i

Exploring Co-Mentorship as a Promising Practice
for Weaving Indigenous and Western Pedagogy

by
Tina Wenman
Bachelor of Education, University of British Columbia 2020

MAJOR PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF EDUCATION
(EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP)

In the
Teacher Education Department
© Tina Wenman 2023
UNIVERSITY OF THE FRASER VALLEY
2023
All rights reserved. This work may not be
reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy
or other means, without permission of the author.

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Approval
Name: Tina Wenman
Degree: Master of Education (Educational Leadership and Mentorship)
Title: Candidate, Master of Education
Examining Committee:
Name: Dr. Joanne Robertson
MEd Chair, Teacher Education Department
____________________________________________________________

Name: Dr. Nikki Yee
Senior Supervisor
Assistant Professor, Teacher Education Department
____________________________________________________________

Name: Dr. Vandy Britton
Second Reader
Associate Professor, University or Company
____________________________________________________________

Date Defended/Approved: June 2, 2023

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Abstract
Canadian provinces have recently started incorporating Indigenous perspectives and content into
their official provincial curriculum, and while school districts often provide K-12 curricular
resources and one-time professional development sessions, many educators continue to struggle
with implementing Indigenous worldviews and pedagogies into their daily classroom practice.
Some literature has explored the role of mentorship in supporting teachers in this
implementation, but no research relates directly to British Columbia’s context. This study
examined co-mentorship as a promising practice for increasing both Indigenous and nonIndigenous teacher efficacy with integrating Indigenous knowledge and worldviews into
classroom practice. This qualitative research was shaped by Tribal Methodology and uses
storytelling to interpret the findings. The results from this study showed that co-mentorship
effectively promoted holistic connection and reciprocal relationship; the removal of power
hierarchy; respect and openness; recognition and encouragement of strengths and good practice;
and taking the time needed for learning. These results could be used to inform the building of
Indigenous/non-Indigenous mentorship relationships between teachers for the purposes of
effectively integrating Indigenous ways of knowing and learning into classroom practice.
Keywords: Indigenous worldviews, co-mentorship, mentorship, Indigenous education,
Indigenous pedagogy, implementation of curriculum

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Acknowledgements
I want to acknowledge the fantastic Elders and Knowledge Keepers from whom I have
been able to gain a small piece of identity linking me to culture, language, and protocols. Even
though I am not originally from the community I currently reside in, they have been welcoming
and willing to teach me, as my two children and husband are members of the community.
Rod Peters has inspired me, in his position that he held as the Aboriginal Education
Coordinator, to begin the journey that has led me to this Master of Education program. If it was
not for Rod’s strong belief in caring for Indigenous students and wanting them to succeed in the
schools that he has been a part of for many years, I do not think I would have thought of
becoming a teacher. He reminded me of the importance of having more certified Indigenous
educators within our education system and how much of an impact that could have on our future
generations. The principal at the school I am currently working at has also supported my
educational journey in education. I started off in the school as the Post-Secondary Coordinator
and then requested to be hired as a full-time education assistant, which has led me to become a
teacher. I do not think I would have gone as far as I have without the support that the principal
has provided me with, including professional development and the encouragement to further my
education.
My dear friend Vicky has been with me every step of the way. She has helped me
navigate the Western education system and she understood the struggles I had to face trying to fit
into this “box”. As an Indigenous person, I have been taught by our ancestors that we learn from
oral traditions; and I faced many challenges with both the volume and complexity of writing
required in this M. Ed. program. Vicky's help allowed me to stay true to my authentic self and
heritage while ensuring that I checked the requirements in this “box” of education. She has

v

pushed me forward when I had thoughts of giving up or when I became frustrated with the
guidelines of Western education, and she never allowed me to quit. I am grateful for all the time
you have given me in helping and guiding me so that I could walk the ways of both Indigenous
and Western education.
Lastly, I thank my amazing husband and children. They have watched me sacrifice so
much in my life to complete my B.Ed. and M.Ed. over the past five years. They watched me do
my homework in between soccer and baseball tournaments, reading and typing assignments on
the grass or at the nearest picnic table, or sitting in my hotel room while they were having fun at
the pool or watching movies with teammates. I hope that my dedication has shown them how
important it was for me to stay focused and complete my schoolwork. My children, I hope you
are inspired to follow your dreams and reach for the stars.

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Dedication
I have thought long and hard about whom I would like to dedicate this research to, and I
came to the same name each time. This paper is dedicated to my father, Roy Campbell. He has
inspired me to work hard and never let society stop me when doing anything in life. My father
attended Indian Residential School and did not have the best experiences; I believe this is why he
did not complete his education and hit the workforce early, due to the trauma he endured from
attending St Mary’s Indian Residential School. I know it was hard for my father to step foot into
any school when I was a young girl, and I am thankful that he has been able to make up for lost
time with his ten grandchildren. My father is respected by many people and has done many
beautiful things in his life. One thing that I will always be grateful for is the teachings he has
taught me - about wéwłm (fishing) in our home community, and the way we make sćwén (wind
dry). These are things that I will always keep with me and pass down to my children. The bond
that is created when we are down at the river talking and making memories will always be in my
heart.

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Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iv
Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... vi
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. x
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Purpose ............................................................................................................................ 1
Situating Myself in the Work .......................................................................................... 2
Research Question .......................................................................................................... 5
Literature Review............................................................................................................................ 5
The Need to Be in a Reciprocal Relationship ................................................................. 6
Common Barriers to Integrating Indigenous Education into Classroom Practice .......... 8
Indigenous Mentors' Use of Indigenous Ways of Knowing ......................................... 10
Time Needed for Meaningful Learning ........................................................................ 12
Gaps in the Literature.................................................................................................... 14
Application .................................................................................................................... 14
Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 15
Tribal Methodology ...................................................................................................... 16
S'í:kw' .................................................................................................................................................. 16
Lexwsí:si .............................................................................................................................................. 17
Lheq’elómet ......................................................................................................................................... 18
Storywork Principles............................................................................................................................ 19

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Method .......................................................................................................................... 20
Data Sources ........................................................................................................................................ 20
Managing the Data ............................................................................................................................... 24
Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 24
Mentorship ........................................................................................................................................... 24
Interview Data ..................................................................................................................................... 25
Managing Bias ..................................................................................................................................... 25
Strength of Study ................................................................................................................................. 26

Results ........................................................................................................................................... 27
Co-Mentorship Relationship and the Five Reflections ................................................. 28
Metaphor of Coast Salish Weaving ..................................................................................................... 28
Warping & Twilling - The Researcher and the Relationship Foundation ............................................ 29
Weaving the Threads - Connecting...................................................................................................... 31
Seeing the Pattern - Appreciating & Bridging to Indigenous Knowledge ........................................... 32
Making Mistakes - Feelings of Apprehension ..................................................................................... 34
Catching Your Rhythm - Reflecting on Practice ................................................................................. 36
The Finished Product - Thinking Holistically and Gaining Confidence .............................................. 37
Wrapping Up the Weaving - Summary of Findings about Co-Mentorship ......................................... 40

Changes in the Participant's Beliefs and Understandings ............................................. 41
Role of Relationship in Learning ......................................................................................................... 42
Emotional Discomfort.......................................................................................................................... 43
Understanding Indigenous Worldviews ............................................................................................... 45
Growth Mindset ................................................................................................................................... 46
Weaving Worldviews .......................................................................................................................... 47

Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 49

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Identified Gaps in Research .......................................................................................... 50
Principle #1: Connection is Essential in a Co-Mentorship Relationship ...................... 51
Principle #2: Emotional Discomforts Can Be Overcome in the Context of a Strong
Relationship .............................................................................................................................. 53
Principle #3: Weaving of Indigenous and Western Worldviews Needs to be
Experienced and Articulated ..................................................................................................... 55
Principle #4: Learning to Think and Work Holistically Takes Time ........................... 56
Personal Impact ............................................................................................................. 57
Educational Implications .............................................................................................. 58
Limitations .................................................................................................................... 59
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 60
References ..................................................................................................................................... 62
Appendix A ................................................................................................................................... 65
Appendix B ................................................................................................................................... 67

x

List of Figures
i. Warpling

p. 29

ii. Twilling

p. 30

iii. Weaving and Seeing the Pattern

p. 33

iv. Completed Headband Weaving

p. 39

1

Introduction
Purpose
While Canadian provinces have recently started incorporating Indigenous perspectives
and content into their official provincial curriculum, individual educators are struggling to
implement Indigenous pedagogy and curriculum into their classroom practice. British Columbia
(BC) mandated Indigenous perspectives and content in the curriculum for K-12 in 2015, while
Alberta recently released their new draft curriculum for K-6 that includes Indigenous
perspectives to be piloted in the current school year (Government of Alberta, 2022). Ontario has
had mandatory learning on residential schools and other Indigenous topics in social studies in
grades 4-8 and grade 10 since 2018 and will pilot K-3 Indigenous content with their new
curriculum in the current school year (Government of Ontario, 2021). With provincial Canadian
curricula so recently including Indigenous perspectives, there has been little research on preservice teachers’ or teachers' perceptions of how they might implement the curriculum. And
where mentorship in this area does exist, there are a lack of sustainable programs where
Indigenous educators are the mentors. As such, very little academic literature has studied the
impact of Indigenous educators in the role of mentor. Perhaps ironically, there is much more
literature on how to mentor Indigenous teachers (Burgess & Harwood, 2021).
Although many Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators are willing, and in fact desire
to move in a positive direction towards integrating Indigenous knowledge and worldviews into
their professional practice, educators often encounter barriers and emotional obstacles when they
embark on this work. Non-Indigenous teachers feel reluctant to overstep or to make mistakes in
implementing Indigenous education, and perhaps unintentionally disrespect Indigenous Peoples
(Burgess & Harwood, 2020; Kanu, 2005). Indigenous teachers, me included, who carry with

2

them intergenerational trauma from the lived experiences of family members who attended
Indian Residential Schools, find it difficult to teach about those same histories and struggle to
teach in Indigenous-centered ways within a Western education system (Archibald, 2008). The
challenge, then, is how to build teacher efficacy for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous
educators in the implementation of Indigenous curriculum and the integration of Indigenous
ways of knowing and learning in their classrooms. My research addresses this challenge by
seeking a relational solution in a professional environment.
Situating Myself in the Work
Èy swayel tel skwix is Tina Te litsel kw’e Sts’ailes. My parents are Roy Campbell and
the late Juliette (Isaac) Campbell. My grandparents are Hilda (Oates) and John Isaac on my
mom's side from Lytton, BC. My grandparents are Elsie (Phillips) and Harry Campbell on my
dad’s side. My family lineage stems from the Nlaka’pamux territory, which is located in the
Boston Bar area. I currently reside in the community of Sts’ailes, where I have the opportunity to
live, work, and raise my family.
My father and grandparents all attended Indian Residential School (IRS) where they were
punished for practicing their heritage, culture, and traditions. Needless to say, this negatively
impacted their ability to parent and pass along to my generation the teachings of our ancestors.
My adult self wishes that I had relational connections to my ancestors or to the land and place of
the Nlaka’pumx Nation, where I am from. This loss of connection comes from the lack of
Siyólexwe (Elders) who still carry the traditional knowledge or speak the language within the
community. Since I do not have access to Nlaka’pumx teachings, I have embraced my spouse's
Stō:lò (Sts’ailes) culture and traditions; my main purpose for this is so that my own children will
have what I did not - a connection to who they are and where they belong. My research question

3

is motivated by this hope to instill a sliver of connection to Indigenous culture for Indigenous
students within their experience of K-12 schooling. My professional experience in an Indigenous
Community School has further contributed to my growth in Indigenous views of reality.
My perception of the public education system in BC when I entered a career in the
education field back in 2017 was similar to the view expressed by Haida scholars Sara and
Robert Davidson (2018) when they write "that mainstream education practices were failing to
meet the needs of these Indigenous students” (Davidson & Davidson, 2018, p. 12). I had so much
frustration with how teachers did not seem to have the desire to implement Indigenous content
that had been mandated by the Ministry of Education. I put blame on the educators and did not
understand why it was so hard for non-Indigenous teachers to do this work. As I entered into a
program to work on a Master’s degree in educational leadership, I wondered if leadership could
help non-Indigenous educators understand the generational trauma of Indigenous students and
realize how Westernized teaching pedagogies were not helping these students to showcase their
individual strengths. Conversations with my non-Indigenous classmates resulted in a shift in my
mindset. After hearing from them about the personal challenges they faced in trying to
implement Indigenous knowledge and worldviews into their classrooms, I began to look at the
challenge from a needs-based point of view. I began to hope that meeting educators' needs could
result in meeting students' needs. I entered into this research hoping to influence more educators
to see how mentorship relationships between non-Indigenous and Indigenous educators could
benefit not only educators, but also Indigenous students.
I came to the idea of mentorship from a place of trying to heal and rise from a cultural
and personal history of oppression. I grew up in a world that had destroyed the language and
culture of the Indigenous Peoples where I was born and raised, while being pushed through the

