Name
Practicing Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy through Intergenerational Teaching and Learning: A Métis Music-Dance Case Study
Date & Time
Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 1:50 PM - 2:20 PM
Description
This paper examines intergenerational teaching and learning through the framework of culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP). As articulated by Paris (2012), CSP aims to “perpetuate and foster—to sustain—linguistic, literate, and cultural pluralism as part of the democratic project of schooling” (p. 95). That is, it seeks not simply to acknowledge or include diverse cultures but to nurture cultural practices (Good-Perkins, 2018). Intergenerational learning and teaching practices are an important part of CSP because they sustain knowledge systems through broad community participation and resist generational disruption caused by colonization. Research further shows that intergenerational music learning can create respect and empathy, challenge stereotypes, foster inclusion and belonging, support well-being, develop appreciation for lifelong learning, and encourage non-hierarchical, collaborative models of learning (Alfano, 2008). Recent research also emphasizes the importance of intergenerational learning for the safeguarding of tradition (Clowser, 2022; Anderson and Willingham, 2020; Grant, 2017). Building on this recent scholarship, this paper focuses a free, Métis-run, fiddle and dance program, referred to as the “Jig and Jam” program, as a case study. Currently in its second year, the program includes preschoolers, teens, young adults, middle-aged participants, and older adults, focusing on both music and dance—practices that are inextricably linked within Métis communities. Using ethnographic methods—including participant observation, interviews, and engagement at community gatherings—this study examines the impact of the program after two years. Early findings indicate that the “Jig and Jam” program has helped revitalize fiddle and dance practices in an area where, prior to the program, the tradition was, largely, no longer practiced. This research may be applicable to other threatened musical traditions or to communities that, like the Métis, have faced forced assimilation and erasure. Intergenerational models within CSP thus serve as a framework for the vital work of caring for music and dance traditions.
Location Name
513B
Full Address
Palais des Congres - Montréal Convention Centre
1001, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Montreal QC H2Z 1H2
Canada
1001, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Montreal QC H2Z 1H2
Canada
Session Type
Paper Presentation
Presenting Author(s)
Monique Giroux