ED2500 - Inquiry Template - Richard Lee-Thai

Topic: ​Music Education

Inquiry Question: ​How can music education in Canadian schools be indigenized?

Sub Question 1:​ What does an educator need to be mindful of when trying to
incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing into the music classroom?

First of all, the 5th Alberta Education Teaching Quality Standard (TQS) is
Applying Foundational Knowledge about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. It further
outlines that achievement of this competency is demonstrated by indicators such as
“supporting the learning experiences of all students by using resources that accurately
reflect and demonstrate the strength and diversity of First Nations, Métis and Inuit”
(Alberta Government, p. 6). In other words, it is important for the educator to do their
research and have sufficient preparation so they are delivering accurate content. As the
Music Alive Program Teacher’s Guide notes: “There are 617 First Nation communities
in Canada with diverse cultural practices” (Sewepagaham & Tailfeathers, p. 2). While
there are some commonalities between Indigenous peoples, the educator has to be
able to explain the specific context that their content is coming from.

Building off this point, an educator needs to consider the reputability of sources
for the content they are planning to teach. For example, the Music Alive Program
Teacher’s Guide was developed by the National Arts Centre in collaboration with
various teachers and artists. Sherryl Sewepagham is Cree-Dene from Northern Alberta,
while Olivia Tailfeathers is from the Blood reserve in Southern Alberta. Both individuals
are accomplished musicians and recognized within their traditional communities. They
are reputable sources for their respective communities, but they are not experts for
Indigenous music from other communities. As such, Sherryl notes: “The traditional First
Nations teachings and historical content contained in this document are representative
of teachings obtained through various Cree elders, drum teachers, and family members.
They do not represent all First Nations or indigenous peoples throughout Canada”
(Sewepagaham, p. 2).

On the topic of sharing teaching and knowledge, it is important for an educator to

consider cultural protocols. An oral tradition is central to Indigenous ways of knowing,
and as such, songs are passed down orally from generation to generation. Sherryl
explains that there are song holders, which are individuals who have been granted the
right to carry those songs and share them with others (Sewepagaham, p. 6). If someone
else wants to learn a song, they must approach that song keeper and follow the cultural
protocol of making a formal request and providing a gift. Gifts vary among First Nations
groups, but include items such as a pouch of loose tobacco, a blanket, or a braid of
sweetgrass. While sacred songs stay within the appropriate ceremonies, songs that are
written in musical notation are meant to be shared with others who want to sing them,
but it is still respectful to acknowledge where it originated from.

Sub Question 2: ​What resources are currently available for music educators and how
effective would they be?

Resources could be broadly divided into 3 categories: A) Lesson plans that are
already developed for teachers, B) experiential learning by going to watch a live
performance or inviting Indigenous peoples to the school, or C) the educator creating
their own lesson plans through personal research.

Category A includes the Music Alive Program where there are already lesson
plans developed along with sheet music, audio recordings, and videos. Another
example is Nitohta: Listen to Earthsounds, which also includes the substitution of Michif
words into well-known songs like Old Macdonald Had A Farm (Sewepagaham &
Schutz, p. 21). Category B includes taking students to powwows or engaging
companies such as the Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society which puts on theatre shows
that incorporate musical elements and have accompanying study guides. Category C
includes interacting with living composers and musicians, looking into how traditional
Indigenous music has intersected with other contemporary genres, and using this
information to construct unique lesson plans. For example, Tanya Tagaq blends Inuit
throat singing with electronic, classical, punk and rock music (Stanley, 2015). As
another example, Dawn Avery, a Mohawk composer, wrote an academic article
analyzing the intersection of Indigenous and classical music (Avery, 2012).

The effectiveness of these resources comes back to the preparation of the

educator so that the content is following the TQS, is coming from reputable sources,
and is respecting cultural protocol. It takes additional effort, but can be that much more
enriching when an educator creates their own lesson plans, such as by engaging a
living composer. For instance, Allan Bell, a composer and professor at the University of
Calgary, has written pieces that include Indigenous elements, such as “Field Notes” and
“Bear Child” (Canadian Music Centre, n.d.). It would be possible for an educator to
contact Professor Bell and ask about their compositional process and allow the
educator to deliver a unique lesson to their class.
Overall Conclusions

There is truly much more breadth and depth that I could explore with these
questions. I found too much information and needed to narrow the focus of my answers.
However, this was a pleasant surprise for me as a music educator to know that there
are already many resources out there. Being in a music program and having a particular
interest in truth and reconciliation inspired my inquiry question. Although I have some
knowledge about music and truth and reconciliation separately, I have never done any
research about the intersection of these two topics.

Through this process of inquiry, I started creating a preliminary list of resources

that I plan to utilize when I become a teacher. The references includes all the resources
that I consulted when doing my inquiry project, even if I did not use them for an in-text
citation. I plan on continuing to build on this list more for personal and professional
interest. I am still left with the question of how effective these lesson plans would be in a
classroom, but that requires actually implementing them in a real teaching situation,
which both makes me nervous and excites me.
 References

Avery, D. (2012). Tékeni - Two Worlds, Many Borders: A Look at Classical Native Music
through Indigenous Eyes. ​MUSICultures​, ​39(​ 1), 129-VIII.
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1413254595?accountid=12063

Canadian Music Centre. ​Allan Gordon Bell.​ Retrieved February 9, 2020, from
https://www.musiccentre.ca/node/37172

CBC News. (2019, March 2). ​Classical musicians pushing for more involvement in
Indigenous projects.​ CBC News. Retrieved February 9, 2020, from
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/indigenous-music-gathering-1.5039496

Hoefnagels, A. (2016, July 21). ​Powwow Music​. The Canadian Encyclopedia.

Retrieved February 9, 2020, from
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/powwowmusic

McKiver, B. ​Boozhoo Manoomin Suite​. Beverley McKiver, Pianist/Composer. Retrieved

February 9, 2020, from: ​https://beverleymckiver.com/boozhoo-manoomin-suite/

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. ​Music​. Deepening Knowledge, Resources for
and about Aboriginal Education. Retrieved February 10, 2020, from
https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/deepeningknowledge/Teacher_Resources/Curriculu
m_Resources_(by_subjects)/Music/index.html

Sewepagaham, S. ​All My Relations: Celebrating Canada’s Indigenous Peoples, Music

Alive Program Teacher’s Guide​. National Arts Centre. Retrieved February 10,
2020 from
http://naccna-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/final_version_all_my_relations_eng_for
_online_posting.pdf

Sewepagaham, S. & Schutz, N. ​Nitohta: Listen to Earthsounds, A Teacher Resource

Guide on Listening and Creating​. National Arts Centre. Retrieved February 10,
2020, from ​http://naccna-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/nitohta_guide_eng_final.pdf
Sewepagaham, S. & Tailfeathers, O.​ Celebrating Canada’s Indigenous Peoples
Through Song and Dance, Music Alive Program Teacher’s Guide.​ National Arts
Centre. Retrieved February 10, 2020, from
http://artsalive.ca/pdf/mus/map/Indigenous-Teacher_Guide_en.pdf

Stanley, L. (2015, July 16). ​Tanya Tagaq​. The Canadian Encyclopedia.

Retrieved February 9, 2020, from
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/tanya-tagaq

Whidden, L. (2006, February 7). ​Music of the Métis.​ The Canadian Encyclopedia.
Retrieved February 9, 2020, from
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/metis-emc

Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society. ​2019/2020 Season.​ Retrieved February 10, 2020,
from ​http://makingtreaty7.com/2019-2020-season/