A year of forest connections: the stories that unfold

Abstract

Beginning with vignettes of primary students engaged in place-based inquiry and culturally responsive experiences, this study asks how my teaching practice aligns with the First Peoples Principles of Learning and the sk’ad’a, which describe principles of learning in the context of Haida culture, while meeting B.C.’s Curriculum. Using autoethnography, the narrative vignettes are presented followed by analysis, primarily using the Indigenous principles of learning as the framework for the analysis. As the researcher and educator, I also examine my own identity as a non-Indigenous settler teacher. The analysis of the vignettes describes my growing awareness of the importance of fostering Core Competencies while connecting students to the continued Indigenous presence on the land. In light of this analysis, I draw further conclusions about the use of the pedagogy of story.