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Faculty of Education to co-host national 
Indigenous education research forum

Event to focus on spiritual and sustainable wisdom in education

February 6, 2017 — 

Some of the world’s top Indigenous educators and researcher will gather at the University of Manitoba on April 24, 25 to focus on ways to include Aboriginal spiritual and sustainable wisdom in education at a conference co-hosted by the 13th annual Aboriginal Education Research Forum, “Shawane Dagosiwin” and the 5th annual Canadian Symposium on Indigenous Teacher Education.

The theme, “Embedding Spiritual & Sustainable Wisdom in Education and Research as an Act of Reconciliation,” reflects the organizer’s hopes to preserve and honour the dignity and diversity of Indigenous knowledges, cultures, languages and perspectives, said conference program committee co-chair Laara Fitznor.

“Whether in academia or in our communities, educators and researchers are reflecting the need to value Indigenous knowledge traditions, which will ultimately positively impact educational outcomes for Indigenous youth,” said Fitznor, an associate professor with the Faculty of Education.

The forum, which attracts up to 300 people each year, invites teachers, researchers, and community development workers to submit their research for presentation at the forum.

“The purpose of the conference is to celebrate our works, share, and hear from Elders, educators and researchers. We will share our collective voices and demonstrate that we are working with self-determination, culturally relevant Indigenous methodologies, and allied supports for research relevance and curricular changes,” Fitznor says.

This year’s forum also features keynote speakers, Dr. Chantal Fiola and Dr. Jean-Paul Restoule. Our keynote speakers will talk about their respective scholarship and show how their works have been embedded with Indigenous self-determination, thought, practices, and methodologies.

A Midewiwin who participates regularly in Anishinaabe ceremonies, Fiola works as an assistant professor in the Department of Urban and Inner-City Studies at the University of Winnipeg. Previously, she taught in the Native Studies Department at the University of Manitoba since 2012. Fiola also serves on the board of directors for the Native Women’s Transition Centre.

Restoule is Anishinaabe and a member of the Dokis First Nation. As associate professor of Aboriginal Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, he has been a member of OISE’s Indigenous Education Network since 1998 and was a co-chair of the network for seven years.

Deadline for submissions is Friday, Feb. 17, and the early bird deadline for registration is March 24. For more information and to register, visit aerf.ca.

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