Charting the Path This article is an attempt to offer up an environmental frame- work for education, centered on stewardship, and anchored in Indigenous ways of knowing. For millennia, Indigenous peo- ples harvested, hunted and lived in a close relationship with the land. The Anishinaabe word “Nwiikaanigana” (roughly meaning all my relations) embodies the idea that we are part of a much larger family that includes the natural world. There are many traditional teachings that may help us to renew and strengthen our relationship with the environment.8 At the same time, teaching environmental education
should not just be the domain of specialists – outdoor cen- tres and environmental educators. If we truly want to foster the environmental citizens of tomorrow, we need to involve our entire community: That means parents, grandparents, educators, schools, organizations, community leaders, health professionals, municipal officials and businesses. A theory of change around community environmental education is being developed in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. It is called “The Pathway to Stewardship”.9 Stewardship can be defined as a sense of connection to,
caring about and responsibility for each other and the natu- ral world around us. It involves personal action to protect and enhance the health and well-being of both natural and human communities by providing children with the right tools and experiences at every age to know, love, respect and protect the very life systems that sustain and nurture us all. Being a steward should not imply entitlement or power or dominion over the earth. Rather, fostering stewardship means teaching children how to become engaged citizens of and for the earth. The Pathway to Stewardship emerged out of a conversa-
tion between a group of community stakeholders in Peterbor- ough, Ontario including: educators, professors, Indigenous leaders, public health officials and conservationists. The stakeholders wanted to find ways in which multiple sectors could coordinate their efforts in order to promote steward- ship throughout all ages and stages of a child’s development. The group began by conducting a broad range of research into environmental education, Indigenous teachings, child development and the factors promoting mental and physical health in children. Using the model of environmental sensi- tivity research, they also interviewed more than seventy five community leaders who expressed an interest in environ- mental issues.10 The group wanted to explore what formative childhood experiences these leaders had while growing up that helped shape their interest in the environment. By incor- porating both the themes that emerged from these interviews along with the results of their meta-research, the group felt these findings could provide a solid foundation for a work- able stewardship framework for their community. A number of important themes began to emerge both
from the research and from the in-depth interviews con- ducted. They can be summarized as follows:
Tending and caring In order to value all life – children need to practice car-
ing. Like a muscle, the concept of caring is one that should be exercised repeatedly – by gardening, by looking after a pet, by raising monarchs. Caring requires empathy and compassion, a deliberate attempt to imagine what it must
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be like from another being’s point of view. In essence, car- ing is about developing relationships. From caring flows the idea of reciprocity – the mindful act of giving back. And from reciprocity emerges respect. And finally, a sense of respect engenders a sense of responsibility – of wanting to take action because you care. These four “R’s” are central in Anishinaabe teachings.11 Cultivating love and humility inspires sensitivity toward others and a desire to develop healthy relationships and a sense of balance with the world around us. Awe and wonder: The engine of learning is curiosity.
Curiosity in turn, is fueled by healthy sense of awe and won- der. As adults we need to role model a positive and healthy connection to our environment. We forget as adults how powerful language can be. If we want to cultivate a sense of wonder, we need to use the language of wonder. Words can inspire or discourage. Saying “put that down, don’t touch that, it is dirty,” sends a coded message to children that the outdoors is dangerous. On the other hand, saying something like “wow, look what you’ve found, isn’t it amazing” cele- brates the potential of a child to be part of an ever unfolding journey of discovery. Sense of place: An important part of developing a sense
of comfort and belonging is spending enough time outdoors in the same place to become deeply familiar and connected with it. For those of us who have developed a particular attachment to a place when growing up, that sense of place becomes part of our identity. It is important to give children plenty of time to develop those deep attachments to place, whether that is a favourite park or a nearby green space. Overwhelmingly, the community leaders interviewed for the Pathway to Stewardship Initiative cited special natural places that they grew to know and love as a very important part of their childhood. Interconnectedness: Children benefit from many oppor-
tunities to learn how their lives are connected to the lives of other people and other living things. We use the same air, the same water – the food we eat contains nutrients that have been shared by many others for millennia. This understanding reinforces the innate need to belong. Stewardship involves understanding that we are part of a community that extends far beyond our own close friends and relatives and also includes the living and non-living systems that support us all. At the same time, everything we do, every consequence of every action taken does not end in the present but our decisions and their implications echo into the near and distant future. Mentors: Both in the research conducted and in discus-
sions with community leaders, having access to a caring mentor is central in developing stewardship. In the early years, this is usually a close relative – a parent or grandpar- ent who spends time with the child, exploring together and sharing the delights of discovery. As a child grows older, a mentor is often a teacher or a youth leader who becomes a trusted and admired role model. Time to explore and discover: Another recurring rec-
ommendation, both in research and feedback from commu- nity leaders, points to the benefits of limiting screen time – television, computer and cell phones. Too much screen time limits physical activity, impairs social and creative develop- ment and serves to disconnect children from their natural surroundings. Community leaders recalled the “free range”
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