PME 811 (Post 9): Cultural Identity and Children's Wellbeing
I didn't realize how important retaining Indigenous culture and language is and can be when it comes to Indigenous children's wellbeing. In hindsight, this makes perfect sense and wished the immediate correlation clicked earlier before I read about the advantages for integrating indigenous culture and language within the classroom.
I thought about myself, other educators at my school and then the mental health counselors and what kinds of challenges they may face working with Indigenous students when it comes to helping shape their futures. It is said that, " Health and community professionals like psychologists, counsellors and social workers can play a critical role in supporting children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and make a positive difference to their mental health and wellbeing" (Kids Matter, 2013).
My thought is that as teachers we play a major role in supporting children from culturally and linguistically diverse communities because they are in our care for the majority of their waking hours. As I work in a First Nations community where the fluency rate of Ojibway is 97%, I must use the classroom as an environment where my students will retain and reclaim their culture and language.
Why? Let me list the reasons:
1. "Having a strong sense of their own cultural history and traditions helps children build a positive cultural identity for themselves, gives them a sense of belonging and self-esteem and supports their overall wellbeing" (Kids Matter, 2013).
2. Children that have a strong cultural identity, are well-placed to make social connections with others and develop a sense of belonging to their community, even if the community's cultures are different from their family culture (Kids Matter, 2013).
3. Having a positive sense of belonging in the classroom helps "children move between cultures with greater ease and confidence, and can increase their engagement" (Kids Matter, 2013).
4. Belonging such as integrating and showing that Indigenous culture and language is valued, "builds children’s self-esteem and resilience, and reduces the likelihood they will experience depression and anxiety" (Kids Matter, 2013).
Having read this blog post, what you experienced cultural inclusion personally? If so, how did it make you feel?
What educators do in order to make culture and language more integrated in the classroom?
What do you think the provincial and federal governments responsibilities are when it comes to Indigenous culture and language integration within schools?
What are some of the tips and tricks that you have seen successful in an FNMI school or one that has majority non- Indigenous students but still teaches and integrates Indigenous history and culture?
The following advice is provided from the website Kids Matter when it comes to professionals in all fields supporting cultural diversity, but in this context, supporting Indigenous culture and language retention within the classroom and school:
Talking directly to people to find out how to best include children from diverse Indigenous communities and how to respect their cultural needs;
Respecting individual differences – don’t assume that membership of a cultural group means everyone within that group has the same values and needs;
Promoting and modelling inclusive behaviour, for instance, by providing information in a number of appropriate languages for parents and carers;
Working with interpreters or multilingual aids to ensure accurate communication with children, parents or carers whose English language skills are limited;
Reflecting on how your own cultural values can impact your approach to understanding and working with Indigenous communities;
Effectively addressing problems of discrimination within the classroom and school.
Thank you,
Magda
Reference:
Kids Matter. (2013). Why cultural identity matters to children's wellbeing. Retrieved from https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/health-and-community/enewsletter/cultural-identity-matters-children’s-wellbeing