Author: Marcus

interview-with-dr-gaertner

 

Global Indigenous Right Lecture

     Chief Littlechild

 

I did not know what to expect as I entered and engaged with the Global Indigenous Rights lecture by Chief Littlechild.  In a matter of fact, I did not know who Chief Littlechild was.  But my appreciation for Indigenous studies has increased tremendously after hearing all the work that not only needs to be done, but which has been done in the past by leaders at a community, national and international level.  It gave me a sense of hope and an empowerment to want to do my part to contribute and support however I can in a way that would be most beneficial to the communities.

The idea that Chief Littlechild brought up about how education is not only what dismantled and caused so much harm to countless Indigenous communities, but how education is also the key in mending these communities back to proper health.  The insight about education highlights the importance that UBC as an educational institution has in rebuilding these communities, whether it is through funding or a transfer and holding of knowledge.  In addition, this thought speaks to the importance of our role as students have in creating a positive change.  This is particularly important as Chief Littlechild speaks to how long it takes to create change within the international level.

I also appreciate how Chief Littlechild talks about the importance of children in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  The commission focuses on many aspects such as history of the school which the children were forced into, the missing tried (where 4300 were missing) and the school legacy.  Although it was very hard for Chielf Littlechild to hear so many stories from community members about their traumatic experiences, he says that it was not all bad and negative stories and that there is still good during those times.  This goes to show that there is always some light within the darkness and perhaps this is how we must further engage: in a critical but also hopeful manner.

I also think that Chief Littlechild touches upon some of the principles that I am interested in researching for my big ideas.  He explains how certain community representatives are simply looking for recognition, respect and justice for what has happened before.  I think that this recognition, respect and justice must come from us as non-Indigenous individuals living on the land and that we must take the time and effort to learn about what has happened to show that it is of value in our lives.

It is heartening to hear that the SDGs are being integrated not only in all countries, but there is also effort to integrate it within all types of communities.  That it is not only those who are privileged who are receiving the support from the UN, but Indigenous communities worldwide.  We shall see if they will stay true to their words, but it is our role as engaged citizens to help them stay accountable.  It was great to engaged in this dialogue and I hope to continue engaging in the near future.

At the beginning of the term, I thought that this FNIS topics were important to understand simply because it seemed to be something that the university valued.  Consequently, I decided to take the FNIS 100 to search for answers for the questions that arose.  However, I believe that I will be leaving the course with more questions than answers as I have come to realize that I do not know very much and having been ignorantly blissed. I have been blind to so many systems of oppression that I have been benefiting from my entire life which have and still do hurt so many communities.  It is through this course that I have begun not only to gain knowledge of the challenges that Indigenous communities are facing, but I have begun to value these issues.  I think that finding the value in something is much more important than any knowledge regarding the issue itself. We will not remember everything that we learn in a class nor will everything we learn be relevant. With this issue now being valued, it will continue to fuel my curiosity pertaining to FNIS topics and have allowed me to see the world through this lens wherever I embark in throughout life.  I feel that this is how social change is made and how we can make our world a little bit better.  Change occurs when the awareness for an issue touches the lives of more people in our world, and this comes from a coming together of disciplines and people of all backgrounds.  I feel the importance of sharing this knowledge with other people and to speak up when others are perpetuate systems of colonial oppression, whether intentionally or unintentionally.  I feel that it is a responsibility that I, as a non-Indigenous student, hold leaving this class and a responsibility to be critical about our world, ask questions and engage in these issues.

 

I have chosen two artifacts for the analysis: the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) as well as the presentation given by Chief Littlechild.  The presentation by Chief Littlechild was part of the Global Indigenous rights lecture series and the TRC was available online for public viewing. Both the speech and the TRC touch upon what reconciliation is, its principles and how one may embody it.  These two artifacts are related to my big idea as they both talk about the principles in creating healthy relationships between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples and principles in how non-Indigenous peoples can engage in these challenges in an ethical and most supportive way.

One aspect that is found in both the TRC and the presentation is the common theme of understanding and showing respect. They speak about a respect that is for all people and for those at all stages of their life.  The TRC shows this as there is a large focus on education and the welfare of children.  In addition, Chief Littlechild talks about how it was education that dismantled many Indigenous communities, yet education is the very same thing that will help to mend communities back together.

Furthermore, the understanding of the truth and the respect for the Indigenous peoples must be public.  This is stated within the third principle within the TRC as well as in Chief Littlechild’s presentation.  Chief Littlechild acknowledges how there are still many people who do not publically show a willingness to understand nor a respect Indigenous peoples.  The artifacts are important to believe in not only because of the credibility that the pieces have from its creators, but also because we as humans should seek to understand the truth within everyone’s lived experiences.  We all have realities and we must learn from them as this is the only way that we can build healthy relationships from those that were once destroyed.

The principle of being publically recognized for what has occurred in the past and the principle of respect shed light to how we should address not only the issues related to Indigenous populations, but all the issues of our world.  We must learn to accept and respect the differences in others while finding ways that we can support one another in such a world that is so interconnected.

Hello reader,

I wanted to share with you all a bit about myself within an interview I was asked to be part of earlier this year.  It was part of UBC’s Center for Teaching Learning and Technology project to envision of education may look like in 2050.  Enjoy the video (you can skip to time 4:30 for when I speak).

I wanted to share this piece because it shows two things I truly believe in.  The first is that I believe in the power of education.  Although we must allocate more attention to many areas for improvement of our education system, the idea of education itself is fascinating as it is really about sharing knowledge to all people and across time.  The second topic that the video interview touches upon is the idea of the co-production of knowledge. I value this because I believe that everyone should be included in the conversation and each person has something valuable to bring.

The idea of education and co-production of knowledge relate to my interest for the big idea in the sense that I want to understand how knowledge from diverse communities can be shared between each other.  It is the idea of integration, collaboration and perhaps solidarity.  I believe that the sum of the pieces are greater than the whole, but it takes facilitation and dialogue to help with engagement with other communities, and specifically Indigenous communities.  I hope to build these facilitation skill, an open-mindedness and a curiosity to continue learning and engage others in learning about our world as well.

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