Laurels Podcast

Laurel Schaefer, a third-year student at the University of Calgary, shares her experiences and insights from her Indigenous Studies 201 course. Coming from a small town near the Siksika Reserve, Laurel has been exposed to Blackfoot culture and wanted to learn more about Indigenous peoples in Canada. She discusses the differences between Indigenous and settler scholars' understandings of sovereignty. Laurel also explores the concept of Indigenous identity, including its characteristics and the importance of recognizing it internationally. She reflects on the challenges she faced in understanding Indigeneity, particularly the concept of Pan-Indigeneity. Lastly, Laurel explains how this course has deepened her understanding of Indigenous perspectives and will be beneficial for her future career in education. Hello, and welcome to my podcast. My name is Laurel Schaefer, and I am in my third year here at the University of Calgary. I come from a small town here in Alberta called Bassano, which is about an hour and a half away from Calgary. As my town is very close to the Siksika Reserve, through my K-12 experience, I've been able to be engulfed in the Blackfoot culture within and outside of school and learn many incredible things about Indigenous peoples in Canada. Additionally, I am majoring in elementary education with an embedded certificate in Canadian Studies. The reason I chose this profession stems from my love of teaching, swimming lessons, and the admiration I have for my mother, who is a retired teacher. My choice of Teachable stems from my love for history and Canadian Studies. As a diligent and motivated student, I am deeply committed to both academic excellence and personal growth. This motivation is translated to my decision to enroll in Indigenous Studies 201. I have numerous reasons for choosing this course. To begin, as I have been immersed in Blackfoot traditions throughout my K-12 schooling, I thought it would be incredibly interesting and impactful to learn about the Indigenous peoples in Canada, as I have only really been knowledgeable about the Blackfoot people in Siksika specifically. Additionally, last year I found out that I was a Métis citizen of Alberta and received my citizenship card. On account of this, I decided it would be significant and helpful to learn more about the fundamental principles that underpin Indigenous peoples within Canada and link them to Indigenous peoples in other parts of the world as well. Throughout this podcast, I will reflect on my journey within this class and answer the questions defined within the course outline while analyzing my self-awareness and understanding of my own cultural frames of reference when analyzing their learning of Indigeneity and Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Additionally, I will argue that this course of Indigenous Studies 201 has greatly expanded my personal knowledge and assisted in having myself become more aware of Indigenous perspectives. The first question here is, what was the most interesting thing you learned in Indigenous Studies 201 and why? So, before entering this class, I was not vastly educated about Indigenous peoples in Canada, so when immersing myself in the learning during this class, numerous things were interesting to me as there were new concepts and information I wasn't familiar with. The most interesting thing I learned within this class is the differences between how Indigenous people understand sovereignty and how settler scholars understand sovereignty. When we discussed the idea of sovereignty within the lectures that the TA, Dawn Moffat McMaster, taught, she defined sovereignty to be, nation states' ability to enforce rules on the population for the use of this class. This was extremely interesting to me before I had engaged in this class because I had thought that sovereignty was defined universally and had a basic general interpretation that was similar for everyone, but after engaging within this class, my thoughts were then expanded on as I became more educated. Through these lectures that the TA taught, I was able to understand and become knowledgeable and learn that there are differences when understanding sovereignty through their relationship and equality with the environment, settler scholars' views on sovereignty to be hierarchical, and exclusive while Indigenous societies view sovereignty to be inherent, and lastly through settler scholars viewing sovereignty as being absolute as compared to the Indigenous societies viewing sovereignty as conditional and evolving. After engaging in this class, I was able to define this key concept of sovereignty and draw on relevant lectures and literature to support the different perspectives of Indigenous peoples and settler scholars on sovereignty. The next question is, what issues or concepts resonated with you? During the duration of this course, there have been numerous intriguing concepts and issues. One of the main concepts that resonated with me personally was the idea of Indigenous identity and the importance of it awakening a profound sense of understanding and knowledge. Before entering and participating in this course, I viewed Indigenous identity as similar to the general idea of any individual's identity being specific to themselves and sometimes certain cultures. As I became immersed in this course, I realized that Indigenous identity has more diverse components that make the creation of it. To begin, Indigenous peoples have numerous characteristics for their identity. One characteristic Hughes states is that Indigenous peoples are non-dominant, non-state groups in our particular territory who claim to be Aboriginal, descended from the pre-colonial inhabitants. The second characteristic that Hughes has outlined is that they identify themselves as Indigenous and are regarded as such by others. The third characteristic that Hughes has displayed is they have distinct social, political, and cultural identities and languages, traditions, legal, and political institutions that are distinct from those of the national society. Lastly, the fourth characteristic that Hughes has outlined is they have a special relationship with the land and natural resources which is often fundamental to their cultural identity and therefore their survival as a distinct peoples. The learning of these characteristics resonates with me because it illuminates the complexities and details of Indigenous identity that is often marginalized and overlooked. Exploring the deep connection Indigenous communities hold with their traditions, land, and spirituality has sparked a newfound admiration and respect within me. Additionally, another example regarding how Indigenous identity resonated with me was the importance of identifying Indigenous peoples' identity which can be seen through numerous perspectives. The perspectives that we have talked about in class fall under Indigenous perspectives, nation-state perspectives, and international organization perspectives. The specific concept that resonates with me falls under the international organization perspective. This is because before taking this course, the limited knowledge I had about Indigenous identity was tunnel vision within Canada only. This meaning that I only really knew about Indigenous peoples within Canada. On account of this, by learning about international organization perspectives, I was able to learn about numerous different components that affect Indigenous identity and the importance of them. An example of this would be when we learned that the UN created the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples or the UN DRIP as it identifies Indigenous peoples as being the beneficiaries of the rights contained in the declaration. Learning about this international perspective broadened my understanding of the diverse perspectives on Indigenous identity and displayed to me that Indigenous identity, specifically within Canada, is also affected by international organizations and has significant impacts on Indigenous identity. Overall, the concept of Indigenous identity has resonated with me extremely because of the profound insights gained into its multifaceted nature. Learning about the diverse components of Indigenous identity, including its distinct characteristics and how Indigenous identity is affected by international organizations, through the creation of things such as the UN DRIP, has therefore expanded my knowledge on Indigenous identity and allowed me to view it in a more detailed and enlarged way. The next question is, were there any questions or challenges that arose for you regarding Indigeneity? Why or why not? As conveyed within this course syllabus, the course objective and learning outcome of this class was to expand understanding of the concepts of Indigeneity. Overall, the concept of Indigeneity itself was challenging for me to understand at some points as it is such a broad concept. But, as we got through the course material and recovering numerous aspects such as Indigenous identity and worldview, I started to understand this term more and more as the class went on. From this, I was able to understand that Indigeneity is the overall state of being Indigenous, including different aspects of it, just like traditions, spirituality, cultures, etc. One challenge that arose for me during this course regarding the concept of Indigeneity is the connection to Pan-Indigeneity. Through this course, we discussed Pan-Indigeneity when talking about when people assume that all Indigenous people are the same, although there are numerous groups, characteristics, traditions, etc. that Indigenous people have. My challenge arises when I start to think of opposing aspects of Pan-Indigeneity. On one hand, it is extremely harmful to the Indigenous communities as it oversimplifies diverse Indigenous cultures and identities. But on the other hand, my challenge arises where could it sometimes be considered positive as it may amplify the voices of the general Indigenous population. Overall, my challenge arises when because I find it hard to intercept if Pan-Indigeneity is all harmful to Indigenous communities or if it has any positive impacts on these communities. The next question is, how has the course developed your understanding of Indigenous perspectives in ways that will be helpful to you in your life and chosen profession? Overall, this course has helped me develop my understanding of Indigenous perspectives in numerous ways as well as helping me excel in my chosen profession of education. To begin, this course has developed my understanding of Indigenous perspectives specifically by allowing me to become more knowledgeable of Indigenous knowledge systems and their beliefs culturally, spiritually, traditionally, etc. An example of this within the class is through Dr. Ramona Beattie explaining that in Indigenous knowledge systems, spirituality is embedded in all elements of the cosmos. Humans have responsibility for maintaining a harmonious relationship with the natural world. There is a need for reciprocity between human and natural worlds. Resources are viewed as gifts. Nature is honored routinely through daily spiritual practice. Wisdom and ethics are derived from direct experience with the natural world. The universe is made up of dynamic, ever-changing natural forces. The universe is viewed as holistic. It is an integrative system with a unifying life force. Time is circular with natural cycles that sustain all life. Nature will always possess unfathomable mysteries. Human thought, feelings, and words are intractably bound to all other aspects of the universe. The human role is to participate in the orderly designs of nature. Respect for elders is based on their compassion and reconciliation of outer and inner direct knowledge. Sense of empathy and kinship with other forms of life. And finally, they view proper human relationship with nature as a continuous two-way transactional dialogue. From these examples, this course has helped me develop my understanding of Indigenous perspectives. These understandings have been helpful to me in my chosen profession in numerous ways. To be specific, by understanding Indigenous perspectives, I've expanded my cultural competence and I can better relate to and understand the cultural backgrounds of Indigenous students in their communities. This understanding helps me create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for all of my future students. Furthermore, by understanding Indigenous perspectives, I can create a richer curriculum that provides a more holistic and accurate portrayal of history, society, and culture, helping students develop a more comprehensive understanding of the world and incorporating Indigenous aspects into the classroom, such as Indigenous literature. Additionally, learning about Indigenous perspectives has allowed me to foster more respect and empathy for Indigenous peoples and their histories, which is essential for building positive relationships with Indigenous students, families, and communities, as well as respecting the Indigenous communities as a whole. Overall, understanding Indigenous perspectives have been valuable in both my personal and professional life, shaping my worldview, values, and approach to education in profound ways. The next question is, how has the course developed your understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing and being and current social and political Indigenous and settler relationships? This course has developed my understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing and being in numerous ways. Before participating in this course, I was aware Indigenous ways of knowing and being were significantly related to their relationship with the land and their relationship with their specific culture, and those are the basic foundations of my knowledge before this course. After participating in this course, I was able to expand my knowledge of Indigenous ways of knowing and being. To begin, this course helped me define the key concept of Indigenous ways of knowing and being by helping define it to convey things such as being interconnected, whether it is people, the environment, cultures, etc. Indigenous ways of knowing and being essentially emphasize the interconnectedness of all things and recognize that Indigenous peoples are not the only things that were put on this earth as they recognize they are part of a larger netting of life which includes ecosystem, plants and animals, cultures, spiritual traditions, etc. Apart from explaining this key theory, this course has allowed me to be able to deconstruct certain aspects of it and draw on relevant literature to support it. To be specific, I was able to learn that Indigenous ways of knowing and being are interconnected with holistic Indigenous knowledge as it is a concept that is highly valued with these ways of knowing and being. Furthermore, with the presentations that were displayed in class, I was able to learn the basis that Indigenous knowledge refers to the culturally and spiritually based in which Indigenous peoples relate to their ecosystems and with one another. Stemming from this, I was able to learn that holistic Indigenous knowledge encompasses numerous interconnected concepts that make up the understanding of Indigenous knowledge such as cultural traditions, spiritual traditions, social and economic practices, and overall knowledge of understanding the world. Evidence to support this connection was conveyed through course readings such as Heart Explaining. First, knowledge is holistic, cyclic, and dependent upon relationships and connections to living and non-living beings and entities. Additionally, this connection was also supported by scholars such as Castellano and Morial as they describe Indigenous knowledge as having the characteristic of being holistic. Therefore, I was able to develop my understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing and being through being educated on how it is related to holistic Indigenous knowledge and the evidence provided through the course to support this through course readings. When regarding current social and political Indigenous and settler relationships, this course has improved my understanding of them greatly through organizations, laws, etc. that have been identified and explained throughout this course. An example of how it has improved my understanding of these settler and Indigenous relationships would be through political legislation that have been put through to target these people. An example of this would be the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and the calls to action it campaigns. Although many recognize that these changes have not repaired the relationships that have been tarnished, they have been great examples of steps towards reconciliation and the acknowledgement of political systems here in Canada. The final question is, what advice would you give to a friend planning to take Indigenous Studies 201? If a friend is planning to take Indigenous Studies 201, I would give them the following advice. This course provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of Indigenous people. I would encourage my friend to approach this course with an open mind and a willingness to listen and learn about Indigenous peoples, as there are numerous ideas and concepts which they may not be familiar with. Additionally, I would emphasize to them that it is essential to recognize that Indigenous perspectives offer unique insights into history that they may not be familiar with and that it may challenge their preconceived notions that have arisen before this course. Furthermore, I would convey to them that this course greatly explains Indigenous world views and Indigenous ways of knowing and being, allowing for them to understand a different way of viewing Indigenous peoples and their identity, traditions, culture, etc. I would emphasize the importance of approaching the subject with sensitivity, respect, and humility, and acknowledging the ongoing struggles and resilience of Indigenous peoples. Lastly, I would encourage my friend to take this class not only for the significant and detailed information that is provided, but as well as the captivating stories that Dr. Beattie tells within her lectures. I would emphasize that Dr. Beattie should be their first choice in professor for this course, as not only is she incredibly knowledgeable with the content she teaches, but she has an extremely comforting classroom presence which allows you to feel safe when wanting to ask questions to become more educated on the topics surrounding Indigenous peoples. Overall, I would highly encourage my friend to take Indigenous Studies 201. Throughout this podcast, I have answered the numerous questions that are outlined within the course syllabus. As well, I have examined certain key concepts and theories and drew on relevant literature that we have explored throughout this course to support them. Overall, I want to say thank you for listening to my podcast as I outlined and explained the numerous ways in which my knowledge has been expanded throughout this class. I have learned an incredible amount and now look at the world in a different way as I am now able to consider Indigenous peoples' perspectives more insightfully. Thank you.