to collectively name our plant relatives. In doing this, we build deeper connections and respect for each plant and its role on Earth, becoming natural stewards of the Land and defending our plant families from harm, just as we would our own human families.
DECOLONIZING MUSIC TEACHING
In 2024, I brought teachings about water and water awareness to two school board arts events – the dance showcase and the music showcase. My goal was to embed Indigenous ways of knowing into events that tradition- ally centred western music. Bringing Indigenous ways of knowing
and being into all aspects of education is about more than reading an Indigenous pic- ture book or listening to an Indigenous artist. At the music showcase, approximately 12
ensembles consisting of 400 students from across Peel sing a song as the finale to the evening. As the director of the Indigenous drum ensemble, I suggested to my fellow di- rectors that we choose the Nibi Water Song for the finale to highlight the importance of honouring and protecting the water. Te di- rectors liked the idea, so I created a video of myself singing the song for the directors to share with students, as well as links to vid- eos of Indigenous people sharing teachings. Tere is no sheet music for the Nibi Water Song, no chord progressions or time signa- tures. Tis is the same for all the Indigenous drum songs I know. Within a day or two of sharing the song, I
received questions from directors about start- ing notes and time signatures. One director sent me a notated version of the Nibi song she created from my recording. While I knew where she was coming from, I shared with my colleagues that traditionally, our songs are not notated and we do not choose a start- ing note. Instead, whoever is leading the song just starts singing and the rest of us match the note. Te next lead singer may start on a dif- ferent note and the chorus just follows along. Tis was a great opportunity to show where our western education leads us to “colonize” Indigenous knowledge, in a way that we aren’t even aware of. I am so grateful to my music colleagues who trusted the idea and helped their ensembles learn the song. Te students from my Indigenous Mu-
sic Ensemble led the Nibi song as we closed the show. It was a powerful moment seeing six Indigenous students surrounded and backed by 400 voices, not only honouring the water, but honouring Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
For the dance showcase at the Living Arts
Centre in Mississauga, our school was one of 20 Peel schools chosen to share a four-minute dance piece connected to a social justice is- sue. Staci and I helped students choreograph a dance called “For Water.” Wearing T-shirts from the Credit River
Water Walk, students incorporated flowing water movements into their dance, sharing that they are the voice of animals and plants and that water is our first medicine. Tey shared the same dance at a joint event with Water Walkers in May 2024. Tis was the beginning of the next step in growing my water teaching program, which is to weave in cultural reciprocity, a key component when sharing any Indigenous teaching in non-Indigenous communities.
CULTURAL RECIPROCITY
In May 2024, all grade 3 to 5 students in my school were invited to the headwaters of the Credit River for Songs for the Water, a day- long event of listening, learning and sharing with Grandmothers and other Water Walk- ers, hosted by the Island Lake Conservation Area. Tree busloads of excited students ar- rived at the headwaters to learn and to recip- rocate by sharing their own dances and songs for the water. Tis was truly inspiring, not only for the students and staff, but also for the Water Walkers who were deeply touched by the sentiments of these settler students.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT
I believe that what happens on a small scale will be reflected in a larger way in the world. As my water teachings and my own experi- ence grew, I created new relationships with the community, my students and colleagues. As we learn to see ourselves as stewards of the Earth, we also learn how it is our respon- sibility to protect nature. Tis September, as we headed into our
fourth year of singing to the water, students started asking me, “When do we get to go sing to the water?” I told them, we will wait until World Water Day in March, but that they can sing to water anytime. As educators, we are preparing our future
leaders and policy makers – and we must prepare them all to be stewards of the Land. Tis water program is one way of showing students that they have agency and that it’s up to each of us to take action. n
Jennifer Luxmore-Begin is a member of the Peel Teacher Local.
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