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Western education system, regardless of whether or not I was ready for the next grade. I felt
lost—like I had no identity or roots—due to the loss of my language and culture. I did not want
my children and other Indigenous children in BC to have this same experience; so after finishing
my Bachelor of Education, I looked for ways to help other teachers become more comfortable
with integrating Indigenous worldviews and ways of learning into their teaching practice. I
landed on mentorship as a way to practice Indigenous principles in my chosen profession as an
educator.
This led me to designing this research study, as a ground-level way to support the
learning of Indigenous students by supporting the teachers who would influence those learning
experiences. I wanted to stay true to my authentic self and conduct research based on the four
principles that Stó:lō and St’at’imc scholar Jo-Ann Archibald (2008) used to establish her
relationships with the Elders:
(1) Respecting each other and the cultural knowledge; (2) responsibly carrying out the
roles of teacher and learner (a serious approach to the work and being mindful of what
readers/other learners can comprehend); (3) practicing reciprocity so that we each gave to
the other, thereby continuing the cycle of knowledge from generation to generation; and
(4) revering spiritual knowledge and one’s spiritual being (p. 55).
These principles pointed me to the structure of mentorship as a tool or intervention that would fit
within both Western and Indigenous paradigms. Mentorship programs for educators are already
an accepted part of many school districts’ current best practices, and mentorship creates
relational space for practicing the Indigenous principles that Archibald (2008) sets forth. I
wondered if non-Indigenous educators would have greater motivation, confidence, and
determination to integrate Indigenous ways of thinking and learning into their teaching practice

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if they were provided with experiential learning experiences where they could observe, discuss,
and teach using Indigenous pedagogies and alongside Indigenous educators.
Research Question
In considering a research question to explore, I knew that I wanted to focus on
mentorship with a non-Indigenous educator. In light of the need for studies on Indigenous
educators as mentors and on ways to support teachers implementing Indigenous education
curriculum, I have decided to focus on the following research question: What can we learn from
the experiences of an Indigenous educator and a non-Indigenous beginner educator (with little or
no Indigenous knowledge) when they collaborate on an Indigenous-led unit in an Indigenous
community-based school? My hope is that my research provides both a pathway and an
inspiration for Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators to take steps together towards weaving
Indigenous and Western knowledge and worldviews into their practices through reciprocal
relationships within an educational setting.
Literature Review
In this section, I provide a survey of the research that informed my thinking about
Indigenous/non-Indigenous mentorship as a way to increase teacher efficacy in implementing
Indigenous education or curriculum. The articles I have identified as relevant to my area of
research explored mentorship relating to Indigenous education, barriers to the implementation of
Indigenous perspectives and content, and Indigenous educators' journeys in weaving Indigenous
and Western ways of learning in education. Four themes that emerged from this literature
include: (1) the need to be in a reciprocal relationship to learn how to weave worldviews; (2)
common barriers to integrating Indigenous perspectives and content into K-12 classroom
practice; (3) Indigenous mentors' use of Indigenous ways of knowing and being to grow both

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Indigenous and non-Indigenous teachers’ confidence; and (4) the time needed for meaningful
learning. I conclude with discussing the gaps in current research and how these findings
informed my research structure and implementation.
The Need to Be in a Reciprocal Relationship
One major theme in the literature focused on the importance of reciprocal relationship as
a foundation for mentoring that integrates Indigenous ways of knowing and learning. The First
Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPL) speak to this relational nature of learning, stating that
learning is "focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place" (First
Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC), 2020). Reciprocity in this paper refers to
“making teaching and learning two-way processes,” where there is give-and-take of ideas and
understandings between teacher and learner (Kirkness & Barnhardt, 1991, p. 10). This sense of
reciprocity and mutual connection surfaced in studies at the post-secondary and K-12 levels, as
well as in research by Indigenous scholars from BC (Archibald, 2008; Coff & Lampert, 2019;
Davidson & Davidson, 2018).
Studies found that trusting, two-way relationships between non-Indigenous and
Indigenous educators were fundamental to educators learning how to better incorporate
Indigenous pedagogy and to connect with Indigenous students. In working together to advocate
for First Nations perspectives in Teacher Education curriculum, Yorta Yorta scholar Kathryn
Coff and non-Indigenous research partner Jo Lampert (2019) showcased some of the ways that
Indigenous and non-Indigenous professionals could use Indigenous ways of learning in
mentorship. These researchers practiced what they termed “co-mentorship” or two-way learning,
a non-hierarchical mentorship where both partners are mentors and mentees at different times.
Co-mentorship is an excellent example of how genuine reciprocity can disrupt conventional

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views of mentorship as hierarchical (Coff & Lampbert, 2019). Hierarchy promotes one-way
questioning and learning which places the responsibility of personal growth and learning
squarely on the mentee. Indigenous values would advocate for a more holistic approach where
growth and learning are sought and experienced by both parties (Kirkness & Barnhardt, 1991). In
other research, cultural mentors were found to be vital to growing non-Indigenous educators’
confidence to connect with Indigenous students and families and to implement Indigenous
perspectives into their practice (Burgess & Harwood, 2012). Key benefits of learning directly
from and with Indigenous cultural mentors included: mentees being able to watch how
Indigenous cultural educators interacted with Indigenous students and families; mentees being
coached on their body language and communication; and mentees observing models of how to
incorporate local history and knowledge into instruction (Burgess & Harwood, 2012). The
literature clearly shows that trusting and strong relationships between non-Indigenous and
Indigenous Peoples promote confidence to authentically implement or integrate Indigenous
education or curriculum.
This need for reciprocal relationship in learning is also emphasized by more local
Indigenous scholars. Davidson and Davidson (2018) summarize this understanding in the first
sk'ad'a principle, learned through Sara Davidson’s father's stories: “Learning emerges from
strong relationships” (p.14), implying that connection and relational bonding must already be in
place before learning can occur. Archibald (2008), in reflecting on her learning relationship with
Elders, says, “Knowledge is passed to others in the context of relationship and deep feelings of
connection” (see also Holmes, 2000, p. 46). Within Indigenous communities, you must build
personal relationships with the Elders and Knowledge Keepers in order for teachings and
protocols to be shared with you - they need to know you are there to learn for the right reasons.

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Archibald (2008) reminds us that "creating time to listen and having patience to learn what
storytellers are sharing and teaching are fundamental to establishing respectful relationships " (p.
108), and that this "respect is the foundation for all relationships” (p. 91). Genuine reciprocity
"comes with responsibilities to each other informed by First Nations ways of being, whereby
'you give to me and I give back to you'" (Coff & Lampert, 2019, p. 3). Both Archibald (2008)
and Davidson and Davidson (2018) emphasize the importance of respectful relationship as a
context for reciprocity and how much one can offer to another person through respect within
relationship.
All of these works have found that reciprocity is a key part of Indigenous ways of
teaching and learning that strengthens learning in mentorship relationships (Anthony-Stevens et
al., 2022; Burgess & Harwood, 2021). Archibald (2008) takes this point about support even
further, into cultural survival, noting that “continuation of the Stó:lō knowledge and power
relationship happens through a reciprocal process between teacher and learner” (p. 3).
Reciprocity, then, is a vital aspect of effective mentorship that reflects the Indigenous
understanding of learning as relational.
Common Barriers to Integrating Indigenous Education into Classroom Practice
The literature reviewed showed commonalities in the barriers that exist for nonIndigenous teachers in implementing or integrating Indigenous education into their classroom
practices. These barriers included racism and resistance in school environments, lack of human
and material resources, and incompatibilities between school structures and Indigenous
pedagogy. Effectively overcoming these barriers requires direct relationship with Indigenous
Peoples.

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Resistance and racism rose to the forefront of the noted barriers. Resistance to
implementing Indigenous education is significant on both individual and systemic levels in
education (Anthony-Stevens et al., 2022; Burgess et al., 2020, Hunter, 2015). One of the main
sources of resistance in educators is the struggle to figure out “how can local Indigenous
knowledge and contexts be prioritized and privileged in increasingly centralized, generalized and
universalized educational structures?” (Burgess et al., 2020, p. 11). Colonial values still
embedded within the school system result in both resistance: not wanting to implement
Indigenous education; and racism: negative thoughts or actions toward Indigenous colleagues
and students (Anthony-Stevens et al., 2022). Notably, one of the main contributions of mentors
in situations of resistance or racism was modelling how to recognize and call out racism in the
workplace and educational policies in the face of resistance from educational colleagues
(Anthony-Stevens et al., 2022). The literature points to the potential of mentorship relationships
to overcome barriers to implementing Indigenous education.
The lack of human and material resources surfaced as another key barrier. Teachers
found they did not have enough knowledge about local Indigenous cultures or enough
Indigenous classroom resources to use with students in order to confidently teach mandated
Indigenous education curriculum (Burgess & Harwood, 2021). Along with the lack of classroom
resources, there was a lack of sustainable funding for hiring Indigenous cultural educators (Coff
& Lampert, 2019; Kanu, 2005). Without funding for human and material resources, teachers did
not feel supported by the administration to implement Indigenous education and felt left on their
own to figure it out, which caused reluctance or inaction (Kanu, 2005).
A final barrier in the literature was the incompatibility between school structures and
Indigenous pedagogy. Essential elements of Indigenous ways of learning include taking the time

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to build connection, to practice protocols and traditions, and to care for the land (Archibald,
2008; Davidson & Davidson, 2018). These elements become increasingly incompatible with the
way courses and learning are structured, especially in secondary schools, where time-bound
performance is built into the school year (Kanu, 2005). When educators try to implement new
practices that incorporate Indigenous ways of learning and being, they are sometimes challenged
or stopped by administrators who are uncomfortable with stepping beyond conventional school
protocols (Hunter, 2015; Kanu, 2005). This last barrier is perhaps the most difficult to navigate,
as an individual teacher who often does not have the ability to change school and district
processes or structures. Considering these common barriers, the literature points to relationship
with Indigenous Peoples, and mentorship relationships in particular, to be necessary for helping
educators to work through these barriers.
Indigenous Mentors' Use of Indigenous Ways of Knowing
A third theme that emerged is that teachers reported unique benefits from personally
experiencing Indigenous ways of knowing and learning as practiced by Indigenous mentors.
These ways included the surfacing of identity and the use of storytelling for teaching and
learning.
The idea of surfacing identity in the relevant studies involved educators both reflecting on
and sharing their current worldviews, stories, and perspectives. Coff & Lampert (2019)
highlighted the importance of mentorship participants first identifying their own frames of
reference, stating that "we find it important first to determine our standpoint, cultural lens and
beliefs on how we see the world, and to use Indigenous methods to conduct ourselves" (p. 4).
Carroll et al. (2020) found self-reflection to be a key strategy to how teachers overcome anxiety
about implementing Indigenous education and embrace becoming "imperfect accomplices"(p.

