Tara Kristie Melia
Supervisor: Dr. Bill Cohen
City: Kelowna
Occupation: Teacher
Year: 2023
Subject:
- Curriculum
- Digital Learning
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Description
With British Columbia’s redesigned curriculum, educators around the province have been tasked to blend westernized pedagogies with Indigenous pedagogies. Many or most teachers are underprepared for the new requirements that have been implemented through the Truth and Reconciliation act.
As this new curriculum allows educators to have autonomy in how they communicate a subject’s big ideas, content, and core competencies, educators are lacking in knowledge when it comes to interweaving Indigenous and Westernized modes of learning.
Authentic Syilx educational resources and lessons might not be readily available or accessible, making it difficult for many educators. Connections with Indigenous advocates, community members, or knowledge keepers need to be made to access local resources, as learning happens with and from our local Indigenous community members. Through this resource, I hope to promote the integration of Syilx Okanagan knowledge into primary classrooms by providing teachers with access to all of the resources I have come across throughout my educational journey.
Though my intentions are to continue to learn about the land that I am on and to share this knowledge with other educators and students alike, I recognize that I am a visitor on the Unceded Territory of the Syilx Okanagan Peoples, and I am no expert in this knowledge.
Student Biography
My name is Tara Melia, I am an elementary school educator on the Unceded Territory of the Syilx Okanagan Peoples. My passions include educating learners to be empathetic, sustainable, and open-minded individuals who have dreams of making a positive impact on this world.