Sharla Peltier, BSc, MEd Speech/Language Pathologist Chippewas of Rama

1. Cultural safety, relevance, and effectiveness of speech and language services to Indigenous young children Sharla Peltier, BSc, MEd Speech/Language Pathologist Chippewas of Rama Mnjikaning First Nation, Ontario Jessica Ball, MPH, PhD Clinical/Developmental Psychologist School of Child and Youth Care University of Victoria, BC

2. Culture “The way to live today” (Cree Elder Eddie Belrose) Tradition Anishinaabebimaadzawin “Living the good life” (Odawa Elder Stanley Peltier) 9/13/2014

3. Putting on a culturally sensitive lens If we do not understand where a person is coming from in terms of their cultural and linguistic background, the relationship-building process is impeded 9/13/2014

4. A Strong Relational Worldview • Customs and traditions that direct us – holistic and contextual • Sharing and contextual learning for living in our environment and with each other • Everything is in a state of change – Aboriginal education philosophy and world view are relevant in contemporary times and address current issues • Indigenous knowledge is fundamental to the teaching and learning process • The medicine wheel is one tool

5. Medicine Wheel

6. Indigenous Cultural Principals • Spiritual relationship with the land – we are part of the land and are in harmony with it, in a state of interdependence with plants and animals, environment, social and mental contexts • Importance of person-to-person relationship – kinship terms, greetings • Each of us has a personal responsibility for learning and balance in our relationships • Natural law directs us to be respectful, kind, loving, having humility and compassion for all living things

7. Spiritual Intelligence What we use to develop our longing and capacity for meaning, vision and value Allows the individual to dream and strive Underlies the things we believe in and the role our beliefs and values play in actions that we take and the shape we give our lives…morality

8. A shared and collective vision/philosophy

9. A culturally safe, teaching/therapeutic approach encompasses Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing, such as: Observing not just with our physical (eyes, senses) but also making connections with our feelings and mind Experiential involving the mind, heart, spirit, land and events (traditional activities outside of the classroom) Comprehending holistically…not just intellectually but also emotionally (to twice understand) Strong emotional and spiritual factors to the learning experience Teaching/learning settings and practices that are reflected within the community experience and traditions = socio-cultural relevancy

10. Developing a culturally safe and relevant professional approach What are we talking about? Cultural safety in ancillary and primary health services, such as SLP & Audiology services, OT, PT, and maternal and child health care. Survey of 70 CALSPA SLPs indicated a need for “an altogether different approach”

11. 70 SLP /CASLPA members with years of experience with Indigenous children & families • online survey questionnaire • reflections on practice with Indigenous children 0-8 years old • rural & urban experience

13. Challenges for SLP–Indigenous client encounters SLPs did not feel prepared through their training, professional development, mainstream tools & intervention methods

14. Mainstream, Euro-Western training & tools embody a particular, dominant cultural location • Screening and assessment tools and interventions methods are cultural artefacts. • Using them without question, modification or caveats reproduces the cultural source and that created them.

15. From deficits to differences and building on strengths • One big bundle of pathology…. • OR • Second language & second dialect learning • Cultural distinctiveness • Challenging socio-historical conditions • Inequitable quality of life, especially: • poor quality housing • low access to health promotion & early intervention • Strengths-based, family & community centred approaches

17. Family & community focus 64% of SLP respondents emphasized these learning points based on their practice experiences: • develop & provide programs & services that are family & community focused • learn about cultural beliefs, practices & ways of being of the families & communities to be served • be aware of diversity – tailor make approaches, rather than taking a standardized, uniform approach

18. Improve knowledge of local culture and community SLPs emphasized: learn from families being served, learn from Elders, Indigenous mentors within the Indigenous community as well as conferences & workshops

19. An ethic of collaboration • Knowledge sharing vs. informing • Collaborative problem solving vs. expert/authority • Reciprocal learning / mutual capacity building • Co-constructing ways to move supports into place

22. Developing a culturally safe and relevant professional approach: getting specific… • Consider presenting profile of communicative behaviours in light of cultural socialization processes, home and community environment • Involve parent/cultural informant interviews to identify contextual evidence supporting FN’s dialect – survey of adults’ English/dialect, Aboriginal language • Observe/identify child’s interests and familiar activities and incorporate in assessment, programming activities • Use dynamic assessment

23. Symbols/Pictographs Aboriginal peoples historically used pictographs (eg. red ochre paintings on rock surfaces, birchbark scrolls) and petroglyphs (red ochre carvings on rock surfaces) to record major events and practices Examples are found along waterways of Northern Great Lakes to northeastern Saskatchewan, parts of Quebec and northern Shield of Ontario Depict contact period/trade, mythological beings Aboriginal students have a natural affinity to visualization (eg. looking away when listening in order to visualize/process the speaker’s message and symbolism; Art) This visual communication style can be encouraged when teaching new words and concepts and for facilitating print comprehension

24. First Nations “Language Communication Profile” Reflection of cultural differences - conceptual knowledge - vocabulary - interpersonal communication styles Reflection of environmental factors - exposure - dual language learning - transition - setting Reflection of world-View 9/13/2014