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15). Essentially, teachers benefit from applying Dweck’s (2007) concept of a growth mindset,
which refers to a person’s belief in their ability to grow and improve with hard work, to their
journey of integrating Indigenous ways of thinking with who they are as educators. This
emphasis on identity affirms that the First Peoples’ Principle of Learning, which states that
"Learning requires exploration of one's identity" (FNESC, 2020), applies to educators when they
take on new learning. Centering educators’ identities is a practice emerging from Indigenous
perspectives that is appreciated by and supportive of the professional growth of both Indigenous
and non-Indigenous educators.
Also noted in the literature was the effective use of storytelling in mentorship
relationships as a way to learn that was noticeably different from the Western styles of education
that mentees had previously received (Anthony-Stevens et al., 2022; Burgess et al., 2020; Carroll
et al. 2020; Coff & Lampert, 2019). Storytelling was also used to carry out research (Burgess &
Harwood, 2021; Burgess et al., 2020; Coff & Lampert, 2019). Archibald (2008) used the term
"storywork" to describe this Indigenous methodology of storytelling and to communicate the
seriousness and value of this work (p. 3). When she met with Elders for research, it was through
stories that they communicated what they wanted to share, and it was up to Archibald to make
her own sense from the stories. These studies clearly reflect another First Peoples Principle of
Learning that can be applied to create unique experiences of learning: "Learning is embedded in
memory, history, and story" (FNESC, 2020). In short, educators benefit from listening to,
reflecting on, and interpreting information in a professional learning environment in the form of
storytelling, as it involves both the speaker and the listener making meaning of what is shared.
Knowing who you are and what you are bringing to the learning (surfacing educator identity), as

12

well as interacting with the learning to make your own meaning (storywork), are unique ways
that Indigenous mentors can bring powerful learning to mentorship work.
Time Needed for Meaningful Learning
In my search for literature on mentorship for the purposes of integrating Indigenous
worldviews into teaching practice, I was particularly inspired by Archibald (2008) and Davidson
and Davidson (2018). The way these Indigenous scholars carried out the work on integrating
Indigenous ways of learning into their particular areas of education suggests that meaningful
learning requires the learner to take the time needed for the learning—time to connect to one's
roots, time for reflection, and time to build relationships. This may seem intuitive and simple at
first, but this concept of taking time refers to more than just the number of hours; time involves
commitment and, often, to wait for the knowledge to emerge over time. In discussing the many
teachings that his father taught him over his life span, Robert Davidson (as reported in Davidson
and Davidson, 2018), shares: “So that was another part of my learning is that you have to give
100%. When you make a commitment, you have to be fully committed” (p.17). This waiting is
not so easy and must be intentional, as shown by these scholars' own learning stories.
Archibald (2008) and Davidson and Davidson (2018) both sought connection to their
cultural roots as a precursor to their work. Both sets of authors were committed to improving
education for Indigenous students in the Western education system but realized during their
learning or research process that they had to take time themselves to learn from their roots. They
each went back to their home reservations or lands to engage with the teachings, culture, and
protocols that were missing in their lives and that could inform their professional work. When
Sara Davidson struggled to connect with her students, she sought guidance from her father,
Robert Davidson (Davidson & Davidson, 2018). She decided to take the time that was needed to

13

go back home to Haida Gwaii to learn about her Haida heritage. Sara Davidson valued what her
father and the other Elders in her community were able to teach her; she knew that this
connecting to one's roots could not be rushed (Davidson & Davidson, 2018).
Reflection is another important aspect of Indigenous learning that requires time. During
Archibald’s (2008) time spent with Elders, she had to give the time that was needed for
meaningful learning from her respected Elders, including the long silences spent waiting for
answers to questions: “I learned that these silences were important because the Elders were
thinking about the questions and preferred not speak until they were sure about their answers.
Silence is respectful and can create good thinking.” (p.89). In fact, Archibald (2008) embeds the
concept of time into her definition of "teachings", using “the term 'teachings' to mean cultural
values, beliefs, lessons, and understandings that are passed from generation to generation.” (p.1).
Time taken for reflection, perhaps in silence, makes room for the making of connections and new
meanings that may not have been possible otherwise.
Finally, taking time for learning also involves taking time to establish connections and
meaningful relationships between the learner and teacher, whether the relationship is with Elders,
Knowledge Keepers, non-Indigenous mentees, or students in your classroom. This need for time
connects to another First Peoples Principle of Learning: “Learning involves time and patience”
(FNESC, 2020). Taking time to build a relationship shows that you care about each other’s
wellbeing, that you value the knowledge the other person is sharing with you, and that you
respect Indigenous teachings and protocols. Sara Davidson valued and learned how many years
her father, Robert Davidson, put into learning the Haida culture and protocols, all in relationship
with the Elders (Davidson & Davidson, 2018). Taking time for learning is a vital aspect of
Indigenous knowledge and worldviews, and educators who are striving to incorporate new-to-

14

them Indigenous pedagogy will need to have a nuanced understanding of what learning over time
actually means.
Gaps in the Literature
There were gaps that I noticed while reviewing the literature related to implementing
Indigenous perspectives and content into K-12 education: lack of longitudinal research; small
data sets and scope; and a lack of studies in a BC context. Carroll et al. (2020) gathered their data
from a single morning at a professional development day; and only one study was longitudinal
(Anthony-Stevens et al., 2022). It is very difficult to extrapolate the long-term benefits or to fully
grasp the complexity of research conducted in such a short time frame. Most of the studies used
small sample sizes and reported their themes relative to their specific educational and local
context (Anthony-Stevens et al., 2022; Burgess & Harwood, 2021; Coff & Lampert, 2019;
Hunter, 2015; Kanu, 2005). While this is the nature and strength of qualitative research, it is
difficult to anticipate how these findings or principles apply to a BC school context as studies
involved educators and curriculum in various locations outside of BC: Australia (Burgess &
Harwood, 2021; Coff & Lampert, 2019), the United States (Anthony-Stevens et al., 2022), and
other Canadian provinces (Carroll et al., 2020; Hunter, 2015; Kanu, 2005). Indigenous Peoples
are not homogenous: each community has a unique culture, language, and traditions. Principles
and examples of effective practice from other locations may not be representative of educators in
BC. With an absence of literature about Indigenous-centred educator mentorship in BC, there is
an opportunity for new research around the possibilities of mentorship to support non-Indigenous
teachers in their implementation of local Indigenous perspectives into the BC K-12 curriculum.
Application

15

With this qualitative study, I contribute to the research by focusing on a BC Indigenous
educator working in a co-mentorship model using Indigenous ways of learning with a pre-service
non-Indigenous educator. This creates a unique space for my research findings. The common
barriers that the literature review highlighted informed the focus of the mentorship relationship I
created. I also used some of the relationship-focused Indigenous ways of learning in designing
this mentorship model. In particular, I was inspired by Coff and Lampert's (2019) approach to
research and writing their paper using storytelling; and I have incorporated this approach by
showcasing the results around the mentorship relationship as a story of weaving. I also structured
my mentorship relationship after Coff and Lampert's (2019) concept of co-mentorship: where
hierarchy is removed; and each person learns from and with the other. Even with trusting and
meaningful relationships in place, anxieties for non-Indigenous teachers regarding the teaching
of Indigenous education still arise. Since this discomfort is necessary to help educators move
beyond colonial discourse, mentorship was a promising model of support (Carroll et al., 2020).
Archibald (2008) and Davidson and Davidson (2018) gave me the drive to use the Indigenous
teachings that helped guide them to have success in their learning journey, which included
incorporating the Elders and allowing a safe space for their voices to be heard, because “it is
impossible to teach without learning” (Davidson & Davidson, 2018, p. 13). Having established
where my research resides within the current available literature on the topic of Indigenous/nonIndigenous mentorship, I now discuss the methodology from which I designed my research.
Methodology
The topic of this research study is something that I am very passionate about and believe
is important to the current BC K-12 education system. This research aims to have a positive
impact not only on the K-12 education audience but also on local Indigenous communities who

16

will benefit from more educators taking on the task of incorporating Indigenous knowledge and
worldviews into their daily practice. Mentorship opportunities for non-Indigenous educators to
learn from and with Indigenous educators as they both strive to do this decolonizing work should
benefit all students. The most appropriate methodology to study this relationally based,
intercultural (Indigenous-Western) topic was Tribal Methodology (Kovach, 2009). Tribal
Methodology encompasses three processes: empirical observation, traditional teachings, and
revelation/spiritual knowledge (Kovach, 2009). Tribal Knowledge makes room for the use of
Indigenous knowledge and the involvement of Elders in research practice, which are critical in
both addressing my research question and in supporting my identity as a researcher. I will now
discuss ontology, epistemology, and axiology in relation to my use of Tribal Methodology. I end
this discussion of paradigm by linking to Archibald’s (2008) Storywork principles.
Tribal Methodology
S'í:kw'
Using the Western definition of ontology as one's view of the nature of reality, I have
interpreted the Western aspect of my reality as s’í:kw’, the Halq’eméylem word for lost. I use the
word s’í:kw to assert that I have lost the roots to my history and identity, with the education
system playing a significant role. This story of loss drove me to search for connection to in my
current cultural context in Sts’ailes First Nation, where I embraced the cultural belief that reality
is to be viewed in many different forms as we engage in relationships with human and nonhuman relatives, the spirit world, and protocols. So, after many generations of “hearing only the
voices of Western Europe” in research and education, my research hopes to add to an era of
"emancipation from seeing the world in one color" (Held, 2019, p. 7). To connect my Indigenous
worldview to my Western context of learning, I conducted my research from a stance that

17

Mi’kmaw Elder Albert Marshall calls Two-Eyed Seeing: "Learning to see from one eye with the
strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing and from the other eye with the strengths of Western
ways of knowing and using both of these eyes together” (Bartlett et al., 2012, p. 335). I feel that
Indigenous and Western worldviews of reality should have equal weight or importance, not one
above the other. Thus, Two-Eyed Seeing is the ontology from which I designed and carried out
the research for this study.
Lexwsí:si
Epistemology relates to the relationship between researcher and participant. According to
Plains Cree and Saulteaux scholar Margaret Kovach, knowledge in Indigenous communities is
located and created in place, through relationships and experiences, and at their intersections
(Kovach, 2009). To describe this way of knowing, I have chosen the word lexwsí:si, which to the
Stō:lò Halq’eméylem-speaking people means always sacred. Indigenous communities base much
of their culture and traditions on relationships with human and non-human relatives, which is
lexwsí:si (see also Calderon et al., 2021). The way knowledge is shared within the
Halq’eméylem-speaking community to which I now belong is through trusting relationships that
are reciprocal for both the giving and receiving participants. If a knowledge-keeper or siyólexwe
feels that you have a trusting, respectful, and honest reciprocal relationship with them, they will
more likely feel comfortable sharing sacred knowledge with you as a willing participant. Held
(2019), ascribing to Botswana scholar Chilisa’s (2012) work on Indigenous methodologies,
describes Indigenous epistemology as both subjective and intersubjective. The subjective aspect
can be illustrated by the way we learn from siyólexwe. When a story is shared by siyólexwe,
what is taken away by the listener will depend on what that individual determines is needed for
their spirit at the time (Archibald, 2008). Knowledge as intersubjective means that new

18

understanding and knowledge can be found where two people’s perspectives meet. A large part
of my research involved examining this meeting of perspectives between myself as an
Indigenous educator in partnership with a non-Indigenous future educator as we worked together
to implement a two-eyed approach that centres and values the learning that takes place in
relationship.
Lheq’elómet
Finally, the term axiology refers to the role of values in research and possible biased or
unbiased scenarios. The way that I best understand this concept of values guiding my work is
through the word Lheq’elómet, which is Halq’eméylem for to know yourself. As I carried out my
research, I wanted to be authentic to who I am as a female Indigenous educator by practicing
Lheq’elómet and staying true to what I value.
Four key values guided my work. I developed these values after years of sitting at the feet
of my community Elders and witnessing countless ceremonies and protocols. The first value was
reciprocity. My research project aimed to benefit both the télexw (learner) and me, as both
partners learned from each other. In the long term, the children we teach will also benefit from
our individual growth. The second value was respect. The télexw and I are equal; the mentorship
relationship was designed to minimize power dynamics. While we had different roles and
experiences, mutual respect was maintained throughout (Coff & Lampert, 2019). Holism, the
third value that guided my work, is something that is true to my heart. Teaching or learning
holistically considers the whole student: not only their academic needs but also their physical,
psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs (Archibald, 2008). I planned to showcase holism
through the questions that I asked the télexw, which included inquiring about emotions,
knowledge, practices, and how the learning related to their past, present, and future. The last

