CONT948: Teaching Through Indigenous Arts and Storytelling
Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are increasingly being integrated into K–12 education through arts and storytelling, offering insights into the rich heritage of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples. Embedding the First Peoples Principles of Learning fosters understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures and knowledge while promoting diversity and inclusivity.
This course explores Indigenous cultures through traditional and contemporary storytelling, music, dance, visual arts and crafts. You’ll examine how these expressions convey knowledge, preserve history and strengthen communities. Through theory and practical application, you’ll gain skills to integrate Indigenous arts and storytelling into multidisciplinary curricula.
By the end of the course, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of Indigenous perspectives and create culturally responsive learning environments. This course is not about how to tell stories or make art but about teaching Indigenous perspectives on storytelling and artistic expression.
Learning Outcomes
What You Will Learn and Do
In this course, you’ll have the opportunity to
- learn the perspectives of Indigenous cultures in shaping arts and storytelling traditions, and how these are woven into K–12 education through arts and storytelling
- explore the significance of traditional art forms and storytelling in conveying Indigenous histories, realities and cultural values and in demonstrating how to integrate them into various K–12 curricula to foster cross-cultural learning
- discover ways Indigenous communities use traditional and contemporary storytelling and expressive arts (e.g., music, dance, visual arts and crafts) to convey knowledge and preserve history
- identify and describe key elements of Indigenous knowledge, perspectives and cultural expressions through arts and storytelling
- appreciate the value of Indigenous storytelling principles, and apply them to create inclusive and culturally responsive learning environments
- critique existing teaching approaches and design instructional strategies and lesson plans to integrate Indigenous perspectives into multi-disciplinary curricula authentically
- demonstrate how individuals of any heritage can contribute to teaching through Indigenous ways of knowing by promoting respect, kindness and mutual learning in diverse educational settings
Assessments
Module 1
Principles of Indigenous Storytelling
Module 2
Indigenous Resilience and Resurgence
Progress Update 1
Module 3
Indigenous Storytelling as a Bridge Between Generations
Module 4
Indigenous Cosmologies
Formative Assessment
Module 5
Art as Advocacy
Progress Update 2
Module 6
Artists and Community Narratives
Module 7
Honouring Indigenous Voices
Summative Assessment