Non-Indigenous people who are aware of the indigenous reconciliation issue but may sometimes be confused or reluctant about what they can actually do to take part, gathered at a recent meeting in Cochrane looking for advice on how to engage.
Dubbed ”Innovation of ReconciliACTION,” the panel discussion focused on the need to individually own reconciliation actions.
The event at Found Books & Shop was the latest in the Community Innovators Speakers Series, hosted by Nathan Klassen of Innovate Cochrane.
Anyone who’s attended a hockey game or been to a meeting over the past few years has heard a variety of land acknowledgements.
But some non-Indigenous folks may be looking for more suggestions on how they can personally take some specific action.
One of the themes expressed at the meeting was reluctance to speak up based on concern over offending someone from a different culture.
The speakers were Eric Mohun, a Senior Advisor on Indigenous and community relations; Wazin Îchinabi Ti (Oneness Centre) Board Chair Terrie Batycki; and Captain Amber Boyd of Rocky View Métis District.
Batycki is a Cree woman; Boyd is a Métis writer and artist.
Perhaps one of the most interesting suggestions from the Indigenous speakers was: if not sure of what to say, just say nothing.
Listening is much more important, as uncomfortable as it may be.
Mohun, who has made a career out of advising corporations and communities on Indigenous relations, said he felt privileged to have been given the opportunity to “peek behind the curtain” of so many different cultures across the country.
Mohun had the audience chuckling with him at a story he told of how he tried to greet two elderly Indigenous women using their native language, only to have them respond, “What?” before he tried a couple of other greetings in the tongues of other nearby First Nations, which garnered more blank stares and lack of recognition.
Bewildered, he finally asked them where they were from. They didn’t recognize his greetings because they were from Saskatchewan.
He said it’s no wonder some people feel a bit intimidated about learning about new cultures, given that there are some 650 different First Nations in Canada – and that doesn’t include Métis and Inuit, he said.
“If we were in this bookstore in the 60s or 70s, there would be maybe two books on Indigenous ways of knowing, probably in the New Age section,” he said.
Now, he said the entire Self Help sections of bookstores are really an Indigenous world view of how to live a better life, written by non-Indigenous people.
“It’s about how to be more communal, the ‘slow cooking’ concept . . . ecopsychology is a new term – coined to be outside in the woods, in nature . . . well, this is something that’s been taught (in Indigenous cultures) for ever and ever,” he said.
Mohun related a story of a presentation he gave to a group of oil and gas people about 20 years ago.
He said Western non-Indigenous global values are rooted in the individual, while Indigenous beliefs centre around the family or community.
“On the Western side it’s money. On (the Indigenous) side, it’s family and culture,” he said.
A non-Indigenous member of the energy industry in the crowd put his hand up to say he preferred the Indigenous world view.
“’That’s a much better place to live – how are we going to get there?’ he said.”
Mohun noted while some non-Indigenous societies may shun some of the perspectives of the Indigenous cultures as “the old way of doing things,” it’s actually becoming the new way of doing things.
Batycki echoed his comments, saying she couldn’t recall the exact quote from Sitting Bull, but he essentially said the same thing.
“He said the skies are going to get black and the waters are going to get smelly and dirty and he was saying we will come back to a time when we’re going to embrace the Indigenous ways of protecting Mother Earth,” she said.
Looking back to the old ways is the key to going forward, Batycki said.
“It is not until we are aware of the practices of the past can we change how we look at the action we take for the future,” she said.
It starts with reconciliation, she said, which will be different for everybody.
“It’s about embracing and trying to get to know Indigenous people.
The communication spiderweb
Batycki said it’s important to remember when trying to open lines of communication with other cultures is that silence is important. Resist the urge, she said, to fill all the quiet spaces with talk.
She used the analogy of a spiderweb to illustrate.
“In between the spiderweb there are all these spaces, and within those spaces the communication happens,” she said.
“So when we’re in a meeting and we’re talking with people and the conversation stops, there should be some silence because that communication is still happening within that silence.”
Klassen added to the analogy, saying the spaces actually create the spiderweb.
He said the broad topic of reconciliation could seem a bit overwhelming, but for this get-together at least, the focus was to try to home in on the role of the individual.
“What is it that each of us can do, right now, where we are today, what’s my commitment?” he said.
“It takes courage to put yourself out there.”
Protocols vary
Non-indigenous people may balk at trying to figure out what may or may not be appropriate behaviour when interacting with Indigenous groups, and that may be based on some false assumptions that are different for different First Nations.
Many people for example, think a gift of tobacco is a traditional thing, appropriate as a gift for Indigenous groups coming to visit a non-Indigenous group. It’s not a tradition for all First Nations, or for Métis.
The advice was simple: just ask first.
“Call the band office,” Boyd said.
Batycki said the Wazin Îchinabi Ti Centre would like to hear from Cochrane and the surrounding community right now, about what kinds of learning programs they would like to see at the centre.
Mohun said in terms of protocols, one of the challenges is since there are 650 First Nations, there may be as many as 650 distinct protocols to learn.
“But there’s not a more forgiving people than indigenous people, so if you screw up, they’ll slap your hand, then move on, because you’ve learned something, and you’