There is much to be learned by indigenous communities in different parts of the world exchanging information about challenges and strategies. This workshop examines a community-based textbook-writing project with indigenous children in Papua New Guinea and offers participants a chance to adapt the techniques used. The purpose of the project was to enable students to conduct research into their own indigenous knowledge under the guidance of community elders and to use this knowledge to produce a book documenting their own stories. This workshop will be of particular interest to persons in situations where there is a need to incorporate local indigenous knowledge into the school setting, but where there is little institutional enthusiasm for the use of indigenous language, or where many teachers are not from the local indigenous community. 

Relevant for:

Elementary and secondary teachers (including non-indigenous teachers), language activists, and community members interested in integrating indigenous knowledge and persons with specialised indigenous knowledge into the formal school system.  

Workshop outline:

Session 1: Introduction to language and education in Papua New Guinea and to community dissatisfaction with a discontinued bilingual school program. Self-introduction of each workshop participant and discussion about their interests and involvement with indigenous knowledge in schools. Formal presentation with questions and discussion

Session 2: Overview of the project in Papua New Guinea with a discussion of the degree to which it can be applied to a North American situation.  Presentation and discussion

Session 3: Hands-on planning of a similar project in participants’ own communities. Small group collaboration

Session 4: Sharing of project ideas and discussion about their feasibility. Group and individual presentations to the entire workshop and setting up of a group blog framework to share experiences in future

Facilitation Team

Cláudio da Silva & Craig Alan Volker