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Braided Learning: Illuminating Indigenous Presence through Art and Story
A guide to learning and teaching about Indigenous histories and perspectives in Canada.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Indigenous activism have made many Canadians uncomfortably aware of how little they know about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. In Braided Learning , Susan Dion shares her approach to learning and teaching about Indigenous histories and perspectives. Using the power of stories and artwork, Dion offers respectful ways to address challenging topics including settler-colonialism, treaties, the Indian Act, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and the drive for self-determination. Braided Learning draws on Indigenous knowledge to make sense of a difficult past, decode unjust conditions in the present, and work toward a more equitable future.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Indigenous activism have made many Canadians uncomfortably aware of how little they know about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. In Braided Learning , Susan Dion shares her approach to learning and teaching about Indigenous histories and perspectives. Using the power of stories and artwork, Dion offers respectful ways to address challenging topics including settler-colonialism, treaties, the Indian Act, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and the drive for self-determination. Braided Learning draws on Indigenous knowledge to make sense of a difficult past, decode unjust conditions in the present, and work toward a more equitable future.
260 pages, Hardcover
Published June 17, 2022
8 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 31, 2022
I picked up this book from the library in preparation for our new homeschool year. In our first month we will be learning about Indigenous Canadians and I wanted to be better equipped to teach it. What I learned about Indigenous people (then called Native Americans) as a kid is not all there is to know and a lot has been revealed since then.
The book was more interesting and way more informative than I would have thought given the cover. This is another example of don’t judge a book by it’s cover. I hope the cover doesn’t deter others because I learned a lot.
I loved that this book is about Canadian Indigenous people specifically and that it was recently written. This means it includes information about residential schools and Truth and Reconciliation.
This book is a little bit about learning yourself and a little bit about teaching others. It’s not written for homeschoolers or even necessarily school teachers but more about self education. That said if you feel, like me, that you are behind in your knowledge, it’s a good way to bring yourself up to speed.
As a matter of fact, I plan to have my highschooler read this book herself. It’s the best way for her to catch herself up to speed as well and she will learn more from it than I could in trying to learn and then reteach it.
The book was more interesting and way more informative than I would have thought given the cover. This is another example of don’t judge a book by it’s cover. I hope the cover doesn’t deter others because I learned a lot.
I loved that this book is about Canadian Indigenous people specifically and that it was recently written. This means it includes information about residential schools and Truth and Reconciliation.
This book is a little bit about learning yourself and a little bit about teaching others. It’s not written for homeschoolers or even necessarily school teachers but more about self education. That said if you feel, like me, that you are behind in your knowledge, it’s a good way to bring yourself up to speed.
As a matter of fact, I plan to have my highschooler read this book herself. It’s the best way for her to catch herself up to speed as well and she will learn more from it than I could in trying to learn and then reteach it.
December 13, 2023
Essential reading for educators, especially those in the Canadian context.
December 30, 2023
This book was loaned to me by a colleague as a kind of introduction to considering how to include indigenous voices into the high school classroom. It is an development of Dion's Braided Histories, which tells the stories of indigenous peoples in Canada. This book includes some of the stories, but also includes indigenous art pieces and a really useful consideration of how education fits into the efforts to bring out the indigenous voice in Canada.
I found the book really helpful in my efforts to improve my understanding of indigenous voices, so I would recommend it on that basis. Dion spends the time to explain the complexity of those voices, which is helpful for those of us who are on the outside. The fact is that, like most other communities, there is no uniform indigenous voice, so we have to ready to embrace that complexity. And Dion helps us on that journey.
I found the book really helpful in my efforts to improve my understanding of indigenous voices, so I would recommend it on that basis. Dion spends the time to explain the complexity of those voices, which is helpful for those of us who are on the outside. The fact is that, like most other communities, there is no uniform indigenous voice, so we have to ready to embrace that complexity. And Dion helps us on that journey.
February 23, 2024
"I don't know enough about it to feel comfortable teaching it" WELL THEN LEARN
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews