Culture Matters: The Arts, the Classroom Environment, and a Pedagogy of Entewate`Nikonri:Sake : A Study in a First Nations Pre-School

Abstract

This article brings to light the close relationship between culture, learning and the arts.  It recounts the quest of a First Nations (Mohawk) early childhood center in their development of a culturally relevant curriculum whereby culture and Indigenous ways of learning would be seamlessly woven into daily practice. Step by Step Child and Family Center embraced the Reggio Emilia approach. The educators acknowledged how Reggio Emilia’s major tenets resonated with Indigenous values as well as seeing congruence in ways of teaching, learning and how relationships are intrinsically interwoven into practice. This research shows how the provocation of the Reggio Emilia approach, and a focus on the arts, provided meaning-making for this community. The study has implications for teacher development, early childhood pedagogy, and may be useful for other Indigenous communities who seek to maintain cultural traditions and identity in educational practices.