The Indigenous Knowledge Implementation Packsack: A Handbook for Embedding Indigenous Ways of Knowing in Your Teaching

This guide from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario offers advice to postsecondary educators seeking to recognize the importance of indigenous knowledge and promote critical thinking in the classroom. The Packsack is presented as a “haversack”, a term used by the Aboriginal peoples of Northern Ontario to represent the canvas bag that hunters and trappers carried into the forest.

It answers questions such as:

• Am I allowed to teach indigenous knowledge?
• What are the best practices for holistic education?
• How do I know if I’m doing things right?

Four visual guides accompany this guide and can be downloaded and consulted separately.

• The First Way – Wholistic Teaching and Learning
• The Second Way – Communicating Through Story
• The Third Way – Strong Relational Thinking
• The Fourth Way – Practicing Humility