Anishnaabe scholars say research on education in First Nations is key to revitalizing language, culture

Kenjgewin Teg, a post secondary institution on Manitoulin Island, recently held its first research conference. 

It's another milestone for this stand-alone Anishnaabe place of learning that initially started out as an institution offering education and training programs before obtaining the credentials required to grant certificates, diplomas and degrees in 2023.

Four researchers affiliated with Kenjgewin Teg presented the results of their work focused on education systems in that first event.

Melanie Manitowabi presented a thesis she wrote while pursuing her PhD at Nipissing University, exploring early learning environments in Anishnaabek communities through interviews and field work. 

She says she was inspired to research this after having spent time as an educator in Whitefish River First Nation.

"It really gave me insight as to what those early years look like for our children," she said. "And it made me want to understand what we really want for our children in those spaces." 

She says what came out from in-depth conversations with other educators was the need for biskaabiiyang, or the "return to ourselves", a principle that examines the effects of colonialism on the mind. 

The goal is to understand how to create an education model based on an Anishnaabe world view. Manitowabi says that includes centering the learning from where the child is at, as opposed to where the educator or the education system is at. 

It also involves incorporating land based learning and anishinaabemowin in the curriculum. 

And that's where Manitowabi believes it boils down to policies. 

"Depending on where you work or how you are funded, sometimes policies are written in a way that might make supervisors uneasy about taking children out on the land," she said. 

She thinks broader policies on that front would help children feel connected to their environment. 

She also thinks educators and those in positions of authority or leadership should be given the resources to be more fluent in anishinaabemowin. 

"There's a lot of media focused on childcare centres, but we have to really think about it in a deeper lens of what education really means," she said.