Indigenous Music in the Classroom | Samantha Whelan Kotkas & Walter MacDonald White Bear

Walter MacDonald White Bear, a Cree singer/songwriter/facilitator and Samantha Whelan Kotkas, a classical trumpet player/storyteller/facilitator have worked together as a cross-cultural team for the National Arts Centre of Canada since 2015. When they walk into schools together to present they embody the process of reconciliation started by the ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission’ founded in 2008. Their session will focus on ways to bring cross-cultural music respectfully into the classroom as a tool to enrich the curriculum. They will explore the concept of reconciliation as they model hands on music tools for you to use in your own teaching. They will also introduce you to three Indigenous Teacher Guides created for the National Arts Centre which you can start using immediately: ‘All My Relations: Celebrating Canada’s Indigenous Peoples’, ‘Nitohta: Listen to Earthsounds’ and ‘Celebrating Canada's Indigenous Peoples through Song and Dance’.