Delivered in partnership between the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and North Island College, the Pathways to Nuu-chah-nulth Teacher Training program is grounded in Nuu-chah-nulth values, including respect, protocol, accountability, relationship, and community.
This cohort-based program supports Nuu-chah-nulth students as they prepare for future pathways in education, including teacher training. The program integrates academic upgrading, foundational post-secondary coursework, Indigenous knowledge, and community-based learning in ways that honour Nuu-chah-nulth ways of knowing, being, and doing.
Instruction is delivered using a strengths-based, student-centred, and culturally responsive
approach that recognizes learners’ diverse experiences, responsibilities, and educational journeys.
Instructors are expected to create inclusive learning environments that support student confidence, academic success, and belonging, while contributing to the long-term goal of increasing Nuu-chah-nulth educators in schools and communities.
Courses will be delivered in a blended format, including digitally scheduled classes and in-person learning opportunities in Port Alberni, BC:
Tuesday July 7, and July 14, 2026 : Class Digital (online) 6 PM to 9 PM
Friday July 17, 2026 to Tuesday July 22, 2026 :PA campus (in-person) 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM (including the weekend)
Tuesday July 28, 2026: Class digital (online) 6 PM to 9 PM
ILF 128 – Foundations in Indigenous Ecological Knowledge – Nuu-chah-nulth
Foundations in Indigenous Ecological Knowledge is a dual language course, Nuu-chah-nulth and English, that provides students with a framework for exploring Indigenous ways of knowing and being in relation to the natural world. A hands-on, seasonal approach will be used to explore the natural world through an Indigenous holistic approach to science.
Rooted in local Indigenous ways of learning, being, and doing, the course supports students to examine Indigenous perspectives and worldviews related to the land, language, natural systems, and ecological relationships. Working individually and in groups, students will choose an area of interest and apply Indigenous methodologies to examine their chosen topic.
Students will develop critical thinking and reasoning skills while exploring the importance of Indigenous ways of coming to know, rooted in land, language, relationality, and Indigenous paradigms. This course supports the restoration, reconstruction, and valuing of Indigenous ecological, scientific, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual knowledge and processes.
The course also responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #62 by supporting the integration of Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods in education, while exploring the relationship between Indigenous ecological knowledges, Western paradigms, and local sustainable development goals.
The teaching faculty of North Island College are responsible for implementing the College’s vision, goals, and objectives as they relate to teaching and learning. To carry out their teaching assignments, faculty use organizational skills, inter-personal skills, and their knowledge of subject matter, pedagogy, and curricular design. In addition, they have a responsibility to serve as role models for students and colleagues.
The responsibilities and typical duties listed below constitute a generic job description for teaching faculty whose responsibility may be for the delivery of scheduled classes, the support of self-paced, on-line, and distance courses, and/or instruction and supervision in laboratories, practicums, shops, etc.
