What teachings do pipe ceremonies offer you, related to treaties as covenants - kihci-asotamâtowin [Keeh-TSI-us-SOO-tu-MAA-toe-win] - Sacred Promises to One Another, the Treaty Sovereign’s Sacred Undertakings? (refer to the assigned reading in the Treaty Elders of SK book). How do you understand spirituality as part of your treaty-identities miskâsowin? note: spirituality doesn’t necessarily refer to religious practices, i.e. Christianity, but these could be included as well as considering yourself as a whole being - mental, spiritual, emotional, physical.Spirituality as part of my treaty identity I see as being mindful. This would take place in multiple strands of my identity and relates to each of the 4 strands of this course. Within miskâsowin, I should be mindful of where I come from and my own histories. Respecting myself and the ones around me is important; “respect is an essential pillar in which good relationships can be brought about (Cardinal & Hildebrandt, p. 22). Within tâpwêwin, I must be mindful of what I speak about and consider if I could do so with even more precision and accuracy. Within miyo-wîcêtowin, be mindful that participating in our circle discussions, and ceremonies, allows me to mindfully make good relations with others. Lastly, within wîtaskêwin, being mindful of my relationship, as a settler, with the land, and the rightful owners of the land that I use.
The pipe ceremony, and discussions surrounding the ceremony, offered me an opportunity to be mindful. By doing this I am doing my part to listen and take in the knowledge of Elder Alma as well as appreciate that I am able to participate in a pipe ceremony. I thought about when ceremonies, such as the pipe ceremony that I participated in, was banned. The impact - mental, spiritual, physical and emotional - on a person would be tragic. I view covenants as promising promises and kind, but when they are put in the context of treaty, this does not stand true. Cardinal & Hildebrandt. (2016). Treaty Elders of Saskatchewan.
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Vowel (2016) describes a very prevalent and ugly stereotype that all Indigenous peoples are alcoholics. This is something that I have heard repeated over and over again in public settings and family members in subtle and not so subtle ways. Attaching a label to any group of people, such as this label, is never acceptable, because it is not true for everyone. Often the people that retell this narrative/belief are unaware, or may ignore, the reasons behind why the stereotype was conceived in the first place. Counter-narratives are needed to attempt to turn stereotypes around. “The root causes are pretty well documented at this point - residential schools, the Indian Act, child welfare issues, Indian agents, geographic isolation, racism, intergenerational trauma - the list goes on” (Vowel, p.151-152) Substance abuse is not defined by race (Vowel), but I would say that it can be more accurately caused by past traumatic experiences. This starts with colonization. This narrative/stereotype fails to show compassion towards Indigenous peoples and their loss of culture, loss of family/friends and loss of rights and independence. As with any addiction or substance abuse, it is difficult to control and overcome, regardless of race. However, many Indigenous peoples in Canada are not alcoholics. A better narrative about Indigenous peoples is that they are resilient. They have experienced intergenerational trauma and, likely, daily racism but still manage to show compassion and kindness towards settlers more than resorting to alcohol. In fact, Vowel explained that more Indigenous peoples abstain from alcohol than the general Canadian population. This is not surprising as “Indigenous people tend to have a more negative view of the use of alcohol compared to non-Indigenous people" (Vowel, p. 155), so to assume that all indigenous peoples are alcoholics is guided by misinformation. The negative connotations that Indigenous peoples associate with alcohol stem from settlers that invaded their land; "[alcohol] was deliberately introduced into [Indigenous] communities in highly destructive and violent ways by settlers" (Vowel, p. 156). Here is a photo to sum up my thoughts: Here are excerpts from Indian Horse (2012) (first p. 180-181, second p. 181 and third p. 189-190 that highlights the reasons for alcoholism among Indigenous peoples, told from the point of view of the main character, Saul Indian Horse. Why did I chose this stereotype? What insights did I learn about the information to support the counter narrative? I chose this counter narrative due to the proven facts that debunk the Indigenous alcoholic stereotype. It's a common one that is reinforced by many people that I know, so I thought that it would be the best to debunk in hopes that I can pass along the information. I have never learned about the information that debunks this stereotype and the 3 beliefs that go along with it (Indigenous people cannot metabolize alcohol, all natives are drunk, alcohol abuse is an Indigenous cultural trait) (Vowel, 2016). As well, I think the excerpt from this novel clearly explains the reasons for alcoholism among some Indigenous peoples as the novel follows the experiences and trauma for the character; however, I wonder if narratives similar to this one (that do include an alcoholic Indigenous person) help us towards reconciliation. How do counter narratives fit in the curriculum? Counter narratives fit within the Saskatchewan curriculum, especially in grade 8, shown below. SI82: Assess the impact residential schools have on First Nations communities. CR8.6 Read and demonstrate comprehension and interpretation of grade-appropriate texts including traditional and contemporary prose fiction, poetry, and plays