The intent of this workshop is to increase participants’ critical analysis and understanding about the history and role of Canada’s Residential Schools and its impacts on Indigenous Peoples, key findings from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report and its implications on decolonizing teaching and learning.

Learning Objectives

Participants will gain a critical understanding about the history and role of Canada’s Residential schools and its impacts on Indigenous peoples and education from a historical and contemporary context.

Leaders Information

This workshop is led by Donna Kahérakwas Goodleaf.

Donna Kahérakwas Goodleaf is Turtle Clan and is a citizen from the Kanien’kehaka (Mohawk) Nation, Kahnawake Territory, which is part of the Rotinonhsión:ni Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy. She is a Kanien’kehá:ka educator and scholar who joined Concordia university in January of 2018 and is the Director Decolonizing Curriculum and Pedagogy . Her primary role is to develop university-wide training for Concordia faculty on decolonizing and Indigenizing their curriculum programs of study in ways that re-center the advancement and integration of Indigenous peoples’ diverse humanities - intellectual, scientific and cultural knowledge systems, worldviews, epistemologies, histories, research and pedagogies across all academic units. She also serves on the Indigenous Directions Leadership Group.

Her faculty teaching and Indigenous-centered curriculum design experiences in various academic programs in the Humanities span across Canada and the United States. In addition, Donna has vast experiences working in Indigenous communities on a local, national and international level in the areas of Indigenous-centered education, language and cultural revitalization programs. Her current research interests are in decolonization and advancing Indigenous Humanities, Indigenous –centered-education, protection and promotion of Indigenous language and cultural rights, Indigenous land rights and rights to self-determination and Human Rights.