Land-Based Learning
Anishinaabe relationships to the land are complex and cannot be confined to one discipline of study. The Adult Education Partnership offers an Interdisciplinary Studies course (IDC3O) that combines expectations from the Native Studies and Health and Physical Education curriculum to enable students to participate in land-based and experiential learning opportunities in their local communities. Although they share many similarities, the local traditions and practices of each First Nation in Treaty Three territory are unique, and this course encourages students and teachers to work in relation with local elders and knowledge keepers to create learning opportunities that reflect and honour their expertise.
The Adult Education Partnership envisions our Interdisciplinary Studies course as one response among many to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, particularly as they relate to increased opportunities for students to engage in curriculum and learning opportunities grounded in Indigenous knowledges, cultures, traditions, and ways of being. Although they share many traditions, each of the communities served by the Adult Education Partnership is unique in terms of its environment, social and political history, and the areas of expertise of local elders and knowledge keepers. This course is meant to be flexible enough that students in any of these communities can engage in land-based activities relevant to their local community.