19

value included in my research was responsibility. It was important to remember that we had a
responsibility to understand each other and where we came from, to take the time to learn each
other’s backgrounds and to maintain respect for each other’s perspectives (Davidson &
Davidson, 2018). Doing so helped us to take what we learned from one another and use it in our
practices going forward. These four values then shaped our story of mentorship. To guide the
telling of this story, I turned to Jo-Ann Archibald’s (2008) Storywork principles.
Storywork Principles
"Sit down and listen" (Archibald, 2008, p. 47). According to Archibald in Indigenous
Storywork, this is the first step towards storytelling. Storytelling is a process to be arrived at, an
experience to be engaged in with thought and preparation. To be "story-ready", you need to
incorporate the principles of respect, reverence, responsibility, and reciprocity into what you are
planning to do and into your way of acting (SD68 Nanaimo Ladysmith, 2021). Only then can
you begin to engage with other Storywork principles.
The three principles that guided my research process were holism, interrelatedness, and
synergy. Holism refers to the consideration of all aspects of a person by seeing and connecting
the physical, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional realms (Archibald, 2008). This includes
connections to family and community. Interrelatedness seeks connection to self and to the stories
of others. Synergy involves all parts of the storytelling working together—the storyteller, the
listener, the story itself, and the situation in which the story is shared. Synergy looks like the
sharing of thoughts and the taking of opportunities after all the "doing" to see, to hear, to reflect,
and to learn (Archibald, 2008). These three principles directed me to be mindful of the potential
emotions that might arise during research conversations and to allow those emotions to tell their
part of the story. Interrelatedness and synergy guided both my data collection (research through

20

conversation) and how I made meaning from the collected data, reminding me to consider both
the mentee’s and my own values, beliefs, and relational contexts. The co-mentorship relationship
was interrelatedness and synergy in action. Enacting Storywork principles through the structure
and carrying out of the study enabled the data that I collected to be authentic and not polished.
These same principles directed me to a method of study that would honour the real story revealed
in the research.
Method
The method that I thought would best allow an authentic story to be shared is the case
study approach. Case study as a research approach produces an in-depth, multi-faceted
understanding of a complex issue in its real-life context (Creswell et al., 2018). This study was
an intrinsic case study in which a unique co-mentorship engagement was described in detail and
analyzed for key themes. Finally, a case study approach allowed the results of this research
project to be presented through a timeline narrative supported by observations, interviews,
audiovisual material, and written notes and reports.
Data Sources
Context. I conducted this study within an Indigenous community located in the Lower
Mainland region of British Columbia. The Indigenous community school is a K-12 school with
over 250 students attending elementary, middle, and high school programs within the same
building. The student population is not Indigenous-only, as students are bussed in from all over
the local region. This school thrives on imparting Halq’eméylem language and cultural teachings
to all of its students, delivered by a local Indigenous Knowledge Keeper. In choosing a
participant for the study, I kept in mind that the participant would ideally visit the community
school a number of times and connect with the local community, as well as observe and teach as

21

part of the research. I designed the following criteria to thoughtfully select a participant who
would not only have an interest in decolonizing educational practice, but also be willing to
connect with a local Indigenous community.
Choosing the Participant. After sharing a poster regarding the study with university
instructors, I was able to select a student who was enrolled in a pre-requisite course for entrance
into the teacher education program at a university within the Lower Mainland region. The
requirements that I set out for selecting my participant included:
● The participant must be non-Indigenous and does not reside within an Indigenous
community.
● The participant must have limited teaching experience.
● The participant is willing to work with a mentor to co-create a unit plan that will include
Indigenous knowledge and worldviews, as well as Western teaching approaches.
● The participant should be able to visit the school a number of times throughout January
and February to co-plan, co-teach, and reflect on the mentoring experience.
● The participant must provide a valid and current criminal record check.
From the two respondents, I selected a participant for the study who expressed an eagerness for
learning and proceeded with the first meeting. The participant, who chose to be referred to in this
study as Ms. A, was a young (mid-twenties), non-Indigenous post-secondary student enrolled in
a Bachelor of Education prerequisite course. Ms. A grew up in the Lower Mainland and had little
exposure to Indigenous histories or education, only encountering these topics in her postsecondary experience. She had volunteered with youth in community in the area of literacy but
had no formal teaching experience.

22

Data Tools. I collected data from interviews, collaborative work, teaching session
products, and reflections after teaching sessions. The four main categories of data-gathering
events are detailed below.
Pre-Interview. When it came to asking questions of the participant, I wanted to know
specific things such as: what the differences or similarities would be between the participant's
and my way of thinking regarding Indigenous knowledge and worldviews and what decolonizing
meant to each of us. With these intentions in mind, I developed the following questions:
1. What is your current understanding of Indigenous knowledge and worldviews? What
significance do these terms have for you at this point in your learning?
2. What does incorporating Indigenous knowledge and worldviews look like to you in your
future teaching career?
3. What is your understanding of decolonizing your teaching practice? How do you feel
about taking on this task?
4. Describe your current level of confidence in incorporating Indigenous knowledge or
worldviews into your lessons. What contributes to your level of confidence?
5. What questions or wonderings do you have about Indigenous knowledge and
worldviews?
Collaborative Work. One of the ways that I collected data was through the co-creation of
a social studies unit consisting of four_lesson plans for grade four students. Meeting five times
over the course of the study, the participant and I created lesson plans that embedded Indigenous
knowledge and worldviews and required lesson implementation that reflected Indigenous ways
of knowing. The learning from this collaborative work was captured through reflection

23

questions, completed orally after each lesson. The reflection responses, captured using the Otter
application, also gathered data on the teaching experience.
Teaching. After teaching the planned lessons (variations of co-teaching and the
participant teaching alone), the participant and I took time to reflect on the day's teaching
experience by answering the following questions. These responses were also recorded using the
Otter application.
1. How did today's lesson and experience in class make you feel? Why do you think you felt
that way?
2. What did you learn today about Indigenous Knowledge and worldviews? How does this
sit with what you currently believe or practice?
3. Was there anything that we could have done differently in our lesson? How and why
would we do it differently next time?
4. What do you notice about our co-mentorship relationship? What benefits, drawbacks,
successes, or discomforts are you experiencing?
Post-Interview. At our final meeting, we answered the same five questions from the preinterview, with an additional question: What changes, if any, have you seen in your own
educational philosophy or approach to teaching after participating in this study? The purpose of
asking the same questions as the pre-interview was to see if the participant’s thinking and
philosophies had shifted and why. The additional question was used to explore the extent, for
both participant and the principal investigator, to which Indigenous and Western pedagogies
were adopted, internalized, and perhaps woven together. Again, this post-interview was recorded
using Otter. With this last piece of evidence collected, I began the process of preparing the data
for analysis.

24

Managing the Data
After reviewing the data from the pre- and post-interviews, as well as the reflections after
each lesson that was taught, I proceeded to work with the transcripts. I cleaned up the transcripts
by taking out the double words, and any repeated phrases. Once the transcripts were cleaned up,
I provided them to Ms. A for review and to provide feedback. Within one week, I received
confirmation from the participant that there were no necessary changes to be made, and that they
approved the transcript as presented. Once approved, I was able to analyze the data using two
different coding strategies.
Data Analysis
I analyzed my data in two different ways to enable the participant's thoughts, reflections
and learning to be showcased in a holistic way that aligned with my way of thinking as an
Indigenous person. I coded the data using descriptive and process coding, as described below.
Mentorship
In an effort to identify the moments and actions that resulted in these shifts in perception,
I used process coding for the section on mentorship. This approach involves the use of gerunds
ending in "ing" to summarize or to capture the action surfacing in the data (e.g., reflecting,
questioning self; Saldaña 2011). Since the co-planning and co-teaching of the actual lessons were
where the mentorship occurred, I felt that process coding would be an appropriate choice for
telling the story. I focused on creating a timeline of these moments and actions as I read through
the reflections. Process coding revealed significant moments that occurred, such as the shift from
"doubting" in the pre-interview to "being resourceful" in the post-interview.

25

Interview Data
Descriptive coding involves reading through the collected data to identify emerging
topics and assigning nouns to summarize those topics (Saldaña, 2011). I used descriptive coding
for the pre- and post-interview questions, as this was the best way to capture what was talked
about that aligned with the values of respect (for Ms. A), holism (considering all aspects of Ms.
A’s experience), and responsibility (representing Ms. A’s experience accurately). This type of
coding enabled me to look for changes in Ms. A’s responses over the course of the mentorship
process.
Managing Bias
Since I was directly involved in the interview and mentorship processes being analyzed, I
took specific actions to mitigate the impact of personal bias on both the analysis of data and the
study's results. Managing bias is about keeping the investigator's personal experiences and
opinions from colouring the coding or reporting of findings. I was able to manage my biases by
doing the following:
● I had my supervisor read the entire document.
●

I kept a bias journal that was written after the participant left.

● I requested the participant’s approval of quotes and the transcript and provided an
opportunity for the participant to add or remove part of the transcript to more accurately
represent their voice in the research.
Implementing these bias management strategies laid the groundwork for creating trustworthy
qualitative research

26

Strength of Study
Denzin and Lincoln (2005) observed a "triple crisis of representation, legitimation, and
praxis" that needed to be addressed to strengthen qualitative studies (p. 19). To provide a valid
representation of my participant and myself, I designed a process that created a safe environment
for the participant to feel comfortable and valued. This was accomplished through the work of
creating a trusting, respectful relationship between researcher and participant from the first
meeting, through the collaborative lesson planning, and the final interview. Representation
aligned with the Storywork principle of synergy by providing opportunities for both participant
and investigator to share their thoughts and reactions throughout the study, and by reflecting
together on what was learned from the mentoring experience in the post-interview. The
reflections captured both the investigator's and the participant's voices, and transcripts were
vetted by the participant. Thus, the various aspects of the study's story were valued and woven
together in both the carrying out and writing up of the findings of the study.
The second crisis, legitimation, raises the question of trustworthiness. To address this
crisis, I designed clear processes for data collection that included data collection events soon
after teaching and mentorship events so that recall would more accurately reflect the experiences.
I also used direct quotes from the data to develop themes and provided thick descriptions of the
key moments and actions in the mentorship relationship. In short, legitimacy was supported
through diligence in the process of collecting and interpreting the data to most accurately reflect
the experiences investigated.
The final crisis, praxis, questions the usability of my findings. One may question how a
single case study, situated in a unique environment, interpreted by one researcher, could be
useful to the larger educational community. Firstly, by modelling a BC-situated co-mentorship

27

relationship, my research serves as an example of how to incorporate a connection to place and
community within a research setting. Further, the themes that emerged from my research provide
relational and cultural considerations for Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators who are
striving to work together to decolonize their teaching practices and the systems of education they
work within. Lastly, my research suggests ways that Western and Indigenous pedagogies can be
woven together in both research and authentic implementation of the current BC K-12
curriculum. So, through modelling the integration of Indigenous and Western ways of thinking
and learning within a research environment, my findings are useful for both researchers
interested in designing future studies and K-12 educators who are eager to bring together these
two cultural perspectives into their teaching practice.
Having carefully constructed and carried out the fieldwork and data collection, the
study’s results are presented below.
Results
My findings are presented in two parts: the first section shares what was learned about
the co-mentorship relationship through the five reflections, and the second section looks at how
the participant's thinking and philosophies changed from the pre-interview to the last. The first
section uses the metaphor of weaving to organize the findings, while the second part identifies
recurring themes of change. Each section concludes with a summary of significant findings.

28

Co-Mentorship Relationship and the Five Reflections
In this section, I present the research results around the co-mentorship relationship, as
revealed through the process coding of the five reflections I collected as part of my data. The
codes capture what was happening for both the participant and the researcher as the relationship
progressed through the stages of research. The results will be told through the story of learning to
weave; the themes tie to specific points in the weaving journey, and the story reveals key
moments in the co-mentorship relationship that can inform the success of future Indigenous-nonIndigenous mentorship relationships. This metaphor of weaving was particularly fitting as two of
the lessons in our research experience involved having both the students and us engaging in the
hands-on learning of traditional weaving with a local Indigenous Knowledge Keeper. Ms. A and
I literally wove together, even as we metaphorically worked on weaving the threads of our
mentorship relationship.
Metaphor of Coast Salish Weaving
I was introduced to Coast Salish weaving by U a La La (traditional name of the weaving
teacher) who taught me the following about weaving. The design and symmetry in Coast Salish
weaving is preserved no matter how many times it is folded; as you draw your design or dream
about what you think your weaving project will look like, your imaginings may not always be
the actual end result. The finished weaving project becomes alive and will present itself the way
it is meant to. You need to learn the basics of weaving and understand each part as it comes
together—it is an experience in the moment. Within this metaphor, I represent my role as an
Indigenous researcher and the forming of our co-mentorship relationship as the first steps of the
weaving process - warping and twilling. Then, I present four notable developments in the
relationship, tied to four experiences of the weaver: weaving the threads, seeing the pattern,

29

making mistakes, and catching your rhythm. Finally, I end with two themes that emerge near the
end of the reflections—thinking holistically and gaining confidence—and tie these to the
finished woven product.
Warping & Twilling - The Researcher and the Relationship Foundation
Warping. The first step of weaving is warping, as shown in Figure 1. You start at the
bottom and wrap your wool up, over, and down the loom to the desired width. This is the base
and foundation of weaving. In my role as an Indigenous researcher and mentor, I saw myself as
the warp threads. In this role, I provided the structure of the experience and the knowledge base
of Indigenous worldviews and pedagogy, and I set emotional safety through a welcoming, comentorship arrangement. Specifically, I paid attention to Ms. A’s body language to gauge her
comfort level and provided assurance as needed, I practiced active listening throughout the
interviews and discussion, and I was transparent about my own educational struggles and hopes.
Throughout the research, I shared many of my own mistakes and learning experiences and
consistently affirmed my desire to help and support Ms. A in her growth as an educator. I saw
my responsibility in the beginning of this weaving as providing a safe foundation.

