Kate welcomes Catherine Shawana, a member of Wiikwemkoong unceded territory, for a candid discussion about her First Nation school's journey from balanced literacy to structured literacy, as well as a broader conversation about First Nations education. Catherine's passions are rooted in the foundation of building Anishnawbek identity and establishing a connection to Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being. She believes this strength-based identity work is necessary for all students to develop a positive sense of identity and to understand. We all have a community of stories waiting to be told and heard.

Show Notes:

Catherine mentioned that the Right to Read report contains not only recommendations for improving practice in Ontario, but also a historical context of First Nations, Métis and Inuit experiences. Read more here. 

Throughout the episode, Catherine referenced several past IDA Ontario webinars and workshops:

Catherine "binge listened" to the Amplify Science of Reading podcast, hosted by Susan Lambert.

Kate mentioned Dr. Rudine Sims Bishops' metaphor of 'mirrors, windows and sliding doors' - see the paper where she originally coined the phrase, as well as a more recent video of her discussing diversity in books and the authors who write them

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