SWRK 4205

Decolonizing Social Work: A Two-Eyed Seeing Perspective examines the historical and contemporary practice of social work among Indigenous communities, specifically the Mi'kmaw communities of (what is today) Atlantic Canada. Grounded in Indigenous philosophy and epistemology, students will explore the ways in which foundational Mi'kmaw conceptions of law, family and community, and relationships with the land and its resources, can underpin a decolonized social work practice. Employing a two-eyed seeing perspective, this course will pay particular attention to the linkages between colonization and inter-generational trauma, and the creative and inspirational ways that Indigenous communities have in turn responded. Key developments, such as residential schools, the "Sixties Scoop," and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and, will be discussed; relevant legal texts, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's (TRC) Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), will be highlighted.