Reconciliation in action: preparing future teachers through land-based learning

Faculty of Education

For a group of University of Manitoba education students, some of the most important lessons of the summer came not from textbooks or lectures, but from the shores of Wallace Lake and relationships built through learning with the land.

Developed in collaboration with Anishinaabek from Turtle Island and partners from Frontier School Division, "Wellness Through the Land" combined academic study with immersive land-based learning experiences. Led by Kathryn Morog, Wayne Serebrin and Marti Ford, the course was designed to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous students together to build relationships while engaging with Indigenous knowledge, perspectives and approaches to learning.

For many participants, however, the experience was also a lesson in what education can look like when Indigenous ways of knowing and being are centered.

group shot of students outdoors in forest

“Wellness Through Land” was developed through collaboration with Indigenous community members from Wanipigow First Nation for B.Ed., PBDE, and Med students.

Carrying knowledge forward

For Bernadine Thompson, Mukwa Annong Ikwe (Bear Star Woman), the course was an opportunity to reconnect with both her personal and professional journey. "I decided to take this course because I felt there was something I needed to reconnect with, not only as an educator, but as an Anishinaabe Ikwe," she said.

Thompson reflected on the influence of her grandmother, a residential school survivor who shared language, stories and cultural teachings with her. "My Nanny was a residential school survivor, and she carried knowledge, language, stories, and ways of being that I did not fully understand when I was younger," she said. "Taking this course gave me an opportunity to think about what was lost, what remained, and what can still be picked up and carried forward."

I decided to take this course because I felt there was something I needed to reconnect with, not only as an educator, but as an Anishinaabe Ikwe.

Bernadine Thompson, Mukwa Annong Ikwe (Bear Star Woman), MEd candidate

Connecting with culture and identity

For B.Ed. student Amanda Chambers, the course offered an opportunity to experience land-based learning firsthand while deepening her connection to her own heritage.

"One of the primary reasons I took this course was to learn more about who I am. I am Metis, and have been trying to learn more about my Cree background for years," she said. "However, I have always been nervous to get involved with Indigenous ceremonies and cultural events, as I always feared I would make mistakes," Chambers said the experience helped ease those concerns.

She also noted the course provided a welcoming environment to explore both land-based learning and her own identity, while reinforcing the importance of approaching learning with openness, humility and a willingness to grow.

Rethinking what learning can be

The course also challenged students to rethink conventional ideas about teaching and learning.

For Amita Khandpur, learning from Indigenous helpers highlighted the difference between simply taking students outdoors and truly learning with the land. "The relationships that were built between 32 strangers was so beautiful, and the connections that we learned to make with the land were special and so inspiring to me," she said. "if I had my choice, I would recommend that the university ensure this course is offered every year because it would allow more educators to learn how to be teachers who incorporate learning with the Land." Khandpur believes experiences like this can help future teachers bring new approaches into their classrooms.

Lessons for future classrooms

For MEd student Mathew Fiola the course offered valuable insights for his future work in education. "It was the first opportunity I have seen to take an experiential, hands-on, land-based learning course," said Fiola. "As someone in the Indigenous curriculum and learning master's program, and a physical educator, I thought this opportunity was incredibly valuable to my thesis research and understanding of Indigenous perspectives."

He also describes the course as an example of reconciliation in action and says the experience helped him see how land-based learning can deepen students' understanding of Indigenous perspectives in ways that cannot be replicated through readings alone.

Preparing educators for reconciliation

For Ashley Tully, the course bridged personal learning and professional practice. As a future educator, she was looking for ways to better support reconciliation both inside and outside the classroom.

"I want to be able to learn from the land and support Indigenous people through reconciliation in the classrooms and in my own personal life," she said. "It was a gift to meet Indigenous helpers and leaders who want to share their knowledge with people who are willing and wanting to learn."

Land as Teacher

For Morog, the course reinforced the transformative possibilities that emerge when Indigenous Knowledges frameworks are meaningfully integrated into teacher education. "I remembered that land is a primary teacher and that if we slow down long enough to actually listen, it will provide deep healing and knowing," she said.

As schools across Canada continue to explore Indigenous education, reconciliation and student wellbeing, “Wellness Through Land” provided future educators with an opportunity to experience those ideas in practice. For those who participated, the course was more than a lesson in wellness. It was a lesson in becoming the kind of teacher who listens deeply, builds relationships, and understands that some of the most powerful learning can happen beyond the classroom walls.

Morog hopes that this course, that was open to B.Ed., PBDE and M.Ed. students, will be offered again in 2027-2028. "I am deeply grateful to the Anishinaabek partners whose generosity, guidance and presence made this transformative space possible," she said. "I hope to see continued institutional support for land-based learning opportunities like this in the future."

Boilerplate: reconciliation

At UM, we are working together to advance reconciliation for transformative change, which is among the commitments you’ll find in MomentUM: Leading change together, the University of Manitoba’s 2024–2029 strategic plan.