30

Figure 1
Warping

Note. The first step in weaving on a loom is to “warp”, or to wrap the yarn threads vertically
around the loom structure.
Twilling. The next step of weaving is twilling (Figure 2). This section consists of four
rows that lock the weaving and warping together, preventing the weaving from falling apart;
twilling is also repeated at the end of the weaving. Twilling is a metaphor for the forming of our
research relationship. The participant and I first met purely to establish a relationship, with no
research being done at this meeting. During this time together we met on Zoom to ask each other
questions to help us to understand each other’s backgrounds. For myself, connection was
established with Ms. A in our first initial meeting together and it grew stronger as we met for
each reflection. Since this initial meeting was purposefully not recorded, in order to provide a
safe and casual space for the first time we met, no quotes are provided in relation to this

31

conversation. As well, after each of our formal (recorded) reflections finished, our conversations
informally continued. Those moments were also not recorded as they were an organic part of our
relationship. (They served to continue strengthening our relationship.) Establishing a connection
with Ms. A was something that I did not have to force; it was surprisingly organic. Our
personalities connected well, and it was like we had known each other our entire lives. With this
foundation in place, the weaving (learning) process could begin.
Figure 2
Twilling

Note: Twilling is the weaving of four rows of yarn to lock the weaving in at the beginning of the
weaving process.
Weaving the Threads - Connecting
After the twilling, the actual weaving may begin. Here, you will use a different colour of
wool to weave through the warp. In each line, the weaving wool is passed in front and behind

32

various warp threads, and the woven piece is made strong from all the points where the warp and
weave touch. These touch points represent the connection that was happening throughout the
research experience, from the first reflection onwards. Interactions coded as connecting
happened in each of the five reflections, sometimes between the participant and the students and
other times between the researcher and the students or between the participant and the
researcher. As Ms. A entered the classroom for the first time, she felt welcomed by the students
simply “coming up to me asking my name”. Ms. A noticed that we had “built a good
community” within the classroom and thought it was because "it's most likely taught within your
classroom as well.” The students and I made her feel like she was a part of our community. Our
connections and continued relationship built trust: “I don’t know if I would have been that
honest. But I think because we have this relationship, I was able to tell you”. By the fourth
reflection, I expressed to Ms. A that "you're like a part of the family already". Just as weaving
the threads through the warping creates the fabric of the weaving project, connecting back and
forth in the co-mentorship relationship throughout the research experience was continuous and
organically grew the relationship.
Seeing the Pattern - Appreciating & Bridging to Indigenous Knowledge
After weaving the first lines and the colour of the weaving starts to show through, you
often have a moment of "Wow!" and think to yourself, "Is this what it could look like?" A
feeling of excitement runs through your spirit as you see the pattern emerge, as in Figure 3, and
you become accustomed to counting out the threads that make your pattern. You begin to
understand how the weaving and warping work together. These feelings of wonder and emerging
understanding parallel both the participant and the researcher's appreciation of Indigenous

33

knowledge and new thoughts as to how Indigenous and Western worldviews could work together
in teaching, a theme that appeared in four out of five reflections.
When discussing Indigenous traditions or protocols with Ms. A, she understood that she
had only received the surface knowledge, as the more profound knowledge is “so sacred that
there's only so much that I can know.” Ms. A did not realize that both worldviews could be
woven together without being viewed as one being lesser than the other. After the lesson on
seasonal rounds, she described her experience of incorporating Indigenous knowledge in the
lesson as "tiptoe[ing] into learning about Indigenous knowledge" and her surprise that
“everybody can connect to it” by learning to see their experiences through the lens of both
Indigenous and Western worldviews. When she learned about seasonal rounds and Wampum,
she shared that her interest motivated her to spend significant time on her own researching these
ideas and concepts.
For my part, when I saw Ms. A making connections with the information that was being
taught and shared with her, I had a warm feeling within my heart—her willingness to learn and
desire to teach children in a new way was inspiring. Her growth mindset throughout the comentorship experience strengthened our relationship as it moved forward. I had always enjoyed
teaching Indigenous knowledge and worldviews and trying to bridge between Western and
Indigenous worldviews within my teaching practice; but when the research began, I doubted my
ability to do so, perhaps because of the introduction of another educator. By the end of the comentorship experience, I began to wonder if I was doing enough for my students. Ms. A's
reflections made me realize that I could be doing more with my teaching approach and for my
students. For example, she suggested that I use Halq'eméylem words within lessons, words
related to the particular unit of study. This further made me think of incorporating Halq’eméylem

34

words as one of our bonus spelling words so students can feel comfortable spelling or writing the
language in the future, and when visually seeing Halq’eméylem words they will be able to
recognize the word. Co-mentorship not only enabled the participant to gain a greater appreciation
for Indigenous knowledge and how to make these understandings part of her practice, but it also
allowed me to expand my ideas for teaching and bridging both worldviews into a holistic
learning experience for my students.
Figure 3
Weaving and Seeing the Pattern

Note: As the weaving progresses, the pattern emerges.
Making Mistakes - Feelings of Apprehension
As you weave, two common mistakes include pulling the weaving thread too tight, which
causes the weaving to have narrower sections, and counting the pattern incorrectly, which causes
the design to be shifted. These mistakes in weaving are easily noticeable, causing one to feel

35

frustrated or nervous. As a new weaver myself, making these mistakes while weaving makes me
doubtful of having the ability to continue to learn and become a better weaver. These feelings of
apprehension arising from the making of mistakes were also present throughout the comentorship experience.
Ms. A certainly had these feelings when it came to incorporating Indigenous Knowledge
and worldviews into the lessons - not only with teaching but also with trying something new, as
she reported feeling “obviously a little shy coming in first” and “a little nervous”. Just as Ms. A
felt apprehensive or doubtful in the first four reflections, I felt apprehensive both before and
during the research process. More than half-way through the research, I had a strong feeling of
doubting myself as an Indigenous educator: “Am I even decolonizing my teaching practices? I
think I am, but I don’t know”. As each lesson passed, the feelings of doubting ourselves slowly
faded, little by little, as we both began to embrace our mistakes. Ms. A came to value feelings of
discomfort: "I see that I need to adjust my own thinking with teaching Indigenous perspectives to
my students - being able to make mistakes…those uncomfortable moments are important". In the
same reflection, I talked about my own nervousness at mispronouncing Halq’eméylem words
and how I was trying to normalize making mistakes as part of my teaching. For both partners,
feelings of apprehension and doubt surfaced throughout the experience but became framed as a
part of the learning experience as the research progressed.
In the weaving process, some people believe they need to take a break if their mind or
emotions are not focused on the work; you must have that feeling of wanting to weave, as more
mistakes will occur if you have any opposing thoughts or feelings. Some weavers will go back to
fix their mistakes and learn from them. However, other weavers believe that the mistakes within
the weaving are meant to be and leave them - this shows the uniqueness of the weaving and can

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be a metaphor to remind us that each student has their own unique gift and uniqueness as well.
This latter mindset reflects how both participant and researcher came to embrace mistake-making
and feelings of apprehension - as opportunities for reflection and learning, and as an integral part
of the journey. The Halq’eméylem saying Lets’emó:t, meaning "good heart, good mind", aptly
summarizes this mindset of being willing to accept and allow ourselves to be.
Catching Your Rhythm - Reflecting on Practice
About halfway through the weaving, there is a sense one gets—a sense of
accomplishment. Now you can see what works and what does not; and you know how you tend
to make mistakes, so you begin to figure out your style and rhythm in weaving. In fact, you look
forward to starting another project and trying out a different pattern. This reflecting on practice
and planning for future work emerged for Ms. A later on in the research experience. Starting in
reflection three, she realized that “the transition from one task to another during the lesson would
have been beneficial with providing an example.” Lesson three consisted of teaching the
students about evidence and how evidence affected trade among Indigenous people and the
European Settlers. Although Ms. A was not a certified teacher yet, she jumped into the teacher
role quite well. After the lesson, she said, “I wished that I had more direction from you [the
researcher], but I understand…the choice of that”. Later, she said that “moments will come
when teaching alone, [and] I will have to figure it out on my own, and I get it.” I informed Ms. A
that in the past our ancestors would help and guide the learner and ensure that they were on the
right path, but Knowledge Keepers and/or Elders would not hold their hands through the learning
journey. During the last two lessons, where the students were weaving their own headbands, Ms.
A had a fantastic idea of warping the looms ahead of time or creating a video of me (the
researcher) warping the loom. She felt that this would help the students to learn to warp the

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loom, but she also considered that this had the potential of “taking away the learning” from the
students. I was impressed with Ms. A’s suggestion and wondered why I did not think of this idea.
I believe it takes a set of new eyes working with you to see things differently. I appreciated Ms.
A’s ability to reflect without any fear because this allowed me to reflect alongside her through
this co-mentorship experience. When Ms. A noticed some of my pedagogical practices, such as
consulting with my Educational Assistant (EA) as an equal professional or ensuring students'
nutritional needs were met before school started, this caused me to recognize and articulate my
frame of thinking and how I am practically applying my cultural knowledge to my classroom
teaching. Taking the time to reflect on how I was applying my cultural knowledge was not
something that I regularly did nor felt comfortable doing, as neither my parents nor educators
ever valued this kind of cultural reflection. However, when we conducted each reflection as part
of the research protocol, I found that doing so came naturally and easily, in the context of the
participant reflecting my practices back to me. So, as weavers in this co-mentorship relationship,
both participant and researcher came to greater self-knowledge, which prompted both to a
forward-looking mindset.
The Finished Product - Thinking Holistically and Gaining Confidence
Thinking Holistically. The finished weaving product is ready to be given or shared. U a
La La taught us that, when weaving, you have to be in a good place mentally and emotionally as
you do not want to pass on any negative thoughts or feelings to the end result of the weaving.
This is a holistic approach to weaving - the whole person, physically, emotionally, and
spiritually, are involved in the creation of the product. The warping, the weaving, and the weaver
all work together to create a pattern that is not obvious from the start.

