CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS STUDIES 12

This course recognizes, affirms, celebrates, and studies the traditional and contemporary cultures, languages, artistic expression, literature, and oral histories of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. Throughout the course, students will develop inquiry skills, historical thinking skills, experiential- and place-based learning by incorporating Indigenous perspectives and knowledge. Through holistic and relational understandings of the land, students will better appreciate the connectedness and reciprocal relationships of Indigenous People’s sense of place, identity, worldview, and language. Emphasis will be placed on various forms of Indigenous cultural values and expressions to understand the diverseness and resiliency within Indigenous communities. Throughout the course, the fight for self-governance and self-determination is a major focus point to show how Indigenous Peoples continue to challenge and resist Canada's ongoing legacies of colonialism. The process of reconciliation is also a critical component of the course. Within the course, students will have the opportunity to research and explore issues of interest and discover how they are personally connected and/or affected by them. This course will provide students with the understanding needed to participate as a citizen in today's world and in the process of reconciliation as we all work towards fostering healing and addressing injustices.