The Office of Open Learning is launching a Friday book club for members of the UWindsor community interested in exploring the landscape of indigenizing their teaching practice.

The inaugural book, Pulling Together: A Guide for Teachers and Instructors, is one of the free, open-licensed guides developed for staff at post-secondary institutions in British Columbia to support systemic change in higher education through Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation.

“Indigenizing our practice is a politically-sensitive topic that invokes strong emotions among teachers,” says organizer Nobuko Fujita. “It is an uncomfortable topic to explore on our own.”

She says the guide will provide a starting point to come together on a journey to recognize and include Indigenous epistemologies in teaching.

“We are invited to experience the impact of Indigenous voices and seek understanding, when possible, from the Indigenous voices and perspectives from our area and our campus,” Fujita says.

She envisions the sessions as flexible, informal gatherings for the campus community to raise awareness and share diverse perspectives on critical issues in higher education.

Fujita invites those interested to join the group on the patio at the Mare Nostrum restaurant outside the Neal Education Building, to add annotations online using the Hypothesis tool, or to participate by combining on-campus and online modes to suit their needs.

The first session is scheduled from 12 to 1 p.m. Friday, April 26. Register at: https://ctl2.uwindsor.ca/openlearning/workshops/9/#wkshp-111.

For more information, contact Fujita by email at nfujita@uwindsor.ca or phone at 519-253-3000, ext. 2105.