My reflect podcast for Indigenous 303 2.0

The podcast host discusses her experience in the Indigenous 303 class and highlights key concepts such as the importance of community and culture in Indigenous knowledge, the four R's (Reprocessing Respect, Relationship, and Responsibility), and the three main sources of knowledge. She also talks about the challenges and questions she had regarding indigeneity and the differences between Western and Indigenous ways of thinking. She concludes by discussing the impact of the class on her personal understanding and her role as an educator in promoting Indigenous culture and language. Welcome to my podcast. I'm your host, Raelene Mitz, where I will be raising and answering questions about Indigenous 303. I will be sharing with you my insights on what I have gained from taking Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being. But before I jump in to share with you about this amazing class, I just have to say that listening to this episode may leave you wanting to take this class too. Okay, you've been warned. Before I get into the questions, I just want to make an early statement about overall the response to this class and the information that I have learned. From day one, the four R's being Reprocessive Respect, Relationship, and Responsibility, they are really at heart and important of Indigenous culture. I, too, touch on this throughout my podcast, and today I am going to be talking about the six areas that really identify my journey within this class. Okay, well, with that, let's get into it. So, first question is, what was the most interesting thing I have learned in Indigenous 303 and why? First, I noticed that Indigenous knowledge is not one way of applying or thinking, and it is not about the I in their society at all. It's about community and culture, as they value the we versus the I in Western society. Yes, each individual is their own person still, but it is not in the same context as Western settlers' thinking. Indigenous identity is core and is rooted in all relations and values of the four R's. These key concepts are brought forward through making ethical space that elders and knowledge keepers use through methods of oral sharing, protecting, guiding, and teaching. Now, I know that this might be small to most, but for myself, the most interesting and intentful idea I have learned is how important the we is in Indigenous culture, as our knowledge is not one way of thinking but is fluid and diverse. Indigenous ways of knowing and being come together in holding their core identity through their community. Their knowledge is unfolding in all directions, and the values of experiences are done through ceremonies, learning, and sharing. These are connected to the three main sources of knowledge being traditional knowledge, ethical knowledge, and revealed knowledge. These help set the understanding of seeing how important experiences are through learning and understanding the impacts of asking questions and seeing the limits that have been placed on them. For me, asking questions was huge. This class was an eye-opening experience. The professor was so honest with her answers based off her experience within. Number two, what issues or concepts resonated with myself? The concepts that grabbed my attention are the teachings and the actions of how Indigenous values bring forth understanding of who and what they stand for and what has been lost. The article, Mayo-Pewatsin Developing Indigenous Cultural Response Theory, or ICRT, also makes light of this with the areas of what has been lost and the realities. We talk about a number of things of how to support and also highlight the factors of past traumas being residential schools and how they are moving in relationship now. But we also talk about the factors of how Western society has a role to help in restoring Indigenous identity and aid in bringing healing by providing pathways for Indigenous narratives and customs to be offered in areas of healthcare and education and justice and family and child-related issues and systems. It all comes back to one experience as foremost Indigenous knowledge is personal and is based on holistic methods that allows for community and traditions to be acted on and passed from class. I've had more of an understanding and awareness now as key stories and issues have been talked about in class with guest speakers and readings that have given me my own experience within a Western settled background. Now, I know that I am not experiencing it in the same context, but it does allow me to have a greater insight than what I've had previously and I really do appreciate that for this class. But the reality I have now allows me to help aid in restoring Indigenous culture and bringing in Indigenous language in my role as an educator in early learning and childcare field. The statement from Indigenous holistic theory knowledge set of practice. Indigenous knowledge is a way of life for Indigenous helpers to continue in developing their knowledge and understanding into practices. It must be provided with opportunities to learn. I believe that this also for myself is really critical as it's both ways that I can listen and hear them and I can help aid in families. I believe that I can support Indigenous families and communities without pushing my own needs or agendas on them, but I can listen to their values and understand that it's not about the I and self to gain, but it is for the we and the community to foster all relations. As I move through this class, my knowledge about the four R's developed and grew. Each has impacted the way I think about and understand Indigenous teaching and culture. The understanding that each R plays a role in keeping balance, unity within Indigenous culture is key as they all are tied to one another. The first R is respect and is applied to all aspects of life, being with the land, with humans, spirits, animals, ancestors, and you have to listen to it, to them, to everything around. That's what I've kind of grabbed on during class. And responsibility is axed on through listening and teaching and healing and sharing with honesty, which Little Bear talks about as well within a jagged worldview. Indigenous identity is rooted in relations and is personal and integral. That is something that with my own personal experience, I