Engaging with Indigenous Curriculum
Equipping BC Educators for Decolonizing Pedagogy
This institute is designed to support BC educators with the Indigenous-focused graduation requirement course introduced in the 2023-2024 academic year and with decolonizing and Indigenizing their teaching practices.
There is cause for optimism and excitement based on the new graduate requirement. Robust support is essential for teachers leading these courses to ensure confidence in content and pedagogy. While there are a diversity of courses being offered, there are common threads and concepts that are imperative to lead Indigenous education in secondary education. The aim of the summer institute is to support teachers in building on their learning to gain expertise in these areas.
The in-person institute will emphasize a growth of knowledge of Indigenous histories, decolonization, Indigenous Knowledges, and anti-oppression. Led by two Indigenous scholars and educators, participants will be supported in positioning themselves in relation to the work, while expanding and shifting their thinking on what is possible for an Indigenous graduate requirement course.
We view all teachers as having a place in leading these courses, but the imperative first step is recognizing our positionality and how it directs us in our teaching. There will be a focus on how to regionalize your curriculum to represent your community’s Indigenous Knowledges and cultures, while also considering localized experiences of colonization to ensure the design is responsive and avoids pan-Indigenous approaches.
Institute details are being finalized. Please subscribe to stay up to date on important information on the Institute.
Quick Info
Dates: August 2025
Length: 1 week
Location: UBC Vancouver
Credentials: Non-Credit
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Institute Details
Instructors
Dr. Dustin Louie
Dr. Dustin Louie is a First Nations scholar from Nee Tahi Buhn and Nadleh Whut’en of the Dakelh Nation of central British Columbia. He is a member of the Beaver Clan. Dustin’s education background includes a degree in Canadian history, a master’s degree in international relations, and a PhD in educational research. The topic of Dr. Louie’s doctoral dissertation was Sexual Exploitation Prevention Education for Indigenous Girls. He has worked as an historian in a land claims law firm, studied Indigenous homelessness in Western Canada, worked internationally for non-governmental organizations in Uganda and Australia, and began his academic career as an Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor at the Werklund School of Education in the University of Calgary.
Dr. Louie is also the Director of NITEP and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. He teaches courses related to Indigenous education, social justice, and educational philosophy; works closely with four school districts on decolonizing at the provincial and local level with government and private organizations, researches practical approaches to Indigenizing education, decolonizing education, Indigenous pedagogies, and critical theory. Dr. Louie has published in the top educational journals in Canada on diverse topics in Indigenous education.
Leona Prince
Siy Leona Prince sadnee. Lhts’umusyoo habilh dzees zilh. Lusilyoo haba dza gel dzut. Sne’ Joyce Prince tl’a Sbeb Gordon Barfoot habatnee. Leona Prince is a Dakelh woman from the Lake Babine Nation and Nak’azdli and belongs to the Lhts’umusyoo Clan. She is a descendant of Stiche and Chief Kwah. She is the mother of three amazing children and is a passionate award-winning educator.
In 2017, she was awarded the Alumni of the Year award for Professional Excellence by the Alumini Association of UNBC, her alma mater. She also received an Indspire Award for Educational Leadership at the 2018 Guiding the Journey Educator Awards. Leona is a sought-after speaker and has authored two children’s books, A Dance Through the Seasons, and Be a Good Ancestor which was released in the spring of 2022.
Location & Format
August 2025
In August 2025, the Institute will be held in-person at the UBC Vancouver over the course of a week.
Information on possible accommodations will be shared closer to the date.
Ongoing in 2025-26 Academic Year
In addition to the week-long learning at UBC, participants will collaborate in subsequent sessions online during the school year to share their approaches and successes, while checking in with Dr. Louie to build on their course design and pedagogy.