from First Nations, Métis, and other cultures to evaluate the purpose, message, point of view, craft, values, and biases, stereotypes, or prejudices. Using a piece of literature, such as Indian Horse or other Indigenous literature, students can work together to identify stereotypes/myth that are presented. Then, through partner research, students debunk the narrative that is presented with factual information. These tasks align with the outcomes above as it requires analysis of the effects of residential schools and critical evaluation of stereotypes that are constantly reinforced. This would be powerful for students to internalize and evaluate what they hear in their community. Works Cited: Vowel, Chelsea. (2016). Indigenous Writes. A guide to First Nations, Métis & Inuit Issues in Canada. Wagamese, Richard. (2012). Indian Horse. I am a white settler descendant. I am German and Polish. I am an able-bodied, cis gender woman. Regardless of any differences that I have compared to Indigenous peoples, I am in relation to the Indigenous community. I am a treaty partner. Cardinal and Hildebrandt (2002) explains the principles that are affirmed by treaties, which includes the commitment between parties to maintain relationships and peace. As a teacher, I have a responsibility to fulfill this principle. It is my responsibility to tell tâpwêwin about Canada's history to my students. As a settler wanting to become unsettled, I view my role as a treaty partner as working alongside Indigenous peoples in Canada (shown in visual diagram). This is how I view myself as a treaty partner. I also view myself as someone who does not have all the answers, as there are parts missing in my visual. It is also my responsibility to find answers and gain knowledge about Indigenous peoples and their languages, nations or membership to bands, ceremonies, worldviews, relationship with place and land. Weeks after this blog post and having done the Treaty Event, hosted by my colleagues and I, I agree with this explanation of what it means to be a treaty partner. After actively participating in the Treaty Event, I feel closer to identifying and encompassing what it means to be a treaty person. I contributed to working alongside Indigenous peoples in Canada (some whom attended the Treaty Event and critiqued my information, which was fabulous!); accepting that I do not know all that there is to know about treaties; and I gained knowledge about Indigenous peoples (specifically, Nakota peoples).
My idea of what it means to be a treaty person was further reinforced after writing this blog post as I came across a highlighted point from Vowel (2016); "A really powerful and beautiful start would be to simply learn the names in use, both historic and contemporary, for the Indigenous peoples in the area where you live” (p. 12). This supported the information I provided about the meaning behind the name, Nakota, and similar names to refer to the same group of people (ex. Assiniboine, Stone Sioux, Stoney, Nakota Sioux, etc.) The Blanket Exercise allows me to further explore my miskâsowin in relation to Turtle Island and Indigenous history. I am here due to the historical story that the Blanket Exercise represents. It helps me towards tâpwêwin because every time I participate I learn something new or gain a new realization about this history. As an educator, it is our job to speak the truth and practice portraying multiple versions of this as well as help students to find their own truth, which may even be their own miskâsowin. Works Cited: Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.sicc.sk.ca/culture_nahkawe.html The process of “Finding one’s sense of origin & belonging; Finding ‘one’s self’ or Finding ‘one’s center” means a discovery of who I am as an individual as well as who I am in relation to my environment and others. I feel quite confident in knowing who I am, as an individual, however, knowing myself in other ways is still emerging. I think that this may take years to grasp as my relations continuously change. My initial thoughts are that in order to find my belonging in a larger context, I must belong in a smaller circle first and gain respect; “respect is an essential pillar in which good relationships can be brought about” (Cardinal & Hildebrandt, 2002, p. 21). By this, I mean that in the class environment I must find my sense of self. I think that belonging happens in smaller spaces, and then transfer to larger ones over time. In turn, in order to know myself in a large context including origins and within my country, I first must know how I belong in my family, specific classes and the teaching profession. This process of finding myself and origin (treaty walk) will continue on through this course in a way that I cannot predict.
I am a settler. I am white. I am European. I am in relation to people similar to me who signed the treaties. I am ose’ronni, a “delicate white flower person” (Vowel, 2016, p. 20). This could be one way that I name and identify myself. These terms that I use hold deeper connotations, as Vowel explains. For example, I identify as White; however, I’m not sure if I would be as comfortable being called White from others since it takes on the tone that I am being blamed for Canada’s past in which I was not directly a part of (Vowel, 2016). That being said, the uncomfortableness is part of my treaty walk, and part of reconciliation in which I, as an educator, play a vital role in. I was going to include “non-Indigenous” as another name to identify with, but I agree with Vowel’s point that this term ‘others’ Indigenous peoples by saying that I am ‘not this.’ Within my treaty walk, naming myself and the identity connotations that come with doing so are complex, so I hope to learn alongside and intertwine with these complexities. |