Indigenous ways of learning, being and teaching : implications for new teachers to First Nations schools

As First Nations communities in British Columbia take control over the education of their children, it is important for teachers to understand some of the distinctions and nuances of the culture particular to First Nations schools and communities. This project attempts to provide some of that information. Three sources of information provide the reader with important cultural knowledge for teachers new to First Nations schools. Interviews with five respected principals and five respected educators at First Nations schools in British Columbia provide the first source of knowledge. Personal and significant cultural experiences, obtained over seven years teaching in First Nations schools, provide the second source. Finally, a literature review depicting aspects of Indigenous cultures, important for new teachers to understand, provides the third source.