This experiential K-12 curriculum format was designed by Aamookwe Amy McCoy and grounded in Anishinaabe scientific epistemology and ontology with accompanying demonstrations of curricula for experiential learning through relationships connected to food sovereignty.
"The lesson plans include a shift in thinking from an Anishinaabe perspective of relationships with our larger family within creation that include our more than human relatives," said Aamookwe Amy McCoy.
"The gifts that each being has to share is an integral part of the whole interconnected system as are intergenerational relationships, play/art/music/game based learning and family stories," continued McCoy.
"This framework is an introductory experience unsettling science curriculum. It is meant to change and adapt over time as we continue to reconnect with more than human relatives through the relational ways of being and knowing that is Anishinaabe science. I hope it inspires you and your students to value the teachings that your first family, or more than human relatives carry, but also to draw attention to the important teachings your human relatives carry in the memories of their own lives growing up.
As you experience the lessons, there are key opportunities for students to connect with their families and extended families at home. Conversations with relatives about what they remember activate the living history integral to community knowledge. This strand of the experience is also powerful in unsettling the hierarchy of knowledge systems. Anishinaabe scientific thinking involves respect for the stories our families carry. Common threads weave throughout these lessons to create a whole picture. Each lesson is meant to provide opportunities to awakening Anishinaabe thinking and being within your classroom community. Not every strand lies within each activity or lesson. Rather, the activities weave the aspects to awaken the larger picture as a whole.
You will find the following sections in lessons, however not every section will accompany every activity. These sections are designed to assist in the overall shift in relationship building with our first family."
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This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.