never really heard that much. And I love that that narrative in my mind has now completely changed. And I can also redirect. I didn't hear much about that until I took this class. And I think as I continue in my learning during Indigenous culture, I'll learn more. It is focused on the reflecting and upholding wisdom and heart knowledge. Next is ruprosity. In Indigenous culture, it is more than giving take, as it holds an understanding that everything is a gift and being thankful through actions allows for ongoing growth and renewal to happen. This knowledge is acted on with heart intentions and within Indigenous culture. Little Bear highlights this issue of how each culture has challenges, and their worldview is often not viewed the same. Indigenous ways of knowing and being value this, as they know that to keep their identity and culture balanced, the community has to teach these methods through sharing. This is done through oral teaching and having elders teach children the four R's through experiences and connecting with the creator. An example of this is from the article titled Brain Science Behind Cree Teaching of Early Childhood and Attachment. The teachings show the value of exploring the world, learning through experiences, but also respecting boundaries and showing kindness and charities to others. Again, this is taken from the article of Brain Science of Science Behind Cree Teachings and Early Learning. The main purpose behind these teachings is to help children from a young age learn through roles and engaging in experiences. These teachings display the impact of responsibility, independence, respect, understanding the values of relationships, and being able to learn skills to allow children to gain insight for them to take their place in community. I think that's just beautiful. Three, were there any questions or challenges that arose for you regarding indigeneity? Why or why not? The main challenge I faced at first was how highly dynamic indigeneity is. My goodness, it is very dynamic. It is super amazing now to know how diverse it is. But it was overwhelming at first when I first learned about it and I was first reading it. I was like, what do you mean? There's all these aspects. But I'll explain it. Indigeneity is fluid, meaning that it's continually being looked at, added to, becoming more. And as a Westerner, as I said, oftentimes it's the past, present, and future mindset. We often don't value the mind, body, or emotions, spirit, and relationships to culture as we are an eye-driving society that looks at what sells, drives, brings, and modern science to back up our decisions. And that is also connected with quite a few readings along with my professor's PowerPoint. It is also connected with mind, body, emotion, and spirit, reaching to ancestors for healing. Moving on from that article, we keep our beliefs out front, but also hidden at the same time. And that is for a Westerner, right? We are very much like, here's your face, but also we'll keep some of it in the back. The understanding that everything is connected to community and group identity was a challenge for me at first, as my culture is so independent and more of one valuing based on what education you have. Are you a doctor? Are you a nurse? It's so horrible to say it, but that's really what a lot of the time is, how important are you? And can you help me or can you not? Then I'll move on. Or I'll become your friend. But an indigenous culture, or a Disney, is on the continuum of focusing on bringing out their culture through addressing and valuing the mind, body, emotion, and spirit, and having an awareness and respect. An example of this is from the article titled Brain Science Behind Cree Teaching. Teaching of early childhood is also pointed out that entering indigenous concepts of relationship is different, with the idea being that you are the relationship. As your connections with others both reflect who you are and shape who you are. In other words, there is a focus on the interconnectionist, and again, it's all about who you're with around you, and that helps sew into their indigenous identity of customs and traditions, because they're learning through it. So, as Little Bear highlights, the customs and values are made by group members, and communities have values that are shared through elders and the knowledge keepers who promote honesty, which is looked at as a strength. In a video shared in class, Indigenous Knowledge and Public Lecture series by William Irwin talks on ethical space and indigenous axiology, highlighting traditional knowledge with encounters allowing for reactions. Individuals all are subject to growth, and application of learning and respects follows. Ethical space needs to be acknowledged, and it comes back to relations with all things. I learned that ceremonies are a large part of indigeneity, and allowing for growth in individuals and the we in community. Healing and healings to happen. Freeing smoke lodges and burning tobacco, which allows for cleansing of the mind and knowledge to begin. How has this course developed your understanding of indigenous perspective in ways that will be helpful to you in your life and chosen profession? For me, understanding that indigenous values are part of their identity, culture, and way of life really resonates with me, and my pursuit of public policy and education. The reason being is that having this awareness allows me to make space and having better insights on roads in my future position when developing policies around early learning and child care sector in relations to public policy. In documenting indigenous holistic theory, knowledge, set of practices by states, bringing forth what is often missing with our reactions between supporting indigenous culture and identity is workers needing to be aware of indigenous people's context within indigenous context is where capability is developed. I cannot stress this enough. I have been an outsider, and I am so happy that I am in that position, that I can be educated, and I can help hopefully change things. And again, this class has given me a better insight of what is valued in indigenous culture and how I can be more sensitive with asking questions. This will help me in my approach when understanding and acknowledging indigenous culture topics. For example, what can and should not