Resurgence: Engaging With Indigenous Narratives and Cultural Expressions In and Beyond the Classroom (The Footbridge)

by Christine M'Lot (Editor), Katya Ferguson (Editor), Sonya Ballantyne

Resurgence is an inspiring collection of contemporary Indigenous poetry, art, and narratives that guides teachers in bridging existing K–12 curricula with Indigenous voices and pedagogies. Walk with us along the footbridge which seeks to:


engage tensions
connect peoples and places
link truth and reconciliation as ongoing processes
symbolize the risk and urgency of this work for both Indigenous and settler educators
highlight the importance of balance, both of ideas and within ourselves
Through critical engagement with the texts, experienced educators Christine M’Lot and Katya Adamov Ferguson support readers in discovering Indigenous narratives and perspectives, using Indigenous works in their classrooms, and creating more equitable and sustainable teaching practices.

In this resource, you will find


diverse Indigenous voices, perspectives, and art forms from all across Turtle Island
valuable concepts and methods that can be applied to the classroom and beyond
practical action steps and resources for educators, parents, librarians, and administrators
Use this book as a springboard for your own learning journey or as a lively prompt for dialogue within your professional learning community.

Genres: Indigenous, Education, Teaching, Canada, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 26, 2022

Reviews

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent professional resource.

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relevant essays with lots of great ideas for translating the ideas to the classroom as well as suggestions for further reading.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The closest book to what I've been hoping to find for years to be able to better integrate Indigenous content in classes. It is very clear about asking Indigenous elders, paying honorariums, etc. but also includes some pieces I've never seen that could definitely work in 10-12.

[Colleen | Paperback.Portals · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resurgence is a exceptional educator resource for integrating Indigenous voices in any classroom. The book has a variety of texts available in its pages that are perfect for many subjects, as well as fantastic teaching resources for connection and extension at several levels (beginning, bridging, and beyond). The additional recommended resources and prevalent themes for each text also allows the educator to extend and add to already well developed lesson ideas.

The celebration of Indigenous voices inside of the pages of Resurgence is not only a great educator resource, but also an amazing compilation of perspectives that can be explored individually. Using the prompts and extensions, a reader can dig deeper in their understanding of Indigenous perspectives as well as learn more about culture, beliefs, and ideologies.

If you haven’t read this book yet, go check it out!

[Clayton Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A topic that I always need to and want to know more about. And as an educator always looking for ways to have a meaningful connection and convo with students on indigenous ways of knowing and learning. This book does exactly that and more. I’ll be recommending this resource to everyone in my field.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for teacher professional development. Easy to read and visually well laid out. Thought provoking questions and each chapter written by a different indigenous author.

[Christina Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Resurgence” is a collection of essays, stories, and poetry curated intentionally towards helping educators better support learners in engaging with the often difficult history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada in relation to a destructive colonial past. Composed in four sections: Resistance, Resilience, Restoring, and Reconnecting, editors Christine M’Lot and Katya Adamov Ferguson demonstrate an active and ongoing history and relationship to historical events through a carefully and insightfully curated collection featuring voices from across Turtle Island, celebrating the accomplishments of authors and artists alike.

As a professional resource, this book makes for an excellent read for all educators from Kindergarten to University. It can further be used in the classroom; while some of the writing is more geared towards high school students, there are certainly a number of pieces that can be used in grades 4-7 classrooms. Each piece is accompanied by an analysis and commentary, and includes suggestions for how to better understand the author and what they have offered, as well as how to integrate the writing and/or ideas into your teaching. Well conceived, this is an important and practical resource that will help towards increasing educators’ understanding and their ability to teach complex and sensitive topics to students of all ages.



- Teacher Tips -

* The Table of Contents is well-organised by subject matter and age-level

* The Essays are engaging and can often make good read-alouds to facilitate discussion

* Visuals of artwork are included in the book and can help students better understand writing

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from a workshop in my board on Indigenous Education. What this book is is is a collection of essays from Indigenous educators, artists, Knowledge Keepers about the theme of Resurgence. The essays are superb and are really useful for both educators in learning about the experience of Indigenous peoples, but also for use with students as a way of entering into this theme. They come with various reflections and questions for reflection as well as next steps, which are useful for teachers. The stories are moving and thoughtful, so will engage readers. Well worth reading!

[Sam Sawazki · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many wonderful works by Indigenous artists that made me think about the many fascinating ways to teach Indigenous knowledge and worldviews. As a new teacher I’m so thankful for this resource to help me put Indigenous peoples and cultures into the foreground of my practice from the beginning.

[Raina Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every non-Indigenous educator needs to read this.

[Laura Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic resource for all educators

[Ricardo Quijada · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ways my second time reading this, which speaks volumes. Such a great book for any one in the public sector, especially educators. It really gets you thinking on 'ways of knowing.'

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. I read it with the intention of using some of the pieces in my grade 8 and 11 English classes, and it will certainly work well for that. As I read it, though, I realized that the book will have even more value as a springboard for educators' professional conversations. Each text is accompanied by discussion prompts for educators and questions with which students can engage. All are thought-provoking and likely to lead to deeper conversations about important ideas. The texts themselves are carefully selected and organized. I strongly encourage all educators to pick up this book.