In the B.C Curriculum, Indigenous languages are currently not required to be taught. Some school districts across the province voluntarily choose to integrate Indigenous language learning as part of their social-studies teaching requirements. Indigenous language should be encourage in cross-curricular usage and not just be restricted to social studies. I could mot find any other area’s in the BC curriculum outside of social studies. I would propose the idea of using Indigenous words in our all subjects. For example, in science if you are looking at animals or plants, you can introduce students to the Indigenous term for that species. While looking at the general overview for B.C Social Studies, here are some sections where Indigenous languages are currently included. Looking through the general overview and goals for social studies in B.C, there is vast room for improvement
Social Studies | Building Student Success – B.C. Curriculum (gov.bc.ca)
Introduction to social studies
“As First Peoples communities are diverse in terms of language, culture, and available resources, each community will have its own unique protocol to gain support for integration of local knowledge and expertise. Permission for the use or translation of cultural materials or practices should be obtained through consultation with individuals, families and other community members”
Rationale
“Through the Social Studies curriculum, students will have opportunities to explore and better understand their own identity, perspectives, and values as well as develop the competencies that encourage active, informed citizenship.”
Goals
“Develop an understanding of the connections between the past, present, and future and the people, events, and trends that have shaped the development and evolution of societies, especially our own. A complete understanding of Canada’s past and present includes developing an understanding of the history and culture of Canada’s Indigenous peoples.”
In 2015, the BC Ministry of Education along with several school districts, the Ministry Curriculum team and First Nations Education Steering Committee Representatives co-created a document titled “Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives in the Classroom- Moving Forward”. This document is a great starting point moving forward, looking for ideas of how to implement First Nations language and culture (pg.34-36. I have highlighted some key points from this article below.
awp_moving_forward.pdf (gov.bc.ca)
- Expect use of the language to be part of any educational experiences with an Aboriginal aspect that involves outdoor trips or field studies in the local Aboriginal community
- Incorporating into your practice simple words and phrases for greetings, interactions, place references, etc
- Base your actions and expectations on recognition of where the local community sits with respect to the current state of their language and culture revitalization/preservation efforts. Look to the school’s Aboriginal support worker(s) and/or trusted local contacts for guidance on this