Description
Cherylanne James is Anishinaabe from Chippewas of Rama First Nation and belongs to the urban Indigenous community of Nogojiwanong (Peterborough, ON). She is the Educational Developer and Curriculum Lead at First Nations Technical Institute located on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. She is a visual artist, writer, educator, and storyteller.
At its core, Indigenous Child and Youth Care: Weaving Two Heart Stories Together is about unity. It seeks to create a heart-to-heart practice by bridging Indigenous ways of knowing with Western Child and Youth Care practices, encouraging students to approach their work with a more open understanding of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit worldviews. Author Cherylanne James guides students through self-location by dismantling their pre-existing biases regarding Indigenous Peoples, understanding personal privilege and power, educating themselves on Canadian and Indigenous history and contexts, and learning about the pervasive impacts of colonialism. Students will cultivate a practice that encourages ethical spaces of engagement while steering away from surface-level or disingenuous interactions. The text applies concepts and theories such as relational accountability, interconnectivity, resurgence, community-centred approaches, wise practices, relationship-building, anti-oppression, anti-racist, and social justice frameworks to enrich CYC practices and prepare students to engage with Indigenous children, youth, and families in an informed, meaningful way. Indigenous Child and Youth Care is designed as a journey, wherein the student reflects while they learn and grow as a CYC professional. It includes a variety of pedagogical features that catalyze thoughtful interaction with the material, such as a glossary, discussion questions, reflective practice question boxes, and additional resources for further learning. This is a powerful and vital text for college and university students in Child and Youth Care and Human Services.
Features
This work unites Indigenous worldviews, histories and knowledge systems with western Child and Youth Care practices; exposes students to pre-existing colonial and racist power structures while introducing them to Indigenous concepts and theories for inclusive practice, and contains a broad variety of pedagogical features, including a glossary, reflective practice questions, discussion questions, activities, and additional resources.