As educators, we respect custodianship of Traditional Knowledge and welcome Traditional Cultural Expressions. We work to empower students and educators with scientific resources needed to make culturally appropriate decisions of how their Canadian Light Source experience will contribute to future generations and improve Indigenous communities. Curiosity and exploration are central to our programming approach.
The Canadian Light Source is proud to offer Indigenous Engagement opportunities and acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) PromoScience to make this possible.
Programs
Kîwetinotahk mahkêsîs - ᑮᐁᐧᑎᓄᑕ ᒪᐦᑫᓰᐢ
High School, Adult Basic Education, or Post-Secondary
Flexible Timeframes
Virtual and/or On-site
The Arctic Fox Project is a science adventure that engages teachers, students, and Indigenous communities by creating a unique opportunity to integrate hunting and trapping skills, synchrotron science, mainstream Science principles, and Traditional Knowledge. This project combines Traditional Knowledge and synchrotron light to allow the Arctic animals to teach us more about them.
Paskwâwimostos - ᐸᐢᑳᐧᐃᐧᒧᐢᑐᐢ
High School, Adult Basic Education, and Post-Secondary
Flexible Timeframe
Virtual and/or On-site
The Bison Project integrates Traditional Knowledge and mainstream Science in an experience for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) students, Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers, and various science organizations. Students participate in land-based sample gathering, timeline development, and CLS beamline experiments exploring elemental differences in Bison hair, grazing soil, and herd diets.
Mînisa - ᒦᓂᓴ
High School, Adult Basic Education, and Post-Secondary
Flexible Timeframe
Virtual and/or On-site
The Berry Project engages First Nation, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) teachers, students, and communities with their Traditional Knowledge on berries as well as mainstream Science. Students explore food security, traditional diet, land-based gathering management, and synchrotron science, all while generating a collection of cultural expressions resources to keep Traditional Knowledge alive through oral tradition.
Professional Development
Seminars
For Educators
Flexible Timeframes
Virtual, On-site, or In Person
The CLS offers professional development opportunities to educators that focus on connecting to Indigenous Worldviews, Ways of Knowing, Traditional Cultural Expressions, and STEM for teachers of primarily Indigenous students. We can adapt our seminars and timeframes, and work with you to develop a relationship. Check out our seminar topic list and engage with us. We also offer educator workshops that incorporate Indigenous Ways of Knowing.
Indigenous Connections Resources
The CLS Education Team has been working together and with others, to create teaching resources that honour Indigenous Worldviews, Ways of Knowing, and Traditional Knowledge in pathways that also connect to the Canadian Light Source. Explore what is available on our Virtual Classroom and engage with members of the team in order to access even more resources.