Culturally Responsive Indigeneity of Relations

Abstract

This paper draws on the traditional sharing circle at the SPARK conference held at the University of British Columbia in 2019. The sharing circle was led by an Elder and two early childhood educators sharing knowledge from their perspectives and experiences of the Anishininiiwi Awaashishiiw Kihkinohamaakewi Niikaanihtamaakew Indigenous Early Childhood Education Leadership Program (IECELP). The sharing circle at SPARK was delivered in the Indigenous research method of a wildfire circle consistent with the summative research conducted across four First Nation child care centres to measure the impact of the IECELP. We propose alternative ways of transferring knowledge in Indigenous culturally responsive ways to be welcomed and encouraged in academia and in early childhood education.