Describe how King uses the cyclical paradigm of the Medicine Wheel (and a little help from Coyote) to teach us to understand, or at least to try to understand the power behind the stories we tell ourselves.
The Medicine Wheel represents connection and reconnection, it’s cyclical paradigm aims to teach it’s viewer about the inter-connectivity of life and the balance and harmony that the symbol of a circle brings. King uses the Medicine Wheel to demonstrate the the power of a story by showing the reader that they must be a willing participant. King is showing that stories offer connections, and that it is important for the understanding of the reader, that they must watch for the symbols and references within stories. I think King is trying to convey that stories offer an opportunity to gain understanding, moreover that stories can work as lessons in the art of story making. Stories are formed through various events and understandings, but King is explaining that stories are transformative. Much like the Medicine Wheel, stories can change, and they are not stagnant on a line, but rather work in a cyclical motion, always connecting themselves to their beginnings. I really enjoyed this idea of connecting and reconnecting, and the way in which King uses symbols to bring the reader back. I think that it is a common ideology within the First Nations peoples that the world is inter-connected, that there are cause and effects, and that in oder to live in balance, one must understand the importance of relationships. I think that the idea of the Medicine Wheel has taught me more about inter-connectivity and that ways in which we overthink when listening to stories. I have learned to understand stories how they are being told, rather than using similar stories and influence to my understanding. I believe what King has done is demonstrated to his readers that the Medicine Wheel can be used as a symbol of our own life stories, and that the linkage of life shows that in order to live harmoniously we must respect all that is interwoven.
I found it really interesting that the teachings of the Medicine Wheel are still used in todays classrooms, and I think that it is an important symbol to be teaching to not only our aboriginal students, but all our students in Canada. I personally think that many classrooms would benefit from the teachings. “Moving from linear models to the interconnectedness of the circle can guide the development of pedagogy and vision for the future” (Teaching by the Medicine Wheel).
The Medicine Wheel
Works Cited:
“Native American Medicine Wheel.” Medicinewheel.com. Discover Native American Spirituality, Healing and Travel, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
“Teaching by the Medicine Wheel | Canadian Education Association (CEA).” Canadian Education Association (CEA). Education Canada, June 2014. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.