At McMaster University, students in the Indigenous Studies Experiential Learning Course have been engaged in hands-on, land-based learning. This semester, McMaster Assistant Professor Adrianne Xavier brought students out to farms and greenhouses in the area, where they planted vegetables, tapped sugar maples, and helped with upkeep work. The course flips the typical learning model—where students are typically given a set amount of time to work on a project—by instead placing students in a position to make small contributions to a larger, long-term project in the community. Xavier hopes that students will learn that though the research projects are brief, the effect of research and building relationships will last a lifetime. “It feels almost surreal that we’re able to do this for a master’s program,” said McMaster Student Amanda Ayer. “It’s obviously unlike any other course I’ve taken.”
