Possibilities and Issues of the Ainu Cultural Studies in Hokkaido: From the point of view of ESD

Ainu people were officially recognized as an indigenous people of Japan in 2008. Their culture, history and language have been taught in Hokkaido in the school curricula under the subject name of Ainu Cultural Studies. Today, the knowledge and view of nature of the Ainu have been integrated with ideas from sustainability and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This paper gives examples from Ainu Cultural Studies classes and practices at schools in Hokkaido. Some schools outside of Hokkaido have adopted entire curricula and practices for use in their own schools. However, schools outside of Hokkaido have found it difficult to understand the culture, knowledge and view of nature of the Ainu. This paper introduces practices that compare the Ainu culture, history or language of the Ainu and the adopting areas to develop student understanding of Ainu culture and their own culture.
本研究はJSPS科研費JP17K18643の助成を受けたものです。