Nigaan Sinclair Blog – “Indigenous Education Belongs to Everyone” – September 27, 2023 I’ve known that I have wanted to be a teacher since high school. In preparation for the Education program, I made learning about Indigenous Peoples a priority during my years as an undergraduate student. Of course, there is always more to learn, but I felt like I was in a place of cultural competency going into the education program, but I had no idea where to start in implementing Indigenous knowledge and culture in a classroom. Niigaan Sinclair’s Keynote speech gave me a good start point which got me thinking about how I want to include Indigenous education into my future classroom. Sinclair outlined that promoting Indigenous knowledge begins with moving away from teaching from a Eurocentric perspective. Everything that we love about Canadian society actually came from Indigenous cultures – democracy, multiculturalism, hockey. Everyone living in Canada can benefit from connecting to the roots of Indigenous culture as it influences every one of us in one way or another. The use of ceremony and learning about culture creates space to facilitate cultural awareness while helping Indigenous students plant their roots and establish identity. The incorporation of Indigenous frameworks, knowledge, culture, will work towards unraveling Eurocentric elements in our society. Sinclair argued that the way the school system is wired is producing individualistic citizens that thrive on competition; whereas Indigenous frameworks encourage collaboration and building relationships which are essential to building a more compassionate society. Taking the time to consider Indigenous knowledge is extremely important because with the way in which the system is currently constructed, we are failing Indigenous youth. Relationships need to be rebuilt and a community needs to be established with the people and the land. This unlearning and relearning processes cannot happen with the involvement of community as a whole. The frameworks as indicated by Sinclair will motivate students to ponder issues such as climate change, food security, sustainability, and so much more. We accomplish the most when we work together. In his speech, Niigaan Sinclair provides an excellent starting point for us as current and future educators to consider and implement as we venture into our classrooms. Indigenous frameworks and worldviews have the potential to transform our world if we are consciously making the effort to remember them in our everyday lives. Something as simple as including Indigenous languages in what we are doing works towards making a difference. Committing to these changes in the classroom alongside hallway culture will inevitably extend to our society in some capacity. Being in a place where cultural competency is as easy as breathing for all may not happen today, but there is hope for the future. -Mussi