7. Resilience and peace against all odds

 

The topic of this blog post will veer away from education for a minute, and look at something incredible. Something that never ceases to amaze me, and that I see again and again. First Nations have a desire to work together with all who live on Turtle Island. They were committed to this idea from the moment the Europeans arrived, and they continue to express this today. Let's go waayyyyy back to the 1700s, when some European explorers had made contact with First Nations and were beginning to build relationships with them. At that time, Hotinonshon:ni people created a two-row wampum which was presented to the explorers. Wampum belts took months to complete, as beads were made from bone or shells. They were used as a sort of contract, or a treaty, between nations. The two rows in is particular wampum symbolized how the Hotinonshon:ni and Europeans were to learn to live side by side, two nations working separate and equal, working together on this land, neither in each other's shadow. In other words, the Dutch, English, French, Americans would "travel the river of life" side by side, following their own ways, knowing that there would be times when teachings would be shared between the peoples so that harmony could be maintained (The Coalition for the Advancement of Aboriginal Studies, 2002).

We are familiar now with the history that followed: First Nations communities were relocated to make room for "progress" and the railroad, First Nations' rights were removed with the Indian Act, intergenerational trauma was inflicted through the residential school system. Years of conflict, control oppression. And still, despite all of this, the Indigenous peoples of Canada maintain the same desire to work together and honour the Two-Row wampum. The proof is in the opening paragraph of the same document entitled Learning About Walking in Beauty: Placing Aboriginal Perspectives in Canadian Classrooms. In it, the authors clearly state that this document is a formal invitation to educators, policymakers, and all Canadians, to work together so that we can begin Walking in Beauty. I will leave you with their description of what it means to Walk in Beauty, and suggest that it is proof that First Nations are resilient and STILL willing to work towards peace and the establishment of cultures working side by side. What do you think?

"Walking in Beauty means learning how to get along with each other in a kind, sharing, honest and respectful way. This means listening, learning and knowing about each other – about one another’s cultures, histories, contemporary concerns and worldviews. It means coming together in the Indigenous way, within a circle – where there is no start, no top, no end, and no bottom – where we all have our rights and responsibilities, and where we all value and respect difference" (The Coalition for the Advancement of Aboriginal Studies, 2002).  

The Coalition for the Advancement of Aboriginal Studies. (2002). Learning About Walking in Beauty: Placing Aboriginal Perspectives in Canadian Classrooms. Canadian Race Relations Foundation.