BU Teachings House

Indigenous Tipi & BU

The Teachings House is the vision for a gathering place for the sharing of knowledge and teachings for all nations – created for connection, relationship and community. It is a place for students, staff and community.  Initial events and conversations are a starting place that will help shape the Teachings House vision – inviting, including and involving many voices.

– Cree Knowledge Keeper, Susie McPherson-Derendy

Bringing Community Together.

The BU Teachings House brings community together to learn from one another, with initial teachings and circles led by local Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and Elders.

With different topics and teachings each month, members of the campus and broader community are invited to gather, listen and share.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

BU Teachings House – Upcoming Gatherings

December 2024

Winter Solstice – Marking the Change of Season

Friday, December 20
12:30 – 2?00 pm
He Oyate Tawapi Ceremony Room, Health Studies Building

Join BU Knowledge Keepers, colleagues and community members for teachings and stories that honour our connection to the natural world. It will be a time to reflect on this past year and set intentions for the season ahead.

All are invited to attend! Coffee, tea and bannock provided.

A welcoming space to share and learn.

Inspired by the works of Indigenous scholars Verna Kirkness and Ray Barnhardt and discussions with local Knowledge Keepers and Elders, we will meet in a way that reflects the 4 Rs:

  • Respect – For the land we gather on and lessons it offers. For the teachings and traditions shared by Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and Elders. For the stories shared by all in attendance – both Indigenous and non-Indigenous guests.
  • Relevance – We reflect on the stories and personal experiences that are shared and consider how they relate to our own. In doing so, we build on and expand understanding of ourselves in relation to those around us and the world we live in.
  • Responsibility – We create and contribute to a space that honours Indigenous knowledges and cultures, celebrates the voices of young people, and brings people with diverse backgrounds and experiences together.
  • Reciprocity – We listen to and learn from the knowledge, stories and experiences of others, while also offering our own (give and take). In doing so, we cultivate mutually respectful relationships from which we all benefit.

The BU Teachings House is an initiative of the Indigenous Education Senate Sub-Committee.


Resources:

Thorne, R. (2019, August 26). Teaching Through the Four Rs of Indigenous Education: Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity and Responsibility. Learning Bird. Retrieved from https://learningbird.com/teaching-through-the-four-rs-of-indigenous-education-respect-relevance-reciprocity-and-responsibility/

Kirkness, V. J. and R. Barnhardt (2001). First Nations and Higher Education: The Four R’s -Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, Responsibility. Knowledge Across Cultures: A Contribution to Dialogue Among Civilizations. R. Hayoe and J. Pan. Hong Kong, Comparative Education Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong