Ethical Space of Engagement in Curriculum Development Processes:

Indigenous epistemology is a relational one and as lifelong learners, our most enduring relationship is the one we cultivate with ourselves. Indigenous knowledge keepers emphasize that knowing self, knowing identity is fundamental to being in good relations to others and everything around us. Critical self-reflection on how knowledge and identity are deeply interconnected is an entry-point for transformational learning in curriculum design processes. The ii’ taa’poh’to’p concepts of transformation, renewal and ways of being are relevant because they provide a conceptual and conscious entry point for reflecting on change and growth as a natural part of learning and coming into new ways of developing knowledge. Ways of being denote how our identity is inextricably woven into our understanding of knowledge. Reflecting on our identity and the values and beliefs that shape who we are illuminates deeply held biases and assumptions that require shifts in order to undertake the journey of transformation.

• Where does your knowledge, either personal or disciplinary, come from? How do you know what you know?
• What is the purpose of knowledge and what is important to know, to learn or to forget?
• How do your values and beliefs shape your understandings about knowledge? How do you make these values explicit through your philosophy (teaching, professional, discipline, etc.)?
• What assumptions do you have about yourself that may be different from the assumptions you have about Indigenous people, culture, way of knowing?

Indigenous epistemology is grounded in local contexts. Indigenous knowledge is local knowledge and generated through multiple embodied experiences with the land and Indigenous people. Indigenous curriculum development modalities do not occur in isolation from community, land and knowledge-keepers. Shared space and ways of connecting as highlighted in the ii’ taa’poh’to’p emphasize the importance of relationship-building, community engagement, and ethical spaces for dialogue. Relational accountability means being responsible to the Indigenous nations, communities and individuals from which curricular concepts and knowledges may be derived from. Being aware and understanding that shared space also encompasses broader inter-nation Indigenous relational contexts and perspectives that continue to impact academic spaces. Relational accountability occurs through connection, engagement, learning and dialogue. Direct experience in-relationship to land, people, knowledges, histories, and languages informs curriculum. Critical self-reflection on the principle of relational accountability can assist in identifying both possibilities for expanding relational networks and gaps in knowledge that require attention.

• Who are you relationally accountable to?
• What is your comfort level in expanding your knowledge network?
• How will you know when your curriculum development circle needs to be large or small?
• What do you know about Indigenous people and how did you learn it?
• Do you feel confident in your knowledge of the regional First Nations and other Indigenous groups? Why or why not and how might you learn more?

The ii’ taa’poh’to’p Indigenous Strategy demonstrates how Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and connecting in the context of teaching, learning and curriculum development are supported through community engagement and reciprocal knowledge exchanges. Specific Indigenous protocols ensure that reciprocity is upheld. In the context of teaching and learning, knowledge is a sacred gift, and one is responsible for reciprocating this gift in appropriate ways that are dependent on the context. Given that we are always learning, possibilities for reciprocity are part of life. Critical self-reflection on the principle of reciprocity allows us to broaden our sense of responsibility and reframe our relationship to knowledge.

• From your perspective, what does it mean to practise reciprocity and in what contexts?
• From your faculty, discipline, unit perspective, what are the opportunities for practising reciprocity?
• How does the curriculum project benefit Indigenous communities, the land, Indigenous languages, etc.?
• How are Indigenous perspectives being used within the curriculum project?
• What has been offered in return for the knowledge, either conceptually or physically (through tobacco, etc.)?

Indigenous epistemology provides a framework for balance in relationships, perspectives, and power. Indigenous knowledge is validated through processes of transparency and community engagement. Different kinds of knowledges require different validation processes. Some processes related to sacred knowledge transfers may never be appropriate for academic contexts but regardless of the context, developing a parallel validation process will be necessary. The ii’ taa’poh’to’p Indigenous Strategy offers conceptual reference points that can help to redress past harms by avoiding future ones. The concept of shared space underscores the need for parallel validation processes by centering community dialogue and shared interests. Renewal helps us to envision processes for accountability and renewing commitments to transformation. Ways of knowing, being and doing bring the validation process full circle to connect back to teaching, learning and research, developing personal and professional identity, and to appropriate cultural protocols and institutional policies. Too often Indigenous knowledge has been exploited, appropriated, used out of context and without the permission of Indigenous peoples which has been part of Indigenous peoples’ experiences with colonial violence and subjugation. Critically reflecting on how the principle of validation can form the basis for acknowledging these experiences with colonial violence is deeply interconnected to accountability and reciprocity. Validation processes help us to see how extractive and exploitive approaches shape Indigenous peoples’ relationship to Western knowledge and offer an opportunity for redressing epistemic aspects of colonial violence and restoring balance in relationships.

• What are the processes for validating your own knowledge, for validating disciplinary knowledge?
• How is knowledge validated via a Western paradigm?
• How do you envision validation processes for Indigenous-centered curriculum projects?