LEADING LIGHTS Issue 3 | 2024
We began this reflection with no mind in end. And we continue with no end in mind. NZEALS 2024 was a deeply transformative experience for us individually and collectively. NZEALS 2024 presented an opportunity to learn in community with an international gathering of Indigenous scholarly practitioners and invited allies. This adventure was significant in that we deepen our understanding of self while in the service of community when we engage with others as a community of learners. All learning, and unlearning truth be told, is relational and reciprocal.
Western University’s (London, Ontario, Canada) EdD in Educational Leadership program is deeply committed to nurturing transformative learning experiences for its students. Ultimately, it is the students who, through their respective Dissertation in Practice (DiP) narratives, mobilize and leverage their transformative learning experiences both for our EdD program and their communities that they serve. Our students are our ambassadors.
Our panel discussion was built upon the Honourable Murray Sinclair’s (2024), Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), four questions framework. Where do I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? Who am I? These four students crossed Western’s convocation stage on October 24, 2024.
Our Research, Our Communities
Before reflecting on our NZEALS 2024 experiences, here is a summary of our respective studies. Nicole is of European and Ojibwe heritage. She is a member of Garden River First Nation which is part of the Robinson-Huron Treaty. She is the principal at an urban faith-based private school. Nicole’s research, Niinwi-kiinwa-kiinwi: The Path to Reconciliation, Decolonization and Pursuing Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing) Pedagogy in a Faith-based Organization, focused on how Etuaptmumk pedagogy and Indigenous mindsets inspired a movement toward reciprocal relationships and learning between a faith-based organization and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and Elders.
Wayne is Red River Metis from Selkirk, Manitoba. He is Director of Student Teaching at the University of Winnipeg where he teaches. Wayne was recognized as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals in 2014.Wayne’s research, Wyi Wah! Mamaskacikiwey Itota: An Integration of Indigenous Culture and Academics at a Manitoba High School, addressed a leadership challenge in the form of an inability for the Indigenous student population at Riverview to keep pace academically with their non-Indigenous peers.
Shelly is Red River Metis educational leader who has dedicated her career to supporting equitable educational experiences for all. She is currently employed as the Anti-Racist Education Professional Learning Coordinator in partnership with the Community Education Development Association (CEDA), and three urban school divisions in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Shelly’s research, Kaykwy Wii Ooshihtaayen Dimayn? What Will You Do Tomorrow? Strengthening Indigenous Leadership Capacity to Impact School Culture and Achievement, centered around a lack of preparation for leaders in schools to effectively incorporate Indigenous leadership approaches to positively impact school culture and impact achievement for Indigenous youth.
Lindy is a member of the Manitoba Metis Federation and the Red River homeland. She lives and works in Treaty 3 territory where she presently serves as the Indigenous Language Coordinator for the public-school board as well as the principal of Kaa’Naa’Matay Wiigiiam, a K-12 land based school. Lindy’s research, Mino-bimaadiziwin: ReIndigenizing through Land-Based Learning, focused on the development of meaningful and relevant practices in curriculum, pedagogy, and school-based leadership in response to TRC (2015) Calls to Action 62 and 63.
Engaging Our NZEALS 2024 Colleagues with the Work and Joy of Learning
Our panel discussion was a way to engage participants in listening and dialogue related to the importance of personal narrative and story to ground research and academic work to Indigenous theory pedagogy. Individually and collectively, we were able to share pieces of our research related to the need for educational leaders to incorporate Indigenous leadership approaches to support academic achievement and school culture of Indigenous and non-Indigenous schools.
We also recognize that deeper learning using Indigenous pedagogies is about reciprocity; following Shelly’s lead, time was given for participants to engage with one another and reflect on their own personal stories that have impacted them as educators. Just as we have benefited from the power of listening to and learning from one another throughout the EdD experience, we wanted to ensure that these educators from around the world had an opportunity to connect our work to their own international experiences. During our EdD program continuum we learned about how empathy and metacognition are dimensions of storytelling. Specifically, we learn about others by listening to their truths expressed via their stories, and we learn about ourselves relating to these truths.
We were provided opportunities to present our respective Dissertation in Practices (DiP) and the motivation behind the work completed over the last three years. For example, Nicole focused on finding her voice and exploring her Indigeneity. Nicole spoke about reconciliation, decolonization, and Two-Eyed Seeing. Others shared similar themes throughout the conference. Interestingly, similar themes were threaded and embedded throughout the third day when we presented. This was an enjoyable time for reflection and connection, but it was also a time to engage in deeper conversation with those outside our context. We were able to connect with several educational leaders who wanted to know more about our research. NZEALS 2024 reinforced our individual and collective understanding that the doctoral learning journey and service to community are processes of constant reflection and refinement.
