Extract

Indigenous Elders are the educators of our children, youth, adults, and communities, and storytellersand historians of our communities. Their stories and histories, shared through Indigenous peda- gogies, educate communities and aid in sustaining our cultures. The contributions of Métis Elders help Métis communities understand the contributions of Métis peoples, past and present, to our provinces and Nations. Métis Elders’ knowledge helps us understand Indigenous pedagogies in Indigenous education and the ways these can inform the education of children, youth, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. We explore the storytelling of Tom McCallum, White Standing Buffalo, a Métis Elder who explains the power of stories shared in communities. Through his stories we come to better under- stand Indigenous pedagogies and practices in storytelling. Tom’s first story is in two sections enti- tled Falling through the Ice and the Sun Dance Tree and its continuation in Sun Dance Story about the Meaning of Life. These explain Tom’s youthful experience and how it sets a pattern for his learn- ing the meaning of his life. His subsequent two stories, Humorous Horse Story and Dancing Dog Story share understandings about community storytelling and the role humor plays in teaching lessons. We begin by introducing the authors, and the epistemological underpinnings that inform the research method and approach.1 We discuss meanings of Tom McCallum’s storytelling and learn how Indigenous pedagogies use stories as an approach to share understandings. Through interpreting Tom’s stories, we learn valuable lessons about the role of storytelling...