38

An awareness of this kind of holistic thinking emerged in the later reflections from Ms.
A. As the experience of the co-mentorship relationship flourished throughout the time of the
research, this allowed us as mentorship partners to develop authentic connections to each other.
Reflecting on the Indigenous Knowledge that was shared and woven together with Western
worldviews through the teaching experience, Ms. A struggled to express her emotions about our
time together. She finally came up with these warm, heart-felt words; that Indigenous knowledge
“touches your heart.” With both of us having been schooled through Western education systems,
we noticed the differences between how Western and Indigenous knowledge and worldviews are
perceived in the educational setting, in terms of their perceived value and credibility. Western
scientific methods and text-based knowledge were set on a pedestal in our schooling experiences,
while Indigenous knowledge was completely absent. Ms. A concluded, “I guess with learning
about Indigenous knowledge and worldviews within textbooks, versus being here and involved
in the community, is this feeling that you receive, I think, is something that obviously lacks when
you're just reading a textbook.” As we wove together throughout this co-mentorship experience,
we were two people trying to make the best educational experience for the students. During the
weaving lesson, Ms. A realized, “I feel like there's more to it obviously than just weaving.”
Teaching and weaving need to be approached holistically. I had a mindset that each time you
weave, the end result is never the same; just like students, they are all unique and have their
strengths. So, thinking and teaching holistically, I was able to provide some strategies for Ms. A
to use in her future teaching practice. For example, Indigenous knowledge and worldviews focus
more on the child/students’ needs and allowing their voices to be heard, so assignments do not
have to be pen to paper, but could be oral discussion, drawings, a recording or other ways of
learning that benefit the individual student. As the participant noticed her own thinking

39

becoming more holistic, considering the whole child, I was able to share pedagogy that
supported this approach.
Gaining Confidence. Finally, when you finish your first weaving project, there is a
feeling of accomplishment and confidence. You know that you have not achieved mastery, but
you gain a type of inner strength. I feel more confident as I attempt every new weaving project,
learning from past mistakes and strengthening my skills each time, knowing I have only learned
the basics of weaving thus far and am still considered a beginner. These feelings of confidence
developed throughout the co-mentorship relationship for both the participant and the researcher.
Ms. A came in wanting to decolonize her future teaching practice with an open heart and mind
while understanding that there would be some discomfort and nervousness. At the end of the inclass weaving experience, she said, “It was really…empowering in a way to be able to learn this
[weaving] alongside the kids.” From being able to witness my teaching approach, Ms. A was
able to set aside the fear she had coming into this co-mentorship experience by “noticing how
easily it [Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy] can be incorporated into like just everyday
learning is something … is what I noticed with the lesson.” As Ms. A gained confidence, she
was, by the last reflection, already considering how she could decolonize her teaching practice
when she graduates from a Bachelor of Education program. For my part, I have gained more
confidence in my ability to teach Indigenous knowledge and worldviews, as this research
experience enabled me to engage with and build deeper relationships with Elders and Knowledge
Keepers, as well as to witness the growth of Ms. A. In short, working together as co-mentors
provided experiences that helped both Ms. A and me to feel an increased sense of confidence in
our own abilities to implement Indigenous pedagogy.

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Figure 4
Completed Headband Weaving

Note: Ms. A’s first weaving project, a headband completed as part of our in-class learning with a
local Indigenous Knowledge Keeper.
Wrapping Up the Weaving - Summary of Findings about Co-Mentorship
The process of learning to weave provides a fitting metaphor for the key highlights of the
co-mentorship relationship at the center of this research. The foundational structure of warping
and twilling was provided by the researcher's Indigenous knowledge, and the relational
foundation was laid before the research began. The weaving process encompassed the creating of
connection in relationships, the growing appreciation for and knowledge of how to bridge
Indigenous and Western worldviews, the embracing of discomfort as learning, and the reflection
on practice. Finally, considering the woven end product, the weavers engaged in holistic thinking
and gained the confidence to move forward in their practices. In the last reflection, Ms. A
expressed wanting to “come back for the spring and do some berry picking and cedar picking.” I
felt honored to hear Ms. A say she wanted to return to learn more from the students and myself.
Continuing our relationship holds value for both parties, as we could continue to learn from each

41

other and ask for guidance when needed. Not only will this allow Ms. A to have access to
Indigenous Knowledge and worldviews to implement into her future teaching, but it will also
provide both of us with "a new person that you're able to bounce ideas off of." Together, we can
continue to weave other projects to create other masterpieces.
Changes in the Participant's Beliefs and Understandings
The second set of data gathered through this research was the participant's responses in
the pre- and post-interviews, conducted before and after the mentorship experience. As noted in
the methods section, the interviews consisted of the same five questions pre- and post-, with an
additional question added to the final interview to reflect on any overall changes the participant
saw in their educational philosophy or approach because of our work together. Using descriptive
coding with the interview transcripts, I identified five distinct areas where the participant's
responses indicated a shift in thinking or belief: the role of relationships in learning, emotional
discomfort, understanding of Indigenous worldviews, growth mindset, and the weaving of
worldviews. This section describes and defines each theme and provides examples of how and
when each theme emerged in the participant’s learning journey. Some of the shifts in the
participants’ beliefs and understandings over the course of the co-mentorship relationship were
significant, while others were more subtle. To extend the weaving metaphor, Ms. A entered into
the research as rich, colourful yarn, full of her own identity, knowledge, and strengths. Through
the co-mentorship experience, she interacted with new yarn (me as an Indigenous educator), and
through this interaction, Ms. A discovered ‘new patterns’ that she could weave in connection
with a new and different person (me).

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Role of Relationship in Learning
I have defined the “role of relationship in learning” as comments or remarks related to the
value or the role of relationships in learning, as well as the impact of relationships on learning. In
the pre-interview, Ms. A seemed to have a textbook or generalized knowledge of the importance
of relationships in learning, as indicated by comments such as “I understand that the connection
with each other is important. And I've heard of passing down of knowledge, from Elders, is
extremely important within the community.” She had a desire for relationships with Indigenous
Knowledge Keepers for learning purposes but had not experienced it personally: "How do you
create that relationship with an Elder? …because I have always been really jealous of people
who have the connection and relationship, and I didn’t realize…how important that relationship
is to have first before an Elder would come into your classroom." So, Ms. A began with a general
sense of the importance of relationships to learning but was unfamiliar with Indigenous practice
of and protocols around relationships.
In the post-interview, the participant recognized how a relationship was critical to her
personal and professional growth. In particular, Ms. A understood the value of reciprocity:
“something that I missed at the beginning of this research is something that I’ve become more
aware of, and something that I think is really prominent in Indigenous knowledge and
worldviews - that is reciprocity.” She noticed reciprocity being practiced in our mentorship
relationship, and within my classroom, between teacher and student and between students. As
well, Ms. A was able to see the importance of stories and how important it is for the students to
be able to share their stories, that it should never be about the educator having a hierarchical
relationship with students. Ms. A noticed that, in each lesson, the students had a voice, and that
we had established a tight-knit classroom community where students were taught to use their

43

voices to tell their stories. Finally, Ms. A remarked on the different experiences one could have
when learning with and alongside others, as opposed to reading things in a textbook: “[what] I’ve
learned as well is you lack kind of that feeling and community that I think is really important
within Indigenous worldviews that you don’t get from reading the textbook.” So, through
mentorship, the participant experienced and came to value learning in a relationship with an
Indigenous educator, especially the aspects of reciprocity, sharing of power, and the sharing of
stories.
Emotional Discomfort
I have defined “emotional discomfort” as the feelings or thoughts of and about
discomfort, uncertainty, doubt, or anxiety related to implementing Indigenous pedagogy into
one’s teaching practices. During the pre-interview, although Ms. A entered this co-mentorship
relationship willingly, she showed discomfort and nervousness due to her perception of her lack
of knowledge related to Indigenous pedagogy: “I’m nervous to disrespect something really
sacred, or teach something entirely the wrong way.” Not only was Ms. A having these valid
emotions with regard to implementing Indigenous pedagogy, but she was also nervous about
answering the pre-interview question: "What is your current understanding of Indigenous
Knowledge and worldviews? What significance do these terms have for you at this point in your
learning?" She struggled to articulate her understanding, often repeating the question or
restarting her responses: “I have everything in my head, but I don't know how to put it into
words…I’m trying to figure it out - I almost want to restart, but I don’t know.” Ten times in the
pre-interview, Ms. A said, "I don't know" and stopped speaking, often looking to the researcher
for the next prompt. Overall, during the pre-interview, Ms. A exhibited nervousness and

44

discomfort with her inexperience and lack of sense of what Indigenous ways of thinking were
and how these could be incorporated into her future teaching practice.
During the post-interview, Ms. A brought up experiences that had impacted her feelings
of fear and also articulated a different mindset about her emotional discomfort. Ms. A had had
the opportunity to meet the grade five teacher at the school, who was a non-Indigenous educator,
and she noticed that the teacher was learning along with the students: “I think it takes away that
fear of doing something wrong … you're both learning together” and seeing that other nonIndigenous educators are doing the work “definitely helps with kind of removing those fears.”
Another supportive experience for Ms. A was our co-mentorship relationship, as our connection
“removes that fear because I have somebody that I can come to, if need be, and to understand
further about certain things, maybe things that I would be worried about asking somebody else
because we have that bond.” Ms. A also attributed an easing of her nervousness to the students;
that “the students kind of incorporated that Indigenous worldview” in the way they responded
organically to the lessons with cultural knowledge from their lives, helping her to realize that she
could learn from students as well. When asked how she felt about taking on the task of
decolonizing her future teaching practice, Ms. A replied, “I definitely feel more confident about
it … having that little snapshot of how easily it can be embedded and how it can be done.” She
also recognized that to release some of the discomfort and nervousness, she needed to be more
flexible in her thinking: “I think just being ... open to it. I think that is one of the first steps.” The
end result was that Ms. A reframed her thinking and was less hindered by her feelings of
discomfort; instead, she felt "more comfortable within that little bit of discomfort. It's not a bad
uncomfortability, but it's just like a normal one because it's new." Ms. A still said, "I don't know"
a number of times in the final interview, but each time, it was followed with offerings of what

45

she could do and what she did know or had learned. In fact, she began looking into the future and
began considering, “It would be interesting to go and see how it is incorporated into younger
classes as well.” Within the research period, Ms. A moved from hesitancy, doubt, and fear to
recognizing experiences and mindsets that could normalize and overcome feelings of discomfort.
Understanding Indigenous Worldviews
I have defined “understanding Indigenous worldviews” as comments related to the
participant's thinking about or understanding of implementing Indigenous pedagogy into the
classroom. As the co-mentorship relationship evolved, I began to notice the change in Ms. A’s
depth of understanding of Indigenous knowledge and worldviews. In the pre-interview, many of
Ms. A's responses were phrases that could be considered, in her own words, “textbook
knowledge.” She was able to list things she learned from professors or from readings, but these
comments were often vague and generalized: "So my current understanding is that compared to
Western views, it's very linear. And then Indigenous is very, I guess it'd be circular. The
Indigenous principles it's very much connecting yourself and your relationships. It's very familyoriented, and just understanding your connection with the earth and the creators." Ms. A also felt
her own lack of understanding keenly as she reflected that “I think I know bits and pieces. So I
feel I’d be able to list it off, but going into depth into each one is where I lack.” She noticed that
“we’re really struggling like that connection that we have to the Earth is kind of dwindling a
little bit” and that this has been affecting the students we teach, but she had little idea of how to
use Indigenous knowledge and worldviews to help with restoring this connection to the earth.
One thing that Ms. A did recognize is that “doing something is better than not doing anything.”
We see that in the beginning of the research Ms. A was aware of general Indigenous principles

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and values and desired to learn more about how these principles could be used to decolonize her
teaching practice, but realized she had little sense of how to go about doing so.
The change in Ms. A's thinking and demeanor in this area, over the span of only five
visits spanning one month, was thrilling for me to witness. In the post-interview, she was able to
articulate specific Indigenous ways of thinking and how she had or could apply these to her
practice. The first time I noticed that Ms. A was developing a deeper understanding of
Indigenous pedagogy was during our second lesson on “Seasonal Rounds”. Ms. A began to
understand how some knowledge is sacred and to value protocols that a colleague had shared
with us, such as the protocol of giving away the first thing that you make; in our case, your first
woven headband. Ms. A understood that “the proper way of Indigenous worldviews is to first
give away” because "it kind of starts the reciprocity cycle.” Responding to my sharing that my
husband has also taught our son these protocols when it comes to fishing and hunting game, that
this giving away is supposed to bring you luck during the hunting and fishing seasons, Ms. A
concluded that "I also have this hope and wish when I become like a teacher that me and my
students also, I guess, have that reciprocity in a way. It's not like a hierarchy where the teacher
holds all this information, but it's kind of this back and forth, and growing together." At the end
of the mentorship experience, then, Ms. A could not only name and discuss specific aspects of
Indigenous worldviews, she was also looking forward to incorporating these into her future
teaching practice.
Growth Mindset
I coded for “growth mindset” passages that demonstrate a personal recognition of the
need to grow and a willingness to learn, change, or grow, as related to implementing Indigenous
pedagogy. I thought Ms. A had a growth mindset the first day she emailed me to be considered

