Edited by Christine M'Lot and Katya Admov Ferguson
Portage & Main Press
9/23/2025, paperback
SKU: 9781774921678
A guide that provides ideas and action steps for bringing Indigenous perspectives and philosophies of land-based learning into professional practice, in the classroom and beyond
Renewal, the second book in the Footbridge series, guides K–12 educators in bringing Indigenous voices and the philosophy, principles, and practices of Indigenous land-based education into their teaching. This text encourages educators to:
- respectfully renew their own relationships with land
- directly engage students with the land, no matter where they are located
- guide students in learning through observation, listening, and discussion and to take action in response
- honour diverse ways of knowing and being
- understand historic injustices and engage with the contemporary Land Back movement
Through critical engagement with diverse written and visual works created by Indigenous leaders, land defenders, scholars, and Knowledge Keepers, experienced educators Christine M'Lot and Katya Adamov Ferguson support readers in connecting with Indigenous perspectives on land and water. They offer guidance on bringing Indigenous works into the classroom, including concrete ways to facilitate discussions around land-based topics, advice for land-based activities, and suggestions for how students can engage with these topics through inquiry learning.
In this resource, you will find:
- prompts for individual reflection and group discussion
- valuable concepts and methods that can be applied in the classroom and beyond
- practical action steps and resources for educators, parents, librarians, and administrators
Use this book as a springboard for your own learning journey or as a lively prompt for dialogue within your professional learning community.
Reviews:
"It is a very satisfying read, yet also one that challenges a colonial world view at its core level, leading us to reflect and to ponder, while awakening a desire to learn to live and teach this way—in our classrooms in whatever form they take. Offered with honesty and commitment, this is a must-read for all educators." --Anne M. Smith-Nochasak, The Seaboard Review of Books
"At last, the voices, perspectives and reflections you have waited for. This evocative volume is the perfect guide to critical engagement with Indigenous literature--ideal for personal learning, family discussion and classroom content. Go on your own learning journey or recommend this book to your professional learning community today. Be part of the Resurgence." -- SAY Magazine
"Renewal lays out a simple and practical approach to land-based education. It works from the premise that land-based education is not simply 'taking the classroom outside,' but is about 'education on the land, about the land, and from the land.' The spiritual foundation of earth-based cultures is about living in your place as one small, equal part of the land (land being the entirety of air, earth, water, living beings, and spirits), a foundation common to most Indigenous cultures on this planet. I hope that others adopt it in their journey to become more holistic educators and maybe even make a positive difference in shaping how we humans interact with the land. --Dr. Garry Merkel, Director, Centre of Indigenous Land Stewardship, The University of British Columbia
About the Editors:
Christine M’Lot (she/her/hers) is an Anishinaabe educator and curriculum developer from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She currently teaches high school at the University of Winnipeg Collegiate and is the associate publisher at Portage & Main Press. To learn more about her past and current education projects, visit her website at Christinemlot.com.
Katya Adamov Ferguson (she/her/hers) is a settler educator and artist of Ukrainian and Russian ancestry from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Katya is also an arts-based researcher engaging with creative and critical methods to support place-based inquiries and deeper understandings of land-based issues. She is committed to creating partnerships and supporting Indigenous resurgence.