1. Indigenous Led: Guiding people to” Look at the world through Indigenous perspectives rather than a colonial lens. “Consider the context, process, and content of what is being learned” (Paul Willie)

2. Wellness-focused and Strength-Based,

Evelyn Voyageur guides us to focus on the strengths of the community during the field school. For example, she shares her knowledge about health traditions throughout the life span that were traditionally followed by her people. She also guides us in learning about the gathering and use of traditional plants for medicine. She encourages other community members to share their ways of living and being healthy with us from a holistic perspective. We have found that this has a profound impact on the participants who, as a result of colonization, have an ingrained mindset towards looking for what is wrong with a community or a person, with the intention to aid in fixing it. As Paul Willie (2017) has told us, “You will lose the energy of your own humility if you do acts of service while you are here.”

Paul Willie teaches us through the lessons of the Sisiutl about living with paradox and complexity. Focusing on wellness does not imply that we only see what is healthy and ignore what is not. It means that we seek to understand individuals and communities through their strengths, resilience, and capacity, while understanding that wellness only exists alongside illness. Paul states: “Blaming each other is not peace.” Instead of focusing on blame, discussions should center on healing, reconciliation, and mutual respect.

Co-facilitation: We have found that having at least two facilitators is needed to navigate the complexities of all the organizations, people, and relationships involved. Each situation will be unique, and the facilitators will need to work together to support the field school in important ways. Things to consider for the shared roles of facilitators are:

• An Indigenous Knowledge holder who can guide the process, content, and context of learning through an Indigenous lens

• Familiarity with the partner institution and practice context to navigate the relationship between the Institution, the participants, and the community to reduce colonial bias and expectations.

• Familiarity and relationships with community people, protocols, resources, and strengths

• Familiarity with Institution policies, procedures, and both explicit and implicit expectations.

• Ability to put in place safety supports and respond to community members as needed throughout the field school.

• Ability to put in safety supports and respond to participants as needed throughout the process.

Considering a plan for what will happen

Flexibility: Each Field School experience is unique and distinct not only to each community but to each time the Field School happens. This is because the field school experience goes with the flow of the community; it depends on who is there, what time of year it happens, and who shows up to participate. Although it is important to have a rough agenda, it is equally important to leave lots of space and time for unexpected things to happen, causing plans to change, for participation in informal and spontaneous activities and relationships, and for participants to have personal time for self-care and reflection.

A welcome is an important way of starting the Field School; it gives people a chance to get to know who the visitors to the community are and why they are there. Participants feel honoured to be welcomed, helping them to be open to new ways of learning. Each community has its own protocols and capacity to provide a welcome. We have found that welcomes can vary from the participants joining in whatever is already happening in the community, to the participants organizing and hosting a meal for community members to come and meet them, or the community hosting something for the participants.

Consider the flow for each day. We try and incorporate a variety of activities, including time in discussion circles, time on the land, time learning from Knowledge Holders, time engaging in communal activities, and time on their own. We balance activities that require emotional and mental energy, such as discussion circles and learning from Knowledge Holders, with activities that require physical and social energy, such as walking on the land or using our hands to work on a project together.

Include activities that support building trust and relationships. Some examples we've used are: opening with a circle, inviting participants to share who they are, where they come from, and introducing us to a grandmother figure of yours. (As a way of sharing your culture)

Learning to be a good visitor. It is important to share protocols and expectations for being in the community. One way we do this is to ask each person to share what the “R”s mean to them, choosing one “R” at a time, following circle protocols, giving each person an opportunity to share their thoughts. The “R”s we use are Respect, Relationship, Reciprocity, Reverence, Rights, and sometimes others are added. This results in people sharing values and gaining an understanding of the protocols and principles for the group and for being a good visitor in the community. It works particularly well when community members join the discussion circle.

Incorporating activities that support understanding of Indigenous wellness. Examples: Gathering food ( berries and seafood), gathering and learning about plants used for medicines. Participating in ceremonies, exploring the territories, and learning about the land. Hearing stories and learning about traditional wellness protocols.

Incorporating activities that support understanding of contemporary realities. Examples: Hearing stories of relationship to land and resources, economic and social realities; Hearing stories of navigating health systems, family and community realities. Visiting social services, schools, health centers, and community services. Setting up time for participants to talk to Youth in schools about health careers and going to college has been appreciated by some communities.

Incorporating Ceremony and Protocol: Opportunities to participate in community protocols and ceremonies such as brushings, dancing, sharing prayers and gratitude, learning how to enter a Bighouse according to protocol, learning the protocols for organizing a thank you dinner, and sharing gifts for the community. Making the ceremony a part of the daily routine is impactful. We open and close each day with prayers, sometimes rotating between different participants with different spiritual traditions. We also invite each person to share a gratitude. From the beginning of the Field Schools in Kwakwaka’wakw territories, Evelyn guided us in “going in the River” as a spiritual experience. This continues to be a powerful experience for many who choose to participate. Paul often shared his spiritual teachings and energy work with the participants. Passing this on to other community members who have continued the tradition with future participants.

Closing and sharing gratitude: An important event to close the Field School has been a thank-you dinner hosted by the participants and the Partner Organization. This has taken various forms, but important elements are preparing and, if possible, cooking a meal together. Participants invite community members to attend, sometimes by going door to door. The dinner offers an opportunity to learn, to share, and to participate in community protocols such as blanketing, dancing, speech, and gift giving.

Principles to Consider for Facilitating a Field School