According to the Metis Elder, Tom McCallum, “The more we listen to other people’s views, the more our vision will open up and we will start to… be able to see from all perspectives and respect those perspectives. That is what creates our wholeness, to walk in balance and harmony, to respect other people’s way, their journey of life, their way of interpreting, to treat each other with much more kindness and respect. ” Each person has a different way of seeing the world, and this influences their ideas and choices.
It is essential for everyone to be aware and espectful of these differences, because understanding these world views can help us be more empathetic and kind to others. The Aboriginal Ways of Knowing are a common world view held by many indigenous people that show the connection and balance between important areas of life. These Ways of Knowing include the relationship between all things, the sacredness of the land, the value of family, the sense of nationhood that motivates indigenous people, the awareness of all things sacred, the truth conveyed through stories, and the importance of time.
The Aboriginal Ways of Knowing, in articular stories, family, and relationship, express a common perspective among indigenous peoples, as reflected in the text Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. Indigenous people believe in the importance of relationship, which is the idea that each action and every facet of life influences everything else. This is the idea that Gary Lipinski conveyed by saying that “No matter what your work activity you’re doing, you’re learning stuff and you’re learning skills for yourself. But who knows where you’ll use them later in life… t adds to your individual personal growth” (p. 92).
Every choice and experience impacts your life and the people around you, whether it is evident at the time or not. This concept is known as a holistic worldview, and it is visible in many areas of indigenous cultures. One common symbol of relationship is the medicine wheel, which is shown in chapter 12, “Family and Community Relationships”“. Medicine wheels feature spheres that represent different aspects of human life, such as family and nature, and show the interdependence of these aspects.
What happens in one sphere affects the other, and they must all agree to “live in a good way of life” (335). This idea of interdependence extends to all things including the land. They believe that humans are just one link of many, because every living being on the land works together in order to survive. Chapter 4 of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada discusses the strong connection that indigenous people have to the land. When they refer to the land they are talking about the physical, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual environments.
The land provides for people, but the people must also provide for the land by giving it honour/thanks and using the resources wisely. Indigenous ommunities revolve around families, with a special focus on members of the extended family. Chapter 12, “Family and Community Relationships,” begins by explaining how before European contact, indigenous societies were based on kinship ties, where the extended family played a large part in raising children and providing for the group. The responsibilities of each person in the community were assigned based on their place within the extended family.
Family dynamics changed after European contact, but still heavily relied on family members such as grandparents. Sylvia Maracle states that her randparents were her greatest influence when she was growing up, leaving her with skills such as good communication and the importance of listening. These lessons have helped her excel at her job of developing outreach and support for indigenous people living in cities. As discussed in chapter 13 of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, residential schools have caused a lasting negative impact on indigenous families.
Many survivors of residential schools were not properly equipped to become parents, leaving a legacy of neglect and abuse that often resulted in child welfare agencies becoming involved. These agencies focus focus on the indigenous belief in family when a child must be removed from their home. The first place they look to place a child is with members of the extended family, and if that isn’t a possibility they look to members of the same community so that the children can still be near their family.
Children are only removed from their communities and families as a last resort, because having a relationship with family members is very important to them. Without a close tie to family members, indigenous traditions, languages, and stories would be lost. Stories are very significant to indigenous people because they contain important history and knowledge. While traditional stories vary slightly based on the region, they tend to contain many of the same elements and ideas.
Stories can be used for many purposes, including to “educate, entertain, and pass on cultural traditions” (p. 38). Chapter 12 of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada uses the example of stories that involve characters such as Trickster and Raven. These stories were used to educate children about life skills and moral choices. Eden Robinson talks about how her father used a traditional teaching dea called “noosa” – taking someone to “the place where things happened and telling them stories” (p. 12).
This teaching gave her a stronger connection to the land and more knowledge about her territory through stories. Those who tell these stories are known as Elders or Wisdom Keepers, and they are entrusted with passing on these stories to younger generations through oral tradition. Chapter 2, “From Time Immemorial,” elaborates on the idea of storytellers. Each storyteller tells the stories with their own focus and style, and many First Nations people believe hat their stories cannot be transcribed from oral tradition because the meaning may be lost.
This belief, combined with the fact that countless young indigenous people do not speak their traditional language, has resulted in some of these ancient stories becoming at risk to be lost forever. The Aboriginal Ways of Knowing, in particular stories, family, and relationship, express a common perspective among indigenous peoples, as reflected in the text Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. The interconnectedness of all things, the importance of family, and the power of stories each showcase unique indigenous cultural eliefs.
While society is changing, there are still many ways for indigenous people to continue these beliefs. The rise of social media and technology provide a new outlet to preserve stories in modern society. Youth have taken to outlets such as Youtube to share their indigenous stories with the world. Young people can maintain a strong commitment to their family by spending time with them, particularly extended family. Child welfare services should continue working to keep children with members of their own family.
Traditional beliefs like relationship an be strengthened in young people through mentorship with local elders and community programs for those who live off reserve. If youth don’t continue to learn about their heritage, thousands of years of valuable knowledge and traditions would be lost. This knowledge of heritage plays a strong role in the cultural identity of indigenous people because it provides a sense of belonging to their community, and a connection to the people and struggles that have come before them. The Aboriginal Ways of Knowing give important insight into balancing life, and this is a lesson that everyone can learn from.
