Indigenous Cultural Safety in Canadian Teacher Education: Examining Indigenous Requirement Courses

• In Event: Indigenous Education Pre-K–12 and Teacher Preparation

Abstract

This paper is part of a larger pilot study that examines Indigenous experiences of the mandatory Indigenous Requirement Courses (IRCs) in Teacher Education at three universities across Canada. The IRCs are now being offered in many faculties of education across Canada in response to the Calls to Action advanced by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. With an emphasis on cultural safety, this study centres the experiences of Indigenous students and instructors in these new mandatory courses. The study advances three integral elements of cultural safety: holistic wellbeing, cultural identity, and ethical spaces. This paper will document phase one of the research process and share initial findings gleaned from Sharing Circles with students and interviews with instructors.

Authors

• Jennifer Brant, University of Toronto

• Frank Deer, University of Manitoba

• Jeannie Kerr, University of Winnipeg

• Leisa Anne Desmoulins, Lakehead University

• Jessica Trickey, University of Manitoba

• Kayla Webber, University of Toronto