Every teacher should be an advocate of the Indigenous Peoples Education or IPEd. I appreciate the mounting recognition and use of indigenous education methods that answer the erosion of indigenous knowledge. Through the indigenous people’s education, communities are able to regain and revalue their languages and traditions which are now being lost through the processes of colonialization, globalization, and modernization.
The Department of Education (DepEd) recognizes the central importance of the Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) and Indigenous Learning System (ILS) for indigenous learners. Their recognition of these in the basic education system has been institutionalized through the adoption of the National IPEd Policy Framework which states that the Department shall “ give due recognition to and promote the sustainability of indigenous learning systems” and “ adopt appropriate basic education pedagogy, content and assessment through the integration of IKSPs in all learning areas and processes. This recognition and inclusion of IKSPs and ILS will pave the way for the provision of universal and equitable access of all IPs to quality and relevant basic education services towards functional literacy for all” (DepEd Order # 32,s.2015).
Along this line, teachers who are in the front line of instruction, should themselves be adequately oriented and trained so that indigenous cultures are appreciated and indigenous cultural practices and values are not discriminated as backward, inferior, invalid or primitive. Embracing IPEd by practicing indigenized ways of knowing, learning, teaching, instructing and training ensures that students and teachers, whether indigenous or non-indigenous, are able to benefit from education in a culturally-sensitive manner that utilizes, promotes, and enhances awareness of indigenous traditions.
Improving outcomes for indigenous learners needs our support. Teachers can promote understanding of, and respect for indigenous cultural perspectives through the inclusion of models, methods, and content in their everyday teaching. Indigenous ways of knowing contain knowledge that can provide greater sustainability and stewardship of the earth leading to a harmonious, balanced future.
By: Amalia K. Micklay