I attended the in-person fishing & trapping session at Shane lake with Reid Roberts for my Indigenous-focused learning day. This was an enlightening experience. I was pleasantly surprised to hear about the unique land-based programs they were offering students at the high-school level in Prince George. Artifacts lying on the picnic table, produced by students themselves, varied from 3-D printed bird callers to bear-skin mitts, to lovingly-crafted leather knife sheaths. The instructors spoke of learners who had scarcely attended a few hours of class the year before, becoming fully engaged, whether working on a skilled craft, designing and setting up a hunting camera in the woods, or walking the trap line with Mr. Roberts. They went from saying “school isn’t for me” to “what can I challenge myself with next?”
I think these open-minded teachers did something very important when planning these programs; they looked at the whole student. During the session, I thought back to a class conversation from last year, where we talked about how teachers are no longer the sole purveyors of knowledge, but guides in the process of knowledge and skills acquisition. Our job is to help learners feel supported and give them an idea of potential targets then let them enjoy and engage in the landscape.
In these land-based programs, teachers ask the students to demonstrate and explain how they met standards/expectations set out for them. This method of giving learners the end goal, and trusting them to get there, is empowering. I couldn’t be happier with the session I chose, not only because it was outdoors (that helped!) but because I am now 100% certain that I will find the right educators to team up with and create some amazing learning opps in the future!
