, through writing, through stories, through dance, through drumming, through music and even puppetry. Indigenous peoples lived a very physical, active lifestyle. Involve youth in sports so they can connect with peers. They learn about teamwork and rules by playing sports with others. The NCCI website can provide you with different physical activities. There are traditional sports they can learn that are connected to their cultures and their languages. Children today are very technologically oriented. They know how to use computers. They have cell phones. They know how to take photos. They know how to communicate with others using FaceTime, for example. Make videos together and enter virtual competitions. Watch Indigenous documentaries that are in the NCCI website. There are also Indigenous cartoons for younger children. Give consistent praise even for the smallest of achievements. Relationship building and reinforcing human relations skills is the cornerstone of Indigenous education. Teach youth respectful ways of communicating with others. Teach them about respect and allow them to demonstrate respect for themselves, for others and the natural world through projects. The underlying teaching is that every animal, every plant and every insect has a purpose. Every entity has responsibilities and every human being is special, unique and beautiful. Teach them about traditional values of sharing, of giving, of caring, humility, truth and other ways of thinking relating and behaving. Teach them compassion by helping others that are less fortunate. Harvest natural foods and medicines and share them with the elders in the community. Indigenous worldviews, cultures, languages, values, ways of knowing and practices are rooted in the land. Demonstrate passion in your teaching. Demonstrate the value of learning Indigenous knowledge and the relevance of these ways of knowing in modern-day society. Sustainable ways of thinking and being, for example, is a part of Indigenous cultures which has become very important in taking care of our planet. Make learning fun. Humor is a big part of how elders teach. Allow children to make mistakes and learn from them. Use competitive activities of being the best that you can be as a learning tool. Let them know their voice and perspectives count. Engage in collective decision-making to solve problems. What would you do if you were lost in the wilderness together? As a parent, allow yourself to learn right along with your children. Learn about Indigenous protocols. Protocols are about giving something in return for something taken. There's a video on the NCCI website on protocols. Once you're on the website, click on the Knowledge Space and click on Start Your Journey Here where there are several introductory videos to watch. Co-develop questions so you can go on a joint learning adventure. Have your children share and write about what they learned and how they would apply that knowledge and skills in their everyday lives. Use technology and online resources to do background research on different topics. Reading and writing go hand in hand. There are many Indigenous books on the NCCI website you can use. Indigenous people have the gift of orality. Stories allow students to think, to reflect, and make links with life. Storytelling can be used to learn about Indigenous history. Approach different types of storytellers. Concentrate on the strength of Indigenous peoples. Our original stories have hidden teachings and messages. Have students dig deep about the underlying meanings and how these lessons apply to real-life situations. On the NCCI website, there's a videos webpage with lots of videos, some of which have to do with storytelling. Check them out. Hands-on learning and engaging in projects are part of how Indigenous people teach and learn. Use the see-and-do approach. Have students observe on how to fish, how to prepare fish, how to prepare animals until they are ready to do it on their own. Show them proper ways of handling animals and plants that have been harvested. There are videos on traditional medicine-gathering activities in the NCCI website. Have students explore and engage in deep conversations. Teach them to explore different perspectives on Indigenous issues. For example, for older students, there's a lesson plan on the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline that includes some research and personal reflection. Check out the videos on the reconciliation page on the NCCI webpage, where there are videos, one of which is Willie Irmine talking about an Indigenous perspective on reconciliation. Develop questions for further research. Assist the students in visioning, in planning, in researching, building, and sharing. Engage in service projects that benefit the collective, the family, the community. Teach them that they can make a difference in the lives of others. Have your children research stories of Indigenous role models in occupations that they are interested in. The NCCI website has a series of lesson plans for students approaching high school graduation. Land-based excursions have been used by Indigenous peoples for centuries to teach and learn. Use seasonal activities. Even just a couple of hours outside your backyard can be a rewarding experience to learn about a particular topic. Learn about Indigenous place names and the stories behind these place names. Medicine walks are becoming common where students learn to identify how to harvest, store, and use plants for health and wellness. These stories are associated with different plants. There are different types of medicine-gatherers in communities that can be accessed. Have students learn about what it means to live a sustainable lifestyle. Teach them to live off the land. Identify traditional foods and harvest edible plants. Teach them wilderness survival skills. There are several NCCI lesson plans and videos to give you some ideas of learning outdoors and on the land. Indigenous language learning can be done in a variety of ways. Use your home as a rich learning space where you can teach common household words and basic greetings. Go for walks and link Indigenous language words with the natural world. There are language websites and social media sites where you can learn the sound of words with visuals. Have language competitions and mini oral tests using photographs. Incorporate rewards and incentives. Link up with elders and storytellers that share stories through their language. There are language dictionaries online that students can use to create stories. Create songs in an Indigenous language. Use puppets to teach language. If you're not a language speaker, take the time to learn right along with your children. Again, the NCCI web page has lesson plans that includes learning about an Indigenous language. Learning about treaties. There are many resources and teaching kits. On the NCCI website, you can do a search in the resource library for information on treaties. Approach treaty commissioner offices. There are lesson plans and background information available. Basic concepts of treaties, for example, are about people coming together to agree on rules of sharing and living together in peace and what they need to do in times of conflict. Focus on the many contributions made by Indigenous peoples in Canada. Show students about the strengths of the people. Teach them why residential schools were set up and the impacts of these institutions and the lives of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. On the Reconciliation page I mentioned earlier, on the NCCI web page, watch the other video which is about students dealing with the multi-generational impacts of residential schools. Network with other parents that are homeschooling their children. Share ideas of best practices. Listen to one another. Bounce off your frustrations and confidence. It's not easy being a parent and a teacher at the same time. Engage in joint projects. Learn how to use technology to connect one another. Reach out to experienced teachers to get ideas of lessons and activities that can be done at home. Utilize community resources, libraries and museums where they can explore Indigenous artifacts, teachings and stories. I want to thank you very much for taking the time to listen to my presentation. I hope I have been helpful in providing a basic introduction on the integration of Indigenous knowledge and homeschooling. The National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education website is a rich source of information, materials, resources, videos, books and articles, elder teachings, stories, lesson plans and examples of land-based education activities. This website is being used by teachers, teacher trainees and parents across Canada. As part of this virtual conference presentation, you will get to meet Sarah Leah Hindi in another video clip. She will demonstrate and showcase an actual lesson and activity from the NCCIE website. Sarah Leah Hindi is a MiGMAW teacher from Newfoundland. Joining her in the video is her friend Marcus Goss, a MiGMAW artist. Together, they will explore the connection between self and the environment in a hands-on lesson about art. We encourage students to watch their video entitled The Elements of Art to learn about the interplay between art, culture and connection to place. To download this complete lesson plan and many more, visit the Teaching Resource Centre in the NCCIE website. The website is n-c-c-i-e dot c-a. Thank you.