1. Session 3

1.4. Inquiry 2

CCS3140 Sesson 3

Session 3: Understanding Aboriginal Children and Their Families

 

Inquiry 2: A Holistic Perspective

 
Aboriginal Medicine Wheel
 

Learn about the Aboriginal Medicine Wheel (sometimes called a Wellness Wheel or Holistic Support Wheel) by doing an Internet search using the terms “Best Start + holistic sheet.” You will find the document “Holistic Support Wheel” on the Best Start website under the Resources—Child Development section. It is important that you read this document—you will not be able to complete Learning Activity 2 without the information from this document.

 

A Holistic Perspective
 

While Western education often focuses on verbal thinking and uses an analytical approach to learning, Aboriginal worldviews address the whole person, encompassing their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual capabilities in relation to all living things.

 

Aboriginal worldviews assume that all forms are interconnected, and that the survival of each life form is dependent on the survival of all others. Aboriginal worldviews also note that the force animating the life forms is derived from an unseen but knowable spiritual realm.

 

Aboriginal worldviews see a unified vision, rather than an artificial fragmentation of concepts. These worldviews assert that all life is sacred and that all life forms are connected. Humans are neither above nor below others in the circle of life. Everything that exists in the circle is one unity, one heart.

 

Western education often artificially separates learning into discrete subject areas. An Aboriginal perspective uses an integrated approach. For example, the making of a star quilt would be seen as an art involving geometry (including symmetry and rotations), an opportunity to meet a quilt maker from the community, and a way to learn cultural teachings regarding the star pattern and quilt. Quiltmaking is often a communal experience, and working with others to meet a common goal is an opportunity to explore and learn about the importance of establishing and maintaining relationships.

 

Consider the following strategies for fostering this perspective:

  • Build learning activities around meaningful content that relates to students’ experiences and engages them in tasks based on their learning interests.

  • Allow opportunities for visual symbolic thinking and holistic approaches to education.

  • Look for opportunities to make connections among subject areas; for example, social studies, literature, and art.

  • Explore the ways learning can happen as a result of flexible scheduling. For example, can scheduling changes on a field trip accommodate opportunities for holistic learning?

  • When appropriate, ask a member of the Aboriginal community to assist with the learning and to provide an Aboriginal perspective. This will enhance the credibility of the learning activity and build a connection between the school and the community.