Educator and historian Rick Hill is developing a future vision for Indigenous teaching and learning at Mohawk
Mohawk College is turning to the knowledge, wisdom and experience of educator and historian Rick Hill to guide the development of a long-term vision for the college’s Indigenous framework.
Hill is a citizen of the Beaver Clan of the Tuscarora Nation of the Haudenosaunee at Grand River. He holds a master’s in American Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
He has had a long teaching career at colleges and universities, as well as serving as the former assistant director for public programs at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution in both New York City and Washington, D.C., and as the former museum director at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.
Hill says he is exploring creative ways to address needs of Indigenous learners at Mohawk by developing structures, forging relationships and building capacity.
Indigenous teachings show that everyone comes into the world with a special gift and that education uncovers it
Hill says he is exploring creative ways to address needs of Indigenous learners at Mohawk by developing structures, forging relationships and building capacity.
“One of the major questions is where does Indigenous knowledge situate itself within Mohawk. In some institutions, that’s in an Indigenous studies program. At Mohawk, it’s been more about Indigenizing across the campus rather than creating a place where all Indigenous things rest. That’s the philosophical discussion underway now.”
Mohawk named Hill a distinguished fellow and adjunct professor in 2017 when the college joined with a consortium of colleges and universities, including Six Nations Polytechnic, in the Bundled Arrows Initiative to develop Indigenous curriculum through a regional education plan.
Hill says the intention was to ensure Indigenous students are being educated in areas that answer the needs of their community.
“Each institution has an Indigenous platform so the initiative is about cooperation and sharing resources with a focus on getting students to the right institution and ensuring they learn leadership and problem-solving.”
Indigenous teachings show that everyone comes into the world with a special gift and that education uncovers it, says Hill. It’s the individual’s responsibility to use that gift for the benefit of all.
___
Image: Rick Hill
