Why host a field school?

1. Aids in the Recruitment and Retention of People who are suited to and prepared for working in the Community.

   Bringing people to learn in remote First Nations communities was originally envisioned by Frank Johnson, Chief Councilor of the Wuikinuxv Nation, in 2006 as a way to recruit and retain nurses. He said, ”It is time for you to integrate your practice into our culture.” He envisioned the field schools as a way to find people who would be a better fit for the community. Through the field schools, communities develop relationships with people who want to learn from and work with Indigenous People and communities.

2. Opportunity for the community members to learn from each other and collaborate on sharing their knowledge with visitors.

   Many communities discussed the benefits of bringing together knowledge holders before and during the field schools to share community protocols and knowledge, and to discuss what and how they wanted to share that knowledge with visitors. We found that there were opportunities to support mentorship within the community. For example, the Elders would encourage other community members to share and participate in leading activities.

3. Strengthens relationships with healthcare providers

   We heard many examples of community members expressing how much it meant to see nurses working in the hospital who had been to a field school in their community. They felt much safer knowing that their care provider had a better understanding of where they came from. Also, community members shared how even when they don’t know people, they feel more confident to speak up for themselves when they are not getting the care, respect, and understanding that they deserve.

4. Inspires community members and youth to consider further education.

   When the student nurses came, they talked to our youth about going to college, not just for nursing but for all kinds of reasons. It helps the youth to see they can do it too.

Planning and Preparation for hosting a field school

Engaging community members

Over many years of planning and building relationships, it remains a challenge to fully engage with the community. Many participants and community members have identified that there is a lack of awareness about why people were there and what the field school was about.

Having a community member who is a lead and a champion for the field school is very important. We also recognize that community leaders are often dealing with many other important community priorities. Support and resources from partner institutions in organizing, promoting, and planning the field schools are critical.

Suggestions for community engagement include:

• Facilitators visit the community, hosting information sessions and going door to door ahead of time.

• Using regular ways of communicating for the community, such as newsletters and e-forums;

• Having the facilitators show up to meet with the community ahead of time.

Community planning sessions: Questions to consider

1. How will we share the way we do things here? What are our protocols? How do we look at things through an Indigenous Lens?

2. What is already going on in the community that we can invite people to join us to participate in?

3. Who are the specific community members and knowledge holders who will support the field school with sharing activities and learning experiences?

4. How do we encourage mentorship to support the field school, not always asking the same Elders, who else can support the learning?

5. How do we support people to be involved and to share their knowledge and experience? Recognizing that people face barriers related to colonization in being able to do so

6. Thinking about what (content), where (context), and how (process) we want the visitors to learn, and who can help to guide them.

7. How do we do this in an Indigenous way that resists our own experience of colonization?

8. How do we encourage connection to the land and the community?

9. How do we want to encourage positive relationships within a context of colonial harm, trauma, racism, and unconscious bias?

10. How do we take care of ourselves, each other, and our visitors?

11. How are we putting safety measures in place for community members who may be willing to participate, who may be hesitant to participate, and who may be triggered by participating?

Thinking about welcoming

Each community's way of welcoming Field School participants will be different and unique. We have experienced examples such as: community dinners, Leaders and Chiefs welcome in the big house, gathering outdoors around a fire.

Consider welcoming protocols that identify teachings from your community, such as the four principles shared by Paul Willie:

• Ju'kwala (Uplift)

• Mya'lath'la (Respect)

• Ga'whala (Support)

• Mu-la (Gratitude)

Community Preparation for Hosting Participants: Questions to Consider

1. Where do we have for people to stay? We have found that billeting is the best when possible, as it gives people a chance to build informal relationships and get to know each other. Communal living also works well if needed.

2. Where can we gather? Ceremonial places, such as a Big House, are beneficial if available. Consider outdoor spaces and less formal spaces over “meeting rooms.”

3. Can we share meals? Sharing meals at the beginning and end often helps to build relationships and understanding.

4. How do we support people to be fully present? Some remote villages offer the opportunity to be out of cell range. We have found that intentionally reducing access to outside distractions and responsibilities as much as possible has added advantages.