25. Listening Behaviours Vary with socialization practices -Learned at home and in the community prior to school enrollment Aboriginal people value this skill and expect young people to listen more than they talk – as life experience and knowledge is gained a person speaks/shares Teachers can direct students to “send your words to the listener’s ears” Introduce the social communication practices and expectations as “school talk” and teach ways to be a good listener/speaker (eg. turning your body towards the person/group you’re interacting with)

26. Things to Consider When Interpreting Performance on Tests Phonology/Sound System Aboriginal children’s world view and language supports a different appreciation for features and characteristics (e.g. Horse = “one toe”) Prepositions – words that explicitly tell the location of an item (eg. Hide the button, barrier games, one and two step instructions in-context) Gender terms – he/she, him/her

27. First Nation English Dialects The variety of English spoken by an Aboriginal person Different pronunciation/ accent, vocabulary, sentence structure Dialects have a complete grammatical rule system governing pronunication, word formation, and the combining of words into sentences Seen in mainstream (dominant culture) schools as “inferior”, “ungrammatical” when biased assessment tools and norms based on Standard English are used as the yardstick FNED is an important area of socialization/ power/link to community and self-identity

28. Ojibway FNED Speakers • Do not use f, v, th (eg Mary = “Moni”, this = “dis”, Vincent = “Behsen”) • Some dialects do not have an r, l When Aboriginal children enter school, they are attuned to FNED speech sounds and cannot perceive all of the English sounds 9/13/2014

29. Oral Language & Phonological Awareness Focus • Academically, Aboriginal students are often 2 years behind their non-Aboriginal age-mates in Canada • Aboriginal peoples have oral histories • First Nations Peoples have an Indian Mind • FNED has not tapped these assets in the classroom • Research shows that 20% of elementary school students require PA training • Aboriginal children often present at school with non-standard dialects of English or second language learning issues, often concurrent with recurrent otitis media resulting in chronic mild-moderate hearing loss persisting to age 10. 9/13/2014

30. Parent Interview Form – Home Language Context • Description of languages used in the home • Does ___ speak/understand the Ojibway language? If so, when did he/she begin to learn Ojibway? • How old when first word in Ojibway? English? • How old when first sentence in Ojibway? English? • Description of family contacts with FN community • Family’s motivation to become or remain proficient in English? Ojibway? From Schiff-Meyers, N.B. (Jan 1992) “Considering Arrested Language Development and Language Loss in the Assessment of Second Language Learners” Language, Speech and Hearing Services in the Schools, 23, 28-33.

31. Persisting problematic issues • Deficit model (Clinical, medical model and Special Education perspective) • Formal Speech and language tests are invalid • Lack of relationships between parents and schools or other services • Over-identification of Aboriginal students in Special Education program and on SLP caseload • Up to 40% Aboriginal children in Primary Grades have chronic Otitis Media • Home programming tends to be prescriptive and therapizes the family/parents

32. Appropriate Approaches Use materials and topics that Aboriginal experiences and storytelling Discuss and address bias in resources and sterotypical images Honour Aboriginal pedagogy Elicit parental and community participation Acknowledge traditions and celebrations Contribute to community based service capacities

33. References • Ball, J. (2009). Supporting young Indigenous children’s language development in Canada: A review of research on needs and promising practices. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 66(1), 20-47. • Ball, J. (2008). Aboriginal young children’s language and literacy development: Progress, promising practices, and needs. Invited monograph for the Encyclopedia of the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network, National Literacy Strategy Initiative. • Ball, J. (2008). Promoting equity and dignity for Aboriginal children in Canada. Invited monograph for the Institute for Research on Public Policy. IRPP Choices, Volume 14 (7), 1-30. • Ball, J. & Bernhardt, B.M. (2008). First Nations English dialects in Canada: Implications for speech-language pathology practice. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics. 22:8, 570-588. •  Ball, J. (Bernhardt, B., Ball, J., & Deby, J. (2009). Cross-Cultural Interaction and Children’s SpeechAcquisition. In The International Guide to SpeechAcquisition (pp.101-106). Thomson.

34. References Langan, L.A., Sockalingam, R., Caissie, R., & Corsten, G. (2007) Occurrence of Otitis Media and Hearing Loss Among First Nations Elementary School Children. Canadian Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, 31 (4), 178-185. Peltier, S. (2010).– First Nation English Dialect and Language Literacy Development in Schools. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 32, 114-142. Peltier, S. (2010). Valuing Children’s Storytelling From An Anishinaabe Orality Perspective Nip U 2010, National Library Thesis Canada. Available at: www.collectionscanada.ca/thesescanada Peltier, S. (2009). First Nations English Dialects in Young Children: Assessment Issues and Supportive Interventions Canadian Language and Literacy Network Website – Encyclopedia of Language and Literacy Development http://literacyencyclopedia.ca/indes.php?fa-items.show&topicId=276

35. FN Language and Community Profiles • www.languagegeek.com/isolate/tlingit.html • http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/search-recherche/lst/page.cfm?Lang=E&GeoCode=35

36. for more information please visit www.ecdip.org

37. Miigwech (your interest and participation are appreciated) Contact us: sharlap@sympatico.capeltiesh@rainbowschools.ca jball@uvic.ca