Colonialism and Decolonization

Part of Mosaic Lifespan Curriculum

Open

Chalice Lighting

I, too, sing America. by Langston Hughes (1901 –1967)

Introduce the chalice lighting with a few words about Langston Hughes: Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. He was one of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance.

Icebreaker notes: Depending on the size of the group and time constraints, you may want to pair up participants and allow them a couple of minutes each to share their memory to save time.

Read

Reclaiming the Past by Kio Herrera

Available to be read aloud and in Spanish. There is a quiz at the bottom that can be used to check for understanding.

Watch

Nihi! KIDS TALK about Decolonization| KIDS TALK | Nihi! (YouTube)

Also, watch this trailer and discuss what it means to be part of a community that is looked down on or marginalized. What is lost when people’s culture and community are weaponized against them?

“Hillbilly” Official Trailer (YouTube) (1:58)

Do

Discussion:

  • What do you think it means to decolonize?

  • Are there any examples you can think of that exemplifies what it looks like to resist colonization in history?

  • What do we lose as a culture/ community when we are subjected to colonization?

Use the questions to discuss, journal, or draw a picture of what decolonization could look like. Emphasize the importance of each person doing what they need to express themselves. Set a time then allow for space to reflect back to the group or in pairs.

Close

Check out: What lesson are you taking with you from this time together? What can you share with someone who is not here?

Song: We Shall Be Known by MaMuse - Folk Award Winner - UKSC 2021 (YouTube) (3:27)

Take Home

Book: The Barren Grounds
David A. Robertson

The Barren Grounds follows the story of two Indigenous kids, Morgan and Eli who, having been forced away from their families and communities, wind up living together in a foster home in Winnipeg. They both struggle to fit in at school and in their new home, but they eventually find a secret portal to another reality. The publisher, Penguin Randomhouse, describes the book as “Narnia meets traditional Indigenous stories of the sky and constellations.”

David A. Robertson is a member of the Norway House Cree Nation, and won a Governor General’s Literary Award in 2017 for his book When We Were Alone.

Learn more about Sogoreate Land Trust

Movie: Polite Society

Ria Khan believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting her friends' help, she attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.

Book: Surviving the City
By Tasha Spillett, illustrated by Natasha Donovan

Surviving the City is a graphic novel set in Winnipeg that follows two best friends, Miikwan and Dez, who do everything together. But when Dez’s Grandmother becomes ill, she’s told she may have to move into a group home. To avoid such a fate, she disappears, leaving Miikwan devastated. This graphic novel explores themes of friendship, colonialism, womanhood and the anguish of a missing loved one.

Tasha Spillett, is a Inninewak (Cree) and Trinidadian woman who calls on her bloodlines for her strength in the work she does.