Weaving Indigenous Ways of Knowing Into Everyday Learning

In this blog post, Calgary educator Paulina Villarreal shares resources and examples for weaving Indigenous ways of teaching and learning into her elementary math and science classes.  She introduces readers to scholarship on the "constellations model" and works with blog editor Lorrie Gallant (Gayog-o- hó:nǫ) to share practical tips for moving beyond pan-Indigenous representation and token inclusion. 

As educators, we have a responsibility to create classrooms where students feel seen, respected, and valued. For Indigenous students, that sense of belonging comes when their identities, cultures, and ways of knowing are reflected in everyday learning, not just on special occasions. Belonging grows through intentional choices that shape the culture of the classroom over time. For all students, weaving Indigenous ways of knowing into everyday learning builds understanding, empathy, and respect for different ways of understanding and relating to the world.

Starting with an Intentional Space

An inclusive classroom starts with what students see and feel when they walk in. They should be able to recognize themselves in the learning environment.

This might look like:

• Displaying Indigenous artwork, languages, and symbols (especially from local Nations and communities) in ways that are respectful and authentic
• Sharing books by Indigenous authors that reflect a range of voices and experiences
• Building relationships with local Indigenous communities and knowledge carriers

Even more important than what we display is how we relate to students. When we take time to learn about their experiences, listen to them, and create space for them to share who they are, we build a sense of belonging that goes far beyond visuals.

Moving Beyond Pan-Indigeneity

• Educators should seek to move beyond 'pan-Indigenous' representation, or sourcing, devoid of specific connections to specific Nations, communities or lands.   S

• Seek to ensure that artists, authors, games or approaches to teaching and learning are taught in tandem with the names of Nations or communities, and learning about the land and environment of those Nations or communities.  

• Invite or search for voices of Indigenous knowledge carriers / scholars who can ground the learning in relationship to the land and their traditional and ancestral territories

More than Tokenism: The Constellations Model

A big shift in teaching happens when we move away from treating Indigenous content as separate lessons and instead weave it into everyday learning. Inclusion should feel natural, not ADDED ON. When Indigenous students see themselves reflected across subjects like math, science, art, and wellness, it strengthens their sense of value and engagement.

In traditional classrooms, subjects are often taught as isolated silos with fixed rules. For example, we rarely see art or the beauty of science and the natural world brought meaningfully into mathematical inquiry.

Guided by this idea, I set out to explore how cross-curricular connections can reshape how we approach teaching and learning.

Mathematics Through Indigenous Ways of Knowing

Mathematics is often presented as neutral and culture-free, but the ways we teach, learn and experience mathematics can be shaped by culture and perspective. “Indigenous ways of knowing rely heavily on many forms of intelligence, including interpersonal, kinesthetic [physical], and spiritual intelligences” (Stinson, 2018).

Bringing Indigenous games and ways of knowing into the classroom gives students opportunities to explore mathematical ideas in active, meaningful, and connected ways. These approaches are not unique to Indigenous teaching and learning, but learning through experience, relationships, and connection is an important part of many Indigenous ways of knowing.

When we bring in Indigenous games and ways of knowing, students experience math in a more active and meaningful way. These kinds of experiences help students see math as something real, not just abstract symbols on a page. They also affirm that Indigenous knowledge is rich, complex, and deeply mathematical.

Left: Grade 3 students playing Inuit string game to explore shapes, spatial relationships and geometric thinking.

Right: Integrating math and art: Grade 5 students analyze geometric symmetry and calculate area using block-pattern grids, using the activity to learn about the diversity of beadwork traditions.  [Photos courtesy the author]

Many traditional Indigenous games naturally involve mathematical thinking such as probability, counting, strategy, and spatial reasoning. For example:

• Games using sticks or dice can explore chance and probability
• Beadwork and weaving patterns connect to ideas in algebra and patterns
• Land-based activities like measuring and navigation build spatial awareness and geometry skills

Exploring Chance and Probability through Traditional Games

• String game- Origin: Inuit, Navajo

• Stick Dice game- Origin: Pomo

• Stick Flipping game- Origin: Plains Cree

• Chekutnak- Stick Dice game- Origin: Plains Cree

• Ahkitaskoomnahmahtowinah - Counting Sticks game- Origin: Plains Cree

• The University of British Columbia: Indigenous Math Resources

Source: Mathcentral, University of Regina (EN, FR, ES)

Science, Wellness, and Connection to Land

This way of understanding naturally connects science with wellness and art, especially through learning on the land.

When students spend time outside, they are not only learning science, they are also supporting their own well-being. Being in nature, noticing patterns, and slowing down helps students regulate emotions, build focus, and feel more grounded.

Land-Based Learning: Grade 6 students sketching outdoors. [photo courtesy author]

One powerful way to bring this together is through drawing as part of land-based learning. Land-based learning is an important part of many Indigenous knowledge systems. For example, the Rupertsland Institute writes, “Land-Based Learning is central to Métis ways of knowing and being. When we create relationships with the land, we have a responsibility to live in reciprocity by protecting and caring for the land and all that lives on it” (Rupertsland Institute, 2026).

Teachers and students can explore land-based learning through activities that build connections with the land, for example, students can:

• Sketch local plants while learning about their role in the ecosystem and, when appropriate, Indigenous knowledge connected to them
• Keep nature journals that combine observation, reflection, and visual thinking
• Draw seasonal changes to better understand cycles and relationships in nature
• Use colour, texture, and line to express how they feel when they are on the land

This approach reminds us that learning isn’t only mental, it is also emotional, physical, and spiritual. Drawing becomes a way for students to slow down, observe more closely, and make sense of their experiences. At the same time, it supports wellness by creating space for calm, reflection, and connection.

For Indigenous students, these experiences can reinforce the understanding that the land is a teacher. For all students, it builds respect for nature and a stronger sense of responsibility toward the environment.

Plants, zoom-in, looking for details. Sketch of a Grade 5 student.                        Winter Study: Sketching of a Grade 6 student.

[photos courtesy the author]

When we create spaces where Indigenous perspectives are meaningfully embedded, we are not only improving learning, we are taking part in reconciliation.

Looking for additional ideas and inspiration for weaving Indigenous Voices into the classroom? 

Building a safe space: Relationships as a Foundation for Reconciliation by Cheryl Payne

Four Classroom Lessons for Treaties Recognition Week, by Andrew McConnell and Maria Savvides

Indigenous Voices: A Resource List by Lorrie Gallant (2022)

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