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for this co-mentorship experience—the very decision to inquire about a study on this topic
showed an openness to growth and a willingness to take risks. Ms. A also showcased a positive
attitude about learning how to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and ways of learning in her
teaching by saying, “I believe that you should continue to learn and it's really important to take
on this task, even though it is scary.” She knew this would be important for her future students
but struggled to define specific ways in which to address her fears and lack of knowledge.
In the post-interview, Ms. A had moved beyond her desire for growth to concrete ideas
and plans for her future teaching. She was motivated to learn more and expressed specific ways
that she wanted to do this. One example is that, in speaking about her newfound realization that
she could decolonize practice through the removal of hierarchy, Ms. A expressed, “I felt just
listening to the students in itself within the lessons, I learned a lot from them too. So, I don't
know it's just like, removing that hierarchy.” Significantly, in the post-interview, Ms. A used the
Halq’eméylem word Lets’emó:t (doing something with a good heart and a good mind) to
describe her understanding of the importance of a holistic approach to education work. In fact,
Ms. A had grown comfortable with using other common Halq’eméylem words when she was
teaching lessons in the classroom. Ms. A also recognized that she was going to make mistakes,
but reasoned that the way you deal with your mistakes is where the learning begins:
“acknowledging those mistakes, but also allocating a space where you’re learning from the
students as well.” By the end of the study, Ms. A had moved from vague desires for growth to
confidence in pursuing specific pathways of growth in implementing Indigenous pedagogy.
Weaving Worldviews
Lastly, I have defined “weaving worldviews” as thoughts about how Indigenous and
Western worldviews and pedagogies could be used together or interchangeably in teaching

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practice, along with two-eyed seeing approaches or ways of thinking. In the pre-interview, Ms. A
already held a belief that the two worldviews should be integrated and that Indigenous
perspectives should not just be an add-on to a Western lesson: "I think to have it [Indigenous
worldviews] embedded within, hopefully, every subject to some degree, kind of removes that
separation and makes it feel normal, instead of … just adding on." Like her growth mindset, the
participant had a desire to do the work and a broad concept of what that involved but lacked
specifics of how to do so at that point of time.
During the post-interview, Ms. A was able to articulate specific ways that she had seen
the two worldviews woven together in practice and began planning how she could do this work.
She noted how I never announced to the class that I was using an Indigenous or Western way of
learning, but seamlessly moved between the two; in this way, I gave both worldviews equal
power by assuming that both belonged in the classroom. Ms. A also recognized that it was
essential for her to learn from different perspectives, "to learn to shift that view and to see that
there are so many ways and perspectives that knowledge can be shared and represented, and it
doesn't have to be represented in a certain way.” In fact, Ms. A’s response to one of the last
questions of the interview highlighted that she was thinking ahead to how she could integrate
both worldviews and ways of learning into her future practice with primary students. Since we
had conducted this study with an intermediate class, "if I taught grade two, I was thinking how
and what ways I would incorporate it [Indigenous knowledge or worldviews].” Ms. A related
her shift in thinking to her own upbringing, where she felt she had to fit into educational "boxes"
for each class: "I am definitely learning how not to have a box … allowing students to orally tell
you a question, highlight, and having this area [where] they can express their knowledge in any
way is something I want to implement.” So, co-mentorship enabled Ms. A to experience, notice,

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and begin to consider how Indigenous and Western worldviews could be integrated practically in
classroom practice.
In summary, the participant's beliefs and understandings shifted in five main areas in the
course of the study: the role of relationship in learning, the purpose of feelings of discomfort,
ideas around her own growth, her depth of understanding of Indigenous worldviews, and how
these might be woven together with Western worldviews and ways of learning. Ms. A began to
understand her relationships as critical to her learning, seeing that "learning with" gave her a
learning experience that could not be provided by textbook learning. She also came to accept
discomfort as a normal part of the process of learning and could be specific about how she could
grow in her practice. Finally, as Ms. A began to gather knowledge about Indigenous protocols
and ways of learning through co-mentorship, she moved from listing general facts about
Indigenous worldviews to discussing specific protocols and values, and then considering how to
apply these through weaving Indigenous and Western worldviews into her future practice.
Connecting back to the metaphor of weaving, Ms. A emerged from the mentorship process (the
weaving) with new patterns of understanding and a finished product (her new mindsets and ideas
of what is possible in her practice) that she was ready to give away (apply to future practice to
benefit students).
Discussion
Now, I turn to discussing the implications of my findings for educators (including
myself), both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and for the possibilities of mentorship
relationships in the educational field. I begin with considering the gaps in current research in the
areas of Indigenous educators as mentors and implementation practices specific to BC. Then I
present four principles that emerge from my research that can inform and support educators

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seeking to do the work of weaving together Indigenous and Western pedagogy, including: (1)
connection is essential in a co-mentorship relationship; (2) emotional obstacles or barriers can be
overcome in the context of a strong relationship; (3) weaving of Indigenous and Western
worldviews need to be experienced and articulated; and (4) learning to think and work
holistically takes time. Each principle is discussed in terms of both my research and related
literature and is followed by a practical recommendation for future practice. I then describe the
personal impact of this research on myself as an Indigenous educator and provide a summary of
the educational importance of my findings. Finally, I end the discussion with the limitations of
my research.
Identified Gaps in Research
As mentioned in the literature review, little research exists on how to support Indigenous
and non-Indigenous educators to work together to implement Indigenous education or to weave
the two worldviews into everyday professional practice or curriculum. Burgess, Bishop, and
Lowe (2020) remarked on a noticeable gap in the literature around Indigenous people mentoring
non-Indigenous teachers to develop a responsive pedagogy. As well, the idea of co-mentorship
was only addressed in one study (Coff & Lampert, 2019); most of the research around
mentorship in this area centered on a more culturally knowledgeable mentor working with less
experienced or knowledgeable mentees. While Archibald (2008) and Davidson and Davidson
(2018) suggest principles learned from their own research with Elders in a BC context that can
be applied by other BC educators in their practice, an example of this application in a K-12
environment has yet to be documented.
My research offers new understandings in this gap—specific examples of mentorship
across Indigenous and Western cultures, of non-Indigenous and Indigenous educators working

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together in a safe space where both perspectives can be woven together in practice. My research
adds an example of how Indigenous and non-Indigenous ways of constructing knowledge can be
woven together in educational research and practice. Specifically, my methods provide a
contemporary example of applying Two-Eyed Seeing and Storywork principles to designing and
carrying out qualitative research on decolonizing future teaching practices for non-Indigenous
educators. The principles I discuss below bring to light themes and insights to inform a more
meaningful building of Indigenous/non-Indigenous mentorship relationships between teachers in
the future for the purposes of effectively integrating Indigenous ways of knowing and learning
into K-12 classroom practice in a BC context.
Principle #1: Connection is Essential in a Co-Mentorship Relationship
As an Indigenous person, relationships are an essential protocol to beginning any work
between individuals. Establishing a safe emotional connection was the most important aspect of
beginning our co-mentorship relationship. I explicitly defined to the participant that we would
both be mentee and mentor at different times, continuously learning from each other's
perspectives, and working alongside one another while actively keeping the sense of hierarchy
out of the equation. Ms. A repeatedly expressed how this removal of hierarchy was important for
her to feel safe to begin connecting with me. This helps me understand Davidson and Davidson’s
(2018) principle that "Learning emerges from strong relationships” (p. 14) in a practical way;
that strong relationships need to feel safe for both parties. Therefore, my study suggests that
mentorship relationships between non-Indigenous and Indigenous educators must build in time
in the beginning to allow mentorship partners to get to know each other without the pressure of
research, learning, and accountability.

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One way that connection was built in our co-mentorship relationship was through the
practice of reciprocity. The participant frequently mentioned reciprocity as one of her key
takeaways, both in the reflections and in the interviews. Further, establishing connection in
relationships did not extend only to us as mentorship partners; connection was also built between
each of us and the students in the classroom, which not only allowed students to feel safe enough
to be engaged in each lesson, but also served to strengthen our mentorship relationship too.
These interconnected relational benefits to all parties confirms to me that knowledge, power, and
reciprocity are woven together in learning that integrates Indigenous principles (Archibald,
2008).
Thus, my recommendations for future co-mentorship relationships between nonIndigenous and Indigenous educators are two-fold: (1) take the time to establish a personal
connection before research or work is conducted, and (2) intentionally practice reciprocity. In my
study, we first met online over zoom for about an hour where our conversation was about
families, school, and life in general. Then we met in person at the school where the research was
conducted, which served as a neutral space that felt safe. It might also be beneficial to attend
cultural gatherings together or to meet each other’s families and to be in each other’s homes to
understand each other holistically. In terms of reciprocity, in my study we gave to each other
knowledge about our individual cultures and upbringings, we gifted words of thanks to each
other at the end of every experience, and we sought ways to serve each other, such as sharing our
resources or preparing materials for the other's lessons. It may also be helpful to explicitly
discuss what each person would consider valuable in terms of reciprocity, because each
mentorship partner's needs could be different.

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Principle #2: Emotional Discomforts Can Be Overcome in the Context of a Strong
Relationship
Emotional discomfort seems to be unavoidable in the work of integrating Indigenous
ways of learning into a Western educational approach; but having a strong relationship with an
Indigenous educator can help non-Indigenous educators to overcome this obstacle. I had been
expecting this same emotional discomfort from my co-mentorship partner, but I also wondered if
Ms. A being a young person would lessen the strength of this discomfort (assuming that she had
had more exposure to Indigenous education in her own schooling experience). At the beginning
of the research, Ms. A did have feelings of anxiety, nervousness, and discomfort that were
described in the literature (Burgess & Harwood, 2021; Carroll et al., 2020; Kanu, 2005), in large
part because she felt that she knew only the surface level of information about Indigenous
knowledge and worldviews. This feeling aligns with Kanu's (2005) finding that lack of
knowledge about Indigenous culture, resources, and ways of learning were perceived by nonIndigenous educators as one of their greatest challenges in meaningfully integrating Indigenous
curriculum (p. 57). By the final interview, Ms. A herself saw that these feelings of discomfort
were necessary for identifying areas where growth was needed or where her Western ways of
thinking differed from Indigenous ways of thinking. She credited the trust and safety of our
strong relationship with her being able to start working through her discomfort. Several elements
of our mentorship relationship made it strong enough to support a non-Indigenous educator to
move beyond discomfort in a short time. Three key contributors in our relationship were respect,
openness, and the absence of a power hierarchy.
Thus, my recommendations to support mentorship partners to move "from anxiety and
feelings of discomfort to action" (Carroll et al., 2020, p. 17) would be to build strength within the

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relationship through these three areas. In my study, we cultivated the first two areas, respect and
openness, not only through honest and open conversation, the practice of active listening, and
affirming and valuing each other’s feelings, but perhaps most significantly through the practice
of curiosity. Both of us showed interest and openness to hearing new ideas and to hearing the
other person’s story throughout the reflections and interviews through our genuine questions
about each other's beliefs, values, and spirituality. This practice of curiosity as a way of showing
respect aligns with Davidson and Davidson’s (2018) principle that “Learning emerges from
curiosity” (p. 15). By being curious, co-mentors can learn more holistically about each other,
which leads to deeper conversations. The third area that contributes to strong relationships, the
removal of hierarchy, I have already mentioned in the first principle, but revisit here as a
recommendation for practice. Explicit removal of hierarchy in a mentorship relationship not only
promotes connection, but also creates a safe space for growth. At the beginning of my study, I
explained to the participant that because of this removal of power structures, there would be no
opportunity to use me as a potential future reference, the participant would not be given a grade,
and either party had the authority to end the research at any time. The traditional benefits and
security offered by a conventionally hierarchical mentorship relationship were instead let go of,
in order to create a safe space for the participant to learn, grow, make mistakes, and to ask
questions that she may have been afraid to ask otherwise. Removal of hierarchy allows
mentorship partners to collaborate in a way that promotes new ideas and understandings that
weave together both partners’ perspectives (Coff & Lampert, 2019). Co-mentors, then, can
develop strong relationships by building respect and openness through curiosity and by explicitly
leveling the power dynamic in the relationship.

