Vahn gwinzii!
K-12 Teaching at Chief Zzeh Gittlit School
I came to the Yukon in 2009 to collaborate with the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and Chief Zzeh Gittlit School in re-developing their spring culture camp programming as part of my graduate studies. Later moving to Old Crow, I worked together with Elders, citizens and VGG staff to establish the first high school program using cultural and land-based learning and cooperative workplace training. I later taught Grades 4-5-6 focusing on developing community-learning experiences – experiences such as a week skidooing out to Crow Flats to establish a winter camp at -45’C while working on English, math, science and physical education learning objectives while co-teaching with an Elder. I have spent the past 15 years problematizing my settler bias, focusing on unlearning and re-learning to work for First Nation educational goals.
Lands programs at YukonU
I joined Yukon College in 2018 as the Land-based Programs Coordinator to collaborate with Yukon First Nations to co-teach community and land-based English and science courses, as well as develop Indigenous Guardian and Northern Outdoor Leadership training certificates.
YNTEP/BEAD at YukonU
In April 2023 I joined the Bachelor of Education team and Yukon Native Teacher Education Program (YNTEP) and Bachelor of Education After-Degree (BEAD). We are partnering with First Nation School Board and the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate on the Collaborative Indigenous Teachers Education Program, a $2 million, 4-year Rideau Hall-funded project to increase the number of Indigenous students in our program through initiatives including increasing access pathways, co-teaching, culturally-responsive methods and land-based programming. Together with Continuing Studies and our Rideau funding, we have up and running an outdoor classroom spaces on campus with Dzísk’w S’ísaa Hít/Moose Cloth House (Tlingit) and Vadzaih Zheh/Caribou House (Vuntut Gwich’in).
Research
I am currently working on my Doctorate of Education together with Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation on how VGFN and Chief Zzeh Gittlit School community would like to move forward under the First Nation School Board.
Educational background
Bachelor of Arts (Mount Allison University)
Bachelor of Education (Queen’s University)
Masters of Environmental Studies (Dalhousie University)
In progress Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Simon Fraser University)