How can Indigenous knowledge systems inform our teaching practices and enhance education? How do we create an education system that embodies an anti-racist approach and equity for all learners?

This powerful and engaging resource is for non-Indigenous educators who want to learn more, are new to these conversations, or want to deepen their learning.

Some educators may come to this work with some trepidation. You may feel that you are not equipped to engage in Indigenous education, reconciliation, or anti-racism work. You may be anxious about perpetuating misconceptions or stereotypes, making mistakes, or giving offence. In these chapters, I invite you to take a walk and have a conversation with a good mind and a good heart.

With over two decades in Indigenous education, author Jo Chrona encourages readers to acknowledge and challenge assumptions, reflect on their own experiences, and envision a more equitable education system for all. Each chapter includes

• reflection questions to help process the ideas in each chapter
• suggestions for taking action in both personal and professional spheres of influence
• recommended resources to read, watch, or listen to for further learning
• personal reflections and anecdotes from the author on her own learning journey
• voices of non-Indigenous educators who share their learning and model how to move into, and sit, in places of unknowing and discomfort, so we can examine our own biases and engage in this work in a good way

Grounded in the First Peoples Principles of Learning, this comprehensive guide builds on Chrona’s own experiences in British Columbia’s education system to explore how to shape anti-racist and equitable education systems for all.

About Author: Jo Chrona is a speaker, Indigenous education advocate, and author of best selling Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies: An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education (2022). She is Ts'msyen (a member of the Kitsumkalum First Nation in British Columbia). 

Jo's professional experience includes over 25 years teaching in K-12 and post-secondary education, working as a Faculty Associate in a teacher education program, an advisor with the British Columbia (BC) Ministry of Education, and a policy analyst and curriculum manager for the First Nations Education Steering Committee in British Columbia. 

Jo has been involved in the areas of curriculum development and resource writing, professional learning through inquiry networks, literacy development, and Indigenous education. She was involved in various aspects of educational transformation in BC’s K-12 system including the development of Indigenous education policies, as well as managed and contributed to the creation of authentic Indigenous teacher resources.

Jo is a certified teacher with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Women’s Studies from Simon Fraser University, a Diploma in Education and Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from the University of British Columbia.