Indigenous Community Planning: implementation of a new curriculum

Leonie Sandercock, Professor, School of Community and Regional Planning, College for Interdisciplinary Studies

SCARP wishes to develop an area of teaching concentration focusing on working within indigenous communities. A number of our existing courses offer knowledge and skills that can contribute to the development of a new generation of both First Nations (FN) and non-Native planners, but it is imperative to develop a foundational course which starts from a recognition and explication of planning’s historic role in the colonization process, then examines what needs to change in contemporary planning practice. This course would be developed during 2011, and offered in Winter 2, 2012, aimed at upper level undergrads from FN Studies and Masters students in SCARP. The dream is to excite FN Studies undergrads about the potential of planning as a graduate professional program which could benefit their communities, as well as to inspire and sensitise non-Native students to (what is involved in) working in FN communities.

Leonie Sandercock, Professor, School of Community and Regional Planning, College for Interdisciplinary Studies

In the past year we have designed a new specialization in Indigenous Community Planning as part of our Masters degree. This comprises four courses (two new, two existing) and a Practicum. The new course that I have just finished designing (TLEF year 1) will be co-taught with the assistance of a First Nations doctoral student and an Elder. We are running a pilot seminar Jan-April 2012 in order to refine the course before adding it to the new curriculum in Fall 2012. This application seeks support for making this foundation course, and our new curriculum initiative, an enhanced learning experience, through the funding of the doctoral student as a teaching assistant and co-teaching by the Elder, (Gerry Oldman), to accompany us on the learning joumey throughout the semester. The Elder would be present both in class, as a co-teacher, and outside class as a counselor and mentor for Native and non-Native students. We also seek support for other aspects of the implementation of the new curriculum, such as travel costs for students engaged in a Practicum in a First Nations community beyond the Lower Mainland; organizing a second Teach-in for Fall 2012; placing students in internships with Lower Mainland First Nations; four meetings with Advisory Committee; and establishing a website to host presentations and participant responses from Teach-ins.

Leonie Sandercock, Professor, School of Community and Regional Planning, Faculty of Applied Science

This application seeks support for the complex running and delivery of this new program in its second year, 2013-14. One of the new core courses is being co-taught by myself, a First Nations Elder, and a First Nations doctoral student. Both of the latter need to be funded. We need to provide an honorarium for the new course in Indigenous Law and Governance, which is being taught by a sessional instructor. We need to offer an Honorarium to our Musqueam colleagues for their extensive collaboration and contribution to teaching as well as provision of cultural immersion activities. We need to cover the extensive travel and per diem costs of students in their second year doing a Practicum in a First Nations community beyond the Lower Mainland, which is their capstone experience; as well as the travel costs of the Instructor who accompanies them on half of the trips, in three different communities. Other aspects of the implementation for which we seek support include some administrative assistance for SCARP; funds to cover 2-4 meetings per year of the 13 person Advisory Committee; funds to bring Distinguished Professor Ted Jojola (Pueblo Nation) from the University of New Mexico as external program advisor and keynote speaker at our annual ICP ‘Teach-in’; funds to cover costs of organizing and delivering the Teach-in; and honoraria for Lower Mainland First Nations who will host students doing internships in their Band offices.