This is such an excellent example of a blog with GREAT hyperlinks!

For all you Educators out there – this is an excellent read: The First Peoples Principles of Learning: An Opportunity for Settler Teacher Self-Inquiry‘ by Kelly Hanson

Moodie’s Awareness of Her Stories

I think Moodie’s introduction demonstrates some limited awareness of the stories she carries with her in terms of her expectations of Canada and the opposing reality. She shows some understanding of how her story of a new Promised Land led her to believe this experience would be idyllic and how shocked she was to find her new life so challenging. I do not think, however, that this experience dispelled her story of a promised land and a gift from God, but merely adjusted it from gift to duty. Instead of this gift from God being given easily and perfectly (as perhaps expected based on the advertisements about Canada), through the toils of settler life she seems to learn that God has granted her and the other worthy ones a chance to fulfill a challenging duty – a sort of sacrifice – in the effort to build the new Eden for themselves.

In other ways I do not think Moodie was aware of her stories, as I think many people are not aware of the stories they carry with them that influence their actions. Her description of how empty this land is and how inaccessible common necessities are, reads as surprise. She does not not appear to be aware of her own stories or expectations of this land as a terra nullius and how these may shape how she perceives this new experience. In addition, I don’t see Moodie as a master-manipulator trying to write Indigenous people out of her history book on purpose. So much of her writing seems observational and biased, based on her own story baggage, but not overly calculated or self-aware.”

Before reading the following excerpt, I would like you to take a moment and think about how you would write a story about ‘homelessness’ – if I were ask.

There are all kinds of homes, and all kinds of homelessness – but like your stories of home we could find commonalities. What can you imagine would be the common feelings about homelessness? Or  “being homeless”, as different from our common experiences of “being at home”.

REFLECTIONS ON YOUR MANY STORIES OF HOME

“Finally, I thought about privilege as I wrote and read. I think our posts about home indicate some privilege within our class. The joyful and seemingly peaceful reflections on the idea of home are a privilege, as are easeful family relationships. Having a safe childhood home to reflect back on is an indicator of privilege. You could say there is also privilege simply in feeling like you belong somewhere.”