be asked of elders as not to make offenses that may lead to more hurt and no healing. We are studying that key terms, and when I say this, it is because western society likes to label everything. For example, let's take this form of 2IC approach from developing indigenous culture responsibility theory. It means to see from one eye with the strength of indigenous knowledge and the ways of knowing, and from one other eye with the strength of western knowledge and the ways of knowing, and to use both of these eyes together. Having this perspective and knowledge allows me to recognize and have recognition of these rules that the 4Rs have in making sustainable and supportive networks in government and local communities in overall need when wanting to approach and assist change in old public policies. For myself to be able to thrive through supporting reconciliation is not a one day and done. Rather, reconciliation is a continuing action. Right now in my education, I aim to use this class as my beginning to learn more about indigenous knowledge and the culture, being able to apply it to my heart and act on with the 4Rs. Five, how has this course developed your understanding of indigenous ways of knowing and being and the current social and political indigenous and settlers relationship? This course has given me a greater perspective on how worldview impacts my relations with others as each of us have walked and been or seen areas of wrongful judgment that later we see the repercussions of and the wrongs done. The main challenges I have faced with this class is with regards to settler relations of the western society. It is the eye driven, leaving behind broken culture and people from both sides of indigenous and settlers relations, leading us to today's current society. Little Bear states it best when he says, it is this clash of worldviews that is at the heart of many current difficulties with effects, means of social control and post-colonial North America. These barriers and challenges that have been placed on indigenous are not hidden. They are seen in all areas of society being social status, health, education, child and family, and justice. The actions of the past are felt and fallen on our society now. With findings and knowing more of the pain we continue to cause indigenous people, the loss of indigenous language is just one of the many areas that needs to be repaired and supported in bringing their culture back to communities. This is from mind, body, emotions, and spirits reaching the ancestors. Coming from Little Bear, this aspect of language holds ways that the society is partly shaped and acts on. Ethical space is being made and established more as we have more resources available with ears who want to hear and help heal. Bringing forward using two eyes themes, ethical space and government and healthcare systems is now seeing the values of traditions and family which are coming back, allowing indigeneity to be learned and applied to our society, bringing hope of the eye in western day society to see how impactful the we is and why indigenous culture knows it to be all transforming. Traditional understanding of healing applies more than an understanding of holistic health. It flows from knowledge of interrelatedness of everything and this is from wise practices and integrated traditions of teaching with mainstream treatments and approaches. It's a concept of indigenous ways of knowing and being with the knowledge that is core regarding relationship. I touched on two eyes theme earlier but it uses both indigenous and western strengths of learning from them for the benefit of all. Coming from developing indigenous cultural responsive theory, two eyes theme allows for making concise decisions to activate whichever lens is more appropriate to use or harmonize of both. This is from developing indigenous cultural response theory. The western lens are seen and understanding is often a source with what can I instead of we see or support. Two eyes theme in indigenous knowledge is understanding the ways of working within a western society policies and politics, pursuing and moving forward with their identity through knowing there is division. Understanding now I can't change the past in any way but I can change my actions going forward with writing and supporting diversity in my conversations and with my future goal of working in policy and procedures. My aim is not to repeat bad history and eugenics actions but instead bring in my critical thinking and analysis with the interactions I make with others around me and with the choices we make together. Reconciliation allows for space and support on both sides in moving, bringing balance, relations together and valuing what should have been from the beginning. Through reading class discussions and topics covered, this has helped me shape my understanding of what was once a watered down perception of what are indigenous issues and what are not. The fact of the matter is each issue in settlers and indigenous politics standpoint is an indigenous issue that needs to be re-addressed in many forms. The political correction that is moving towards reconciliation is happening through government agenda at a slow rate. More importantly the narrative of what was lost is not anymore and the process of being restored and valued of indigenous identity is the narrative. This brings me to six. What advice would you give a friend planning to take indigenous 303? To be completely honest, to be open and ready to seek and ask questions in class. Having a willingness to do so outside with others and yourself. This class is not just a class where you hear the information but you gain a heart worth of information through and applying it. If you are planning to go into education, policy making, healthcare, social work, law or anything with people and relations, it will provide you with more resources and perspectives that will help you navigate the difficulties when working with all walks of life and cultures with different world views. Not knowing the answer is a good as indigenous knowledge is experiential and oral. Taking a step out of your comfort zone allows for your unknown to become known and education is all about asking and applying the unknown to become known and the values within them to be seen. And with that, that brings me to the end.