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Principle #3: Weaving of Indigenous and Western Worldviews Needs to be Experienced
and Articulated
This principle addresses the different needs that the participant (non-Indigenous soon-tobe educator), and I (Indigenous researcher and educator) had in the work of integrating
Indigenous worldviews into our teaching practices during this study. Ms. A benefited from
directly engaging in and reflecting on experiences in the classroom where the two worldviews
were being woven together, while I benefited from engaging in discussions with Ms. A and
hearing her articulate the practices that she noticed me using. We had differing needs and found
experiences within the mentorship relationship that met those needs.
For Ms. A, it was important that we co-created the unit and lesson plans, observed each
other teaching, and then co-taught the lessons to the students. She frequently commented
throughout the reflections and interviews how she felt more confident and understood practically
how to incorporate Indigenous views into lessons after experiencing this hands-on, immersive
form of learning.
One thing that I discovered that is important for myself as an Indigenous educator is that
there were opportunities to hear my practices that wove the two worldviews together specifically
described or articulated by another educator. This realization came from our conversation about
how I did not even realize that I was teaching in a certain way until Ms. A mentioned that she
had noticed characteristics of my pedagogy throughout our five reflections together. When we
had taught the first two lessons, Ms. A commented on how I moved easily between Western and
Indigenous knowledge and ways of learning throughout a lesson, without specifically telling the
students that I was doing so. She noted that sometimes I used Western note-taking with
Indigenous concepts, or oral learning with Western concepts, and this seamless weaving of

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methods and knowledge seemed to allow students to easily learn and show their learning.
Hearing the participant's articulation of my practices and how they impacted her gave me
confidence and reassurance that I was bringing my Indigenous self to my teaching practice.
Based on our experiences in this study, I have two recommendations to provide nonIndigenous and Indigenous educators with the experiences they need to more confidently weave
both Indigenous and Western worldviews into their practice. The first is for mentorship partners
to co-create and co-teach as part of their work together. Doing so creates opportunity for partners
to share and understand each other’s values and worldviews (Coff & Lampert, 2019). For Ms. A,
it was not enough to have a lesson plan handed to her to implement—she needed to see the way I
planned lessons, taught, and interacted with the students and then to reflect on the lessons she
took from these experiences. The second recommendation is to build in reflection time in the
mentorship relationship for articulating practices that each partner sees in the other's teaching
that reflect Indigenous ways of learning. Acknowledging and affirming each other’s strengths
leads to individual growth beyond even personal expectations (Davidson & Davidson, 2018). In
my study, the reflection and interview questions served this purpose, but this could also be
accomplished less formally through a periodic check-in time with guiding questions.
Principle #4: Learning to Think and Work Holistically Takes Time
While Western ways of learning often value objectivity and developing individual areas
of expertise, Indigenous ways of learning emphasize holistic learning, involving all aspects of a
person in their learning, including emotion and spirituality (Archibald, 2008). My study showed
that learning to think and work in this holistic way took time because the participant had to
experience the tension between the two ways of learning. In the reflections, Ms. A expressed that
she wanted more guidance from me during her teaching experiences, and noticed that I

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purposefully supported and guided rather than providing direct answers or jumping in to "rescue"
her during a lesson, which was what she was used to through her Western education. This
‘guiding’ dynamic aligns with the way Elders teach us in community, and the participant came to
appreciate, by the post-interview, this space I was holding for her to learn. It is interesting to note
that, in the reflections, holistic thinking and gaining confidence only emerged near the end of the
mentorship experience; these more complex and integrated areas of growth took time. The
reward was that as the research was ending, both participant and researcher began feeling a
different type of tension—that of not wanting the experience to end, and instead to continue the
mentorship relationship and friendship beyond the scope of the research.
So, my recommendation in this area is for Indigenous mentorship partners to explain to
their non-Indigenous partners about how Elders tend to guide and provide space for learning, and
how that might look in their experiences together. In my study, I shared this principle with Ms. A
in response to her questions and sharing of her feelings of tension, but it would also be beneficial
to offer this consideration near the beginning of a mentorship relationship so that the nonIndigenous partner has a framework to view and process these tensions as they occur.
Personal Impact
This research project is an area that I am passionate about as an Indigenous person who
has navigated the Western education system without Indigenous pedagogies being integrated into
my learning experience; nor was there any discussion or learning about the history of Indigenous
Peoples related to Indian Residential School, the 60s Scoop, loss of language and culture, or
anything related to how Indigenous people have suffered through generational trauma for
decades. When I entered the education field, I made a promise to myself that I would not allow
my students to feel like they did not belong or that they were not smart enough to complete

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assignments. I had a mindset of blaming the education system and the people with higher
authority as the source of the problem for teachers not implementing Indigenous knowledge and
worldviews into their daily teaching. Moved by Davidson and Davidson’s (2018) principle that
“Learning honours the power of the mind” (p. 18), I sought to change my own thinking about
how to bring about change in the current education system. This research experience has begun
to change my thinking to believing that Indigenous educators like me, by providing patient
guidance to other educators (non-Indigenous or Indigenous) through mentorship, like the
Indigenous master teachers with Indigenous novice teachers in Anthony-Stevens et al.’s (2022)
study, can make a meaningful and sustainable difference.
Not only did Ms. A help me to grow and gain confidence, she also brought the idea of “I
can do more” into my journey to decolonize my current teaching practices. Using a
Halq’eméylem word as one of our spelling words each week will hopefully improve the
students’ ability to recognize the word in written form and know how to pronounce it. Another
suggestion that I will implement is using a word for the unit or lesson to introduce other words in
the language that students may not get to learn. For example, if I was doing a unit on Earth and
its axis, I might introduce the word “tém:éxw” which means earth and land. As the lessons
progress, I can use more Halq’eméylem words such as sun, moon, and water.
Educational Implications
My findings have educational implications for both the K-12 school system and
individual educators in the work of implementing Indigenous education and pedagogy. When the
Ministry of Education rolls out new Indigenous Education curriculum, they need to be prepared
to support school districts with not only curricular resources but also relationship-based training.
Providing adequate funding for sustainable co-mentorship programs between non-Indigenous

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and Indigenous educators could be a key way to support non-Indigenous teachers to implement
Indigenous worldviews and pedagogy more confidently and effectively. Districts could also
consider co-mentorship programs with local Elders or Knowledge Keepers. Individual comentorship projects need not be a long-term commitment – this research took place over just one
month and had a dramatic impact on both mentorship partners. Indigenous and non-Indigenous
teachers alike would find one-month co-mentorship projects manageable within their heavy
workloads and community responsibilities. Relational thinking around the rolling out of
mandated Indigenous education curriculum could significantly increase the number of educators
more effectively implementing that curriculum.
For individual Indigenous educators, my work provides a relational pathway to
decolonizing the education system that is achievable and aligns with Indigenous ways of
knowing and being. Indigenous educators engaged in co-mentorship would be able to share their
values of reciprocity and respect in an organic way with non-Indigenous colleagues and bring
about localized change. For non-Indigenous educators, co-mentorship provides the network and
support to gain the knowledge and courage to move forward with integrating Indigenous and
Western worldviews into their teaching practices. My work promotes co-mentorship as a practice
that naturally weaves Indigenous and Western ways of learning in a respectful learning space.
Limitations
As in all qualitative research, my findings have limitations. These limitations are rooted
in the small number of participants, the short amount of time spanned by the research, and the
particularly open nature of the selected participant. My co-mentorship research had only one
participant, so I question if scaling this intervention to multiple partners (group mentorship) or to
a program of mentorship might change the results. Might different principles or practical

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applications of the principles emerge? As well, my research is very much linked to place and
community, so my findings may apply differently or not at all in other Indigenous or nonIndigenous communities. Each community has their own protocols and teachings, and ways of
transferring knowledge, that may affect how my findings might be applied. There was also
limited time; we only had five 45 minutes of teaching time and five one-hour reflection sessions
within which to collect data. Although the results were thought-provoking, would the research
have benefitted from having more time? I also wonder what the co-mentorship relationship
experience would have been like with a participant with a negative mindset, not a growth
mindset like the one that Ms. A exhibited. Could their mindset be changed to a positive one? If I
had a participant with subconscious racist attitudes to overcome or a participant who was a
seasoned teacher reluctant to embrace change, the results might have been different as well. Each
member of a co-mentorship relationship brings a diverse set of experiences, knowledge, and
philosophies to working and learning together – how might co-mentorship be established given
this diversity? My findings, then, should be considered in light of the limitations imposed by
study size, length of the research period, and the background and experiences of the comentorship partners.
Conclusion
. Through the process of co-creating and co-teaching, the participant and I were able to form
strong personal connections and support each other to overcome emotional discomfort through
the practice of respect, openness, and curiosity. We learned equally from each other and took the
time to name and encourage each other’s strengths and promising practices. The principles
learned through this co-mentorship experience have implications for educators and school
systems alike. I hope this research will provide motivation and practical suggestions for other

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Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators to engage in co-mentorship experiences. When
hierarchy is taken out of the mentorship equation, a safety is created where relationships can be
strengthened, mistakes and growth can be experienced organically, and important shifts in
mindsets can occur. I also hope that reading this research might encourage more non-Indigenous
educators to take a step towards a holistic approach of creating more reciprocal learning
experiences for all students in the current education system. My goal in the future is to encourage
other educators to participate in co-mentorship relationships like this one, with the hope that
more educators practicing Indigenous ways of knowing and learning in the classroom will
support Indigenous students to thrive. I look forward to sharing my learning experience at
educator conferences or with teacher candidates. I also intend to continue engaging in future comentorship experiences, perhaps exploring group mentorship. My ultimate hope is that through
this process of co-mentorship, learning environments for Indigenous students, including my own
children, will become so rich that graduation rates for Indigenous students will increase, and
more Indigenous students will enroll in universities to make a difference in education for the
future generations.

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Appendix A
Ethics Approval

Research, Engagement, & Graduate Studies
33844 King Rd
Abbotsford BC V2S 7M8
Tel: (604) 557-4011
Research.Ethics@ufv.ca
Website: www.ufv.ca/research-ethics
Human Research Ethics Board - Certificate of Ethical Approval
HREB Protocol No: 101216
Principal Investigator: Mrs. Tina Wenman
Team Members: Mrs. Tina Wenman (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Nikki Yee (Co-Investigator)

Title: Experiences of an Indigenous educator and a non-Indigenous beginner educator collaborating on an
Indigenous-led unit in an Indigenous community-based school.
Department: Faculty of Education, Community & Human Development\Teacher Education

Effective: November 25, 2022
Expiry: November 24, 2023
The Human Research Ethics Board (HREB) has reviewed and approved the ethics of the above research.
The HREB is constituted and operated in accordance with the requirements of the UFV Policy on Human Research
Ethics and the current Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS2).

The approval is subject to the following conditions:
1. Approval is granted only for the research and purposes described in the application.
2. Approval is for one year. A Request for Renewal must be submitted 2-3 weeks before the above expiry date.
3. Modifications to the approved research or research team must be submitted as an Amendment to be reviewed and

66

approved by the HREB before the changes can be implemented. If the changes are substantial, a new request for
approval must be sought. *An exception can be made where the change is necessary to eliminate an immediate risk
to participant(s) (TPCS2 Article 6.15). Such changes may be implemented but must be reported to the HREB within
5 business days.
4. If an adverse incident occurs, an Adverse Incident Event form must be completed and submitted.
5. During the project period, the HREB must be notified of any issues that may have ethical implications.
6. A Final Report Event Form must be submitted to the HREB when the research is complete or terminated.

*Please note a Research Continuity Plan is no longer required.
Thank you, and all the best with your research.
UFV Human Research Ethics Board

**Do not reply to this email**

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Appendix B
Oral Reflection and Interview Question Protocols
Reflection and questionnaire will be carried out orally and an audio recording will be made
with the permission of the participant. The recorded oral mode is chosen in order to tie
together both Indigenous and western methods.
Initial & Final Meeting Questionnaire:
1. What is your current understanding of Indigenous Knowledge and worldviews? What
significance do these terms have for you at this point in your learning?
2. What does incorporating Indigenous knowledge and worldviews look like to you in
your future teaching career?
3. What is your understanding of decolonizing your teaching practice? How do you feel
about taking on this task?
4. Describe your current level of confidence in incorporating Indigenous knowledge or
worldviews into your lessons. What contributes to your level of confidence?
5. What questions or wonderings do you have about Indigenous knowledge and
worldviews?
Added question for the final meeting is:
1. What changes, if any, have you seen in your own educational philosophy or
approach to teaching after participating in this study?
Reflection questions for co-mentors (each time we visit and teach together):
1. How did today's lesson and experience in class make you feel? Why do you think
you felt that way?
2. What did you learn today about Indigenous Knowledge and worldviews? How does
this sit with what you currently believe or practice?
3. Was there anything that we could have done differently in our lesson? How and why
would we do it differently next time?
4. What do you notice about our co-mentorship relationship? What benefits, drawbacks,
successes, or discomforts are you experiencing?