Module 1-Place and Pedagogy-awareness of place

Why is an awareness of place important?

Place: An area with definite or indefinite boundaries; a portion of space

From http://www.thefreedictionary.com/place

This definition shows the inherent contradiction in the idea of place.  Place is where we come from and includes the physical environment as well as the people and experiences within that environment.  However, place is also always evolving and adapting to changes in the new world. 

We all come from a place that shapes our sense of ourselves and gives us a purpose in what we do and we bring our sense of place with us wherever we go.  Those who are more flexible in their definition of place  are able to adapt and thrive in different environments.  When I first came to Dillingham it seemed like there was nothing here,it was like another world.   In fact some first time teachers have been known to get off the plane and get right back on that same afternoon, so foreign was this place.  Every environment has a richness that is not always immediately apparent. After living here for a few months I am able to appreciate what is here. I have found that it is a thriving and productive community, although remote.

Historically native people in Alaska have had a more holistic view of their environment.  They see themselves and their environment as all part of a continuum in the Circle of Life.  They have for centuries made a subsistence living from the sea and the land and have learned to have great respect for the seasons and the environment.  People are taught to share what they have and not waste any parts of fish or animals they hunt.They also learn to flourish within the seasons and the dramatic light changes. 

The Spirit of Subsistence Living

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.life.evo.spirit/

We all have to come to terms with our sense of place, understanding where we come from and how that fits into where we are now.  It is a particular challenge for native peoples because of the sudden and remarkable change brought  by Western culture.  For native populations there is a question of  how to raise children who are both sensitive to their own culture and able to be productive members of this new culture.  Some families are more successful than others in bridging the two cultures.