Engaging Indigenous Urban Youth in Environmental Learning: The Importance of Place Revisited

Abstract

This paper describes the evolution of an environmental learning program for Indigenous, urban youth called Bridging the Gap. A critical pedagogy of place provides a theoretical framework to engage in practitioner-reflection, exploring the decisions made while revising the original program to make it both culturally and ecologically relevant. Using an action research methodology, the practitioner-researcher resolves to continue to seek resolution to relevant aspects of marginalization in attempt to facilitate reinhabitation for Bridging the Gap learners while emphasizing the program's place-specific social, economic, and ecological situatedness.