A new collection in the Faculty of Education’s Curriculum Laboratory at the University of Lethbridge is amplifying Indigenous voices in education, while honouring a key figure who has helped guide the Faculty’s commitments to truth and reconciliation.
The Naato’saaki (Sunwoman) Annette Fox-BruisedHead Collection features titles by Indigenous authors and is sourced from Indigenous-owned businesses. Named after Annette Fox-BruisedHead (BSc ’00, BEd ’02, MEd ’10), the collection is an exciting new resource for student-teachers to enhance their pedagogy through Indigenous Ways of Knowing.
Fox-BruisedHead has made a lasting impact at ULethbridge through her work as an Indigenous Education Consultant and sessional instructor with the Faculty of Education. Currently the principal of Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, she has nearly 25 years of experience in southern Alberta schools and division offices. She is known for fostering collaboration and building meaningful connections across communities.
“Annette has been a catalyst for energizing our Faculty towards what is possible because of her knowledge, generosity and willingness to meet people where they are at,” says kaakato’ saakii (star woman) Dr. Lisa Starr, dean of the Faculty of Education. Starr says the Faculty has been making intentional commitments to supporting Indigenous students, helping non-Indigenous students better understand their roles and responsibilities in truth and reconciliation and embedding Indigenous knowledge traditions more deeply across its courses and programs.
“This is difficult but necessary work,” Starr says.
“At the end of every conversation with Annette, I feel grounded and hopeful in our ability to do good work. Not only has she helped us establish connections in the community and provided direct support to our faculty and students, but she has been — and continues to be — a relentless champion for education in all its many forms.”
For Fox-BruisedHead, the collection represents an honour that she never could have imagined when her ULethbridge journey began.
“As a young girl, I always wanted to attend the University of Lethbridge,” she says. “Reaching several milestones here, including being part of the Faculty of Education, has been surreal. I am deeply thankful to those involved for this acknowledgment.”
The collection includes nearly 200 books, with 31 unique titles and multiple copies of each to support group or class study.
“Most of the material is fiction and non-fiction for K–12 readers, but we also identified titles that further an understanding of professional and academic areas of interest, such as Indigenous pedagogy and research methodologies, as well as decolonizing education,” says Beth Cormier, the Faculty’s Curriculum Librarian.
“When I first attended the University of Lethbridge, the Indigenous collections were quite limited,” says Fox-BruisedHead.
“Seeing that students now have a plethora of resources to learn from is a testament to the resiliency of Indigenous scholars and authors.”
“I hope that students will continue to draw inspiration by seeing themselves reflected in the available material, and that all students can gain a deeper understanding through an Indigenous lens.”