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2026-2027 INST 301 Indigenous Education Assignment 1
Athabasca University
Assignment 1
Leann Russell
3223638
Athabasca University
INST 301: Indigenous Education
Lois Edge
, 2
1. Describe an Indigenous worldview and elements that contribute to a holistic
education
Indigenous Worldview and Holistic Education
Indigenous worldviews present a relational and interconnected perspective on life,
emphasizing balance, reciprocity, and respect for all living beings. Education, from this lens, is
not simply about transferring knowledge but about fostering the wholeness of the individual,
community, and environment. Holistic education, therefore, is deeply rooted in Indigenous
teachings, oral traditions, and ways of knowing that integrate the spiritual, emotional, physical,
and intellectual dimensions of being. This essay explores Indigenous worldviews and the
elements that contribute to holistic education, drawing from the Royal Commission on
Aboriginal Peoples, The Sacred Tree (Lane et al., 1984), and the works of Indigenous scholars
such as Little Bear (2000), Bastien (2004), and Cardinal and Hildebrandt (2000).
Indigenous worldviews are grounded in relationality—the understanding that all beings,
human and non-human, are interconnected and part of a larger web of life. Little Bear (2000)
describes Indigenous thought as fluid, cyclical, and holistic, contrasting with the linear,
compartmentalized worldview that dominates Western education systems. This worldview
recognizes that knowledge cannot be separated from context, culture, or land. Similarly, Bastien
(2004) highlights Blackfoot ways of knowing, which emphasize experiential learning,
observation, and ceremony as essential to understanding life’s interconnectedness. For the
Siksikaitsitapi, knowledge is sacred and inseparable from the responsibilities individuals carry
within their community and environment.
The Thanksgiving Address, as documented in the Royal Commission on Aboriginal
Peoples (1996), reflects this worldview by offering gratitude to the natural world—the waters,
2026-2027 INST 301 Indigenous Education Assignment 1
Athabasca University
Assignment 1
Leann Russell
3223638
Athabasca University
INST 301: Indigenous Education
Lois Edge
, 2
1. Describe an Indigenous worldview and elements that contribute to a holistic
education
Indigenous Worldview and Holistic Education
Indigenous worldviews present a relational and interconnected perspective on life,
emphasizing balance, reciprocity, and respect for all living beings. Education, from this lens, is
not simply about transferring knowledge but about fostering the wholeness of the individual,
community, and environment. Holistic education, therefore, is deeply rooted in Indigenous
teachings, oral traditions, and ways of knowing that integrate the spiritual, emotional, physical,
and intellectual dimensions of being. This essay explores Indigenous worldviews and the
elements that contribute to holistic education, drawing from the Royal Commission on
Aboriginal Peoples, The Sacred Tree (Lane et al., 1984), and the works of Indigenous scholars
such as Little Bear (2000), Bastien (2004), and Cardinal and Hildebrandt (2000).
Indigenous worldviews are grounded in relationality—the understanding that all beings,
human and non-human, are interconnected and part of a larger web of life. Little Bear (2000)
describes Indigenous thought as fluid, cyclical, and holistic, contrasting with the linear,
compartmentalized worldview that dominates Western education systems. This worldview
recognizes that knowledge cannot be separated from context, culture, or land. Similarly, Bastien
(2004) highlights Blackfoot ways of knowing, which emphasize experiential learning,
observation, and ceremony as essential to understanding life’s interconnectedness. For the
Siksikaitsitapi, knowledge is sacred and inseparable from the responsibilities individuals carry
within their community and environment.
The Thanksgiving Address, as documented in the Royal Commission on Aboriginal
Peoples (1996), reflects this worldview by offering gratitude to the natural world—the waters,