Wayne spoke about the historical roots of the Red River Metis nation and then touched upon his own work exploring Manitoba Indigenous High School graduation rates and tying in student voice, Indigenous caregiver advocacy and schools understanding and respecting the concept of ‘Nothing About Us – Without us!’ This concept is an essential moral imperative for all those engaged in the work of decolonization. Western University’s EdD in Educational Leadership program stresses the importance of positionality throughout the program continuum. We have shared many discussions whether consideration of positionality comes before consideration of context or vice versa. We encourage our reader to pause and reflect on that question for a moment. What do you think? All five of us shared pieces of our personal background and experiences, a broader picture was painted of what decolonization and reconciliation looks and feels like through our work as scholarly practitioners and leaders in educational settings across Turtle Island.
During our post-presentation debrief, Lindy shared that our NZEALS colleagues and participants commented that our ways of knowing and being were modelled through our decision to present in a traditional sharing circle. This was intentional. We aimed to establish a sense of respect and reciprocity by bringing participants into the circle as a means of inclusive communication, which is often a challenge in a conference setting. In this setting, the challenge became an opportunity.
It Was Early Morning Yesterday
Representation matters. Being able to have Indigenous representation from a Canadian post-secondary institution means something personally but also within academia. There continues to be a need to ensure that all voices are represented within academic and educational settings. Our experience created opportunities to build connections with educators around the globe who are dedicated to pursuing similar research interests. Shelly reminded us that while the sense of accomplishment was great upon completion of the EdD, opportunities to engage in authentic dialogue with colleagues reinforced that our work as leaders in education had only just begun. For some, the point of the doctoral journey is to arrive at convocation, and to celebrate, metaphorically, roads less traveled. The point of convocation is to embark upon the next journey. On the road again.
Nicole reflected that the work that we completed to craft our respective DiPs was personal, but that does not make it insular. After attending this prestigious international conference, there were themes in the education sector threaded and embedded at all levels from ECE to tertiary institutions. This was a way to implement our knowledge mobilization plan from our respective DiPs, but also a way for was to continue learning and growing.
Wayne reminded us that doctoral candidates must put in the work. The discussions, readings, and other work paid off. We were able to participate and hold our own in conversations with practitioners and academics of many levels from emergent, such as us to luminaries, we know who you are, in the field who have written several seminal works that many of us quoted and touched upon through the past three years. Your work continues to impact, both directly and indirectly, on the lives of many, most of whom you will never meet. Thank you.
Lindy reinforced our shared understanding that the doctoral learning journey is not a linear process. We began our respective EdD journey with clear goals but found the path winds with dips and curves. We encourage anyone on a similar journey to be open to those pivots (and roundabouts!) as they can take you to the most fascinating places. We were reminded to have faith in the process throughout our doctoral journey. More importantly, we were reminded to have faith in ourselves and our colleagues. It takes a village. It takes a community.
Villages, Communities, and Gratitude
Mushkego Cree scholar Dr. Candace Brunette-Debassige once reflected, “Scott, for you it is about service to students. For me, it is about service to community.” Truthfully, it is both. NZEALS 2024 created a space to collaborate with colleagues and faculty across the two EdD cohorts. The support of our faculty supervisor helped our group to recognize the value of our collective voice as Indigenous scholarly practitioners and fostered the confidence to share our work on an international stage; for inspiring and challenging us to act on our individual and collective goals for knowledge mobilization. We remain appreciative of Western University for supporting our participation at this conference, to remove barriers for Indigenous scholarly practitioners. We remain humbled by the responsibility and commitment to the stories shared by us at the NZEALS 2024 conference as we embark on the next steps of our respective educational leadership journeys, with a non-negotiable commitment to supporting equity deserving groups of people.
These types of experiences are so important professional and personal levels. We met people from around the world who were in similar leadership roles, which was fantastic. Those types of interactions were inspirational and cannot be replicated. Many of you will question whether you are capable of being at a conference like NZEALS or others or writing journal articles or thinking about publishing your own book. The only thing holding you back will be you. Get past your humility and the imposter syndrome and get into the game. Everyone is cheering for you to succeed and if they are not, they do not matter.
NZEALS offered a transformative opportunity to connect with educational leaders and find commonalities in our goals and challenges in many areas. On a personal note, we would like to publicly thank Dr. Ann Lopez, Dr. Carolyn Shields, and other academics, leaders and teachers who have had an impact on our thinking and research for their inspirational and influential work in the lives and scholarship of Western’s EdD in Educational Leadership students. Our fantastic voyage to Christchurch, New Zealand brought us together as colleagues and friends. Thank you to Dr. Ann Briggs and team for their warm welcome, generosity of spirit, and outstanding conference.
