Walk With Me: Experiential Learning Curriculum in Response to the TRC Calls to Action
On September 30, 2023, we mark the third annual National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) in this land now known as Canada.
In the days leading up to September 30th, the School of Leadership Studies (SLS) is posting a series of blogs with resources to support ongoing learning in pursuit of truth, justice, decolonizaton, and reconciliACTION.
In this post we share open access curriculum for the collaboratively designed experiential activity, “Walk With Me.” This activity is a response to the TRC’s calls to action and can be adapted in whole or in part for audiences of all ages, whether in schools or in community. The curriculum design and accompanying handouts and other resources can be found here: https://www.walk-with-me-online.com/
Overview of “Walk With Me”
In this activity, participants move through a series of stations. First, they learn to locate themselves according to traditional Indigenous place names. They then meet in small groups to read and reflect upon excerpts from memoirs, poetry, fiction, historical documents, song lyrics and testimonies—written predominantly by Indigenous authors—that address the legacy of colonization. A series of prompts on handouts guide them first in finding elements in the readings that resonate deeply for them, and then in collaboratively crafting brief performative presentations based on their personal associations that emerge. Their performances are then shared with the entire group and an open dialogue begins. To close, there is an opportunity to plan for further self-directed learning and complete a smudging practice.
The title of this activity was born when a member of the creative team and Heron Peoples Circle, Shirley Alphonse, suggested that no one could actually “walk in my shoes” if they have not experienced what she or other Indigenous people have experienced, but perhaps they could instead “walk with me” for a little while.
Thank Yous!
First and foremost gratitude goes to Shirley Alphonse for her wisdom and guidance as a member of the creative team and other members of the Heron Peoples Circle, including TEȺȽIE Nadine Charles, who joined various offerings of this activity on the RRU campus. Other members of the creative team include Asma-na-hi Antoine, Krystal Cook, Will Weigler, Lisa Corak, Niels Agger-Gupta, Cheryl Heykoop, and Catherine Etmanski. Huge thanks to other members of the School of Leadership Studies and RRU’s President’s office as well as Keil Kodama, Kolby Kosczak, and Roland Ginger who helped along the way. Finally, thanks to Will Weigler for his work designing the open access curriculum website for Walk with Me: https://www.walk-with-me-online.com/
Other Resources
Originally designed and staged at RRU in October 2018 and February 2019, this work has been adapted by members of the creative team and presented for the International Leadership Association, Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education, Ashoka U Exchange, and University of Victoria.
Write ups have also been published in the following sources:
Agger-Gupta, N., Etmanski, C., Weigler, W., Heykoop, C., Corak, L., Antoine, A., Cook, K., & Alphonse, S. (2019). Walk with me: Responding to the Truth and Reconciliation commission of Canada's calls to action through participatory theatre. Proceedings of the 38th CASAE Annual Conference (pp. 1–6). https://www.dropbox.com/s/04lcxsvmvek8kkh/2019_CASAE_Proceedings.pdf?dl=0
Antoine, A., Weigler, W., Cook, K., Corak, L., Alphonse, S. Etmanski, C., Agger-Gupta, N., & Heykoop, C. (in press). Walk with me: Engaging in participatory theatre to walk the path to reconciliation in a Canadian university context. In C. McGregor & S. Bedi (Eds.), Navigating educational spaces: Challenging foundations of diversity leadership. (pp. TBA). McGill-Queen's University Press.
Etmanski, C., Weigler, W., Agger-Gupta, N., Heykoop, C., Corak, L., Antoine, A., Cook, K., & Alphonse, S. (2020, March 31). Walk with me: Decolonization and reconciliation through participatory theatre. ILA Intersections: Grassroots Leadership & The Arts for Social Change Corner and Primer. https://intersections.ilamembers.org/member-benefit-access/interface/grassroots-leadership/walk-with-me-2
Photo: Shirley Alphonse’s Altar (shared with permission)
Photo credit RRU