Number one favourite new book - Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies: An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education

 Out of all the books that I have read over the last few years, this one is by far my favourite. 

Jo Chrona has contributed so much to education in BC through her work on committees, in curriculum development, and as a speaker. She has a strong foundation working as a teacher in public schools in BC, and I think that that's part of the reason why her work resonates with educators. I like the way that she has a lot of anecdotes in the book regarding conversations that she has had with others over the years. It makes the book very conversational and approachable. There are some complex ideas in her work, but she makes them accessible to a general audience. 

This book was published in 2022, and it's an excellent orientation to a lot of the good work that has been happening here in BC with respect to curriculum and pedagogy. Many of the chapters are relevant to anyone working in K-12 and the book contains an abundance of practical tips throughout. But the chapters on the First Peoples Principles of Learning and Authentic Indigenous Resources will likely be particularly helpful in a practical sense for those who are teaching in BC, including those teaching the Indigenous graduation requirements. 

From a theoretical perspective, I found her positioning of decolonization and reconciliation interesting. First, she raises an issue. "I often wonder if it is possible to decolonize an education system that is inherently a colonial construct. It seems to me that decolonization is often used to justify any change that someone wants to make in education, regardless of whether it is in response to the priorities of the Indigenous people who have been most impacted by colonization in this country." (p.43).  She answers this question of whether or not it is possible to decolonize education with the following explanation: "If we define decolonization as the continuing process of critically examining and challenging beliefs, values, structures, and processes that are steeped in mindsets that implicitly or overtly devalue or exclude Indigenous Peoples, rights, knowledge systems, and processes, then yes, we can engage in decolonization. However, I refer to this process as Reconciliation through education and responding to the rights of Indigenous Peoples as expressed though UNDRIP or specific comparable provincial or territorial declarations." (p.43). 

If you are curious about her work but on the fence about whether or not to buy her book, I recommend checking out this snippet of the book on her blog.