My grandfather was born in Steveston, BC, and sent to Japan to be raised by his grandparents while his mother and father fished on the Pacific Ocean. When he was old enough, he returned to Steveston. He was away for seven months of the year fishing up and down the BC Coast even though he didn't know how to swim. He always smelled like diesel, even after he retired. He would bring home salmon, and my grandmother would spend days canning. We were happy.

 

     We went on picnics with my grandparents and all the aunts, uncles, and cousins in the forest to pick matsutake (pine mushrooms) and other edible plants. Every May, we would go to Boundary Bay and walk into the waters to catch male crabs with our buckets and modified broom handles.  Every summer, we visited Oppenheimer Park by the Buddhist Church for the Bon Odori festival to honour our ancestors.

 

      My grandparents suffered much through internment, including losing a child, but they were resilient, loving, and very much a part of the greater Japanese community in Vancouver. I tell this story because, without them, I would not be here and not be the person I am today.

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We all have a positionality. A lens through which we view the world that is made up of our identities. Our identities are the social cultures and communities that we inhabit. Some identities can be intersectional and make learners targets of discrimination or disadvantage. If we understand ourselves, we can better understand the learners we serve.

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     Dr. Keri Ewart created a bookmark resource (see the QR code at the end of this text), Considerations for Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, with 23 prompts to reflect on the framework for culturally responsible teaching. As I reflect on my learning in the MET program, I see how this has related to my perspective and my goals for the future. 

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     I had the privilege of being in conversation with Len Pierre, CEO of Len Pierre Consulting, knowledge keeper of the Katzie First Nation, TedX speaker, professor, and social activist and Dr. Keri Ewart, Faculty in the Master of Educational Technology Program, Coordinator, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization, Anti-Racism (EDIDA), and Community Outreach and founder of the MET Anti-racism Speaker Series. We recorded the conversation on Friday, Oct 6, 2023, for the series. Without giving everything away before the interview is published, one of the things I remember Len saying was, “We are with you,” meaning Indigenous peoples being in solidarity and community with everyone that has been marginalized. It was powerful. I asked Len what was one thing that teachers could do every day to help Indigenous students feel welcome. He said to look them in the eye, call them by name, and to see them.

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     As an educator, I see it as my responsibility to consider my privilege and power, cultural identities, and biases (Ewart, n.d.). Each learner has a story. It is critical to learn about my students' sociocultural identities and ensure their voices are heard. As Ewart (n.d.) prompts, "Have I considered all communities (IBPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, all genders, all abilities/disabilities, neurodivergent individuals, [and] learning types and needs within my design?"