Teaching Life Narratives in the Classroom: Strategies Based on Indigenous Traditions

ABSTRACT

The life narrative is an oral genre grounded in Indigenous tradition and teaching practice. In Canadian Indigenous communities, the expertise and content transmitted by life narratives are a part of their oral heritage. Drawing from their personal and professional experiences in Indigenous school environments, as well as the results from exploratory studies, the authors have developed an educational model for teaching life narratives in the classroom. This paper begins with an overview on the pedagogical use of life narratives for historical reconciliation, knowledge and expertise preservation, and ethical education. This enables the authors to propose a definition supported by the existing scientific literature. An analysis of the data collected from Innu, Algonquin, and Mohawk communities revealed the main strategies commonly used by their teachers and Elders. A pedagogical model dividing these strategies into planning, integration, and implementation phases for using life narratives is finally presented.

Acknowledgments

This paper was edited by Christopher Krajewski. The funding for the editing was provided by the Centre de recherche interuniversitaire sur la formation et le profession enseignante (CRIFPE).

Notes

¹ Lavoie, C. (2010–2013). Enseignement de la communication orale en milieu innu. New researcher: FRQSC.

² Lavoie, C. (2010–2013). La réussite en français des élèves autochtones. Chantier 7: MELS.

Additional information

Funding

Part of the results came from research projects funded by the Fonds de recherche québécois société et culture and by the Ministry of Education of Quebec.

Notes on contributors

Constance Lavoie

Constance Lavoie, PhD, is a professor at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi. Her research interests are oral teaching practices, vocabulary learning, and phonological awareness in kindergarten and elementary schools in multilingual and Indigenous contexts. She is an associate at the Centre de recherche interuniversitaire sur la formation et la profession enseignante (CRIFPE).

Patricia-Anne Blanchet

Patricia-Anne Blanchet, MA, is a drama teacher in elementary school at the School Board Val-Des-Cerfs in Quebec. She has completed an MA in Education at University Sherbrooke. She is an Innu-Metis and involved in various Indigenous community activities.