Critical Issues: First Nations Model

The First Nations Adult Education Project, working together with Michael Thrasher, a First Nations educator, elder, and addictions worker has developed a balanced model of literacy¹¹. The model is applicable to people from all cultures and to both teachers and students. The model is symbolized by a feather. It emphasizes a balance between thinking and feeling. When these are not in balance, there are attitude problems. There so needs to be a balance between meeting material needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing, and developing spirituality, values, and moral beliefs. When there has been childhood trauma, the development of spirituality, values, and moral beliefs may have been damaged. This will impact on someone's ability to learn or to teach. We often need to begin with problem solving skills and communication skills, not reading and writing. There are many issues in people's lives that literacy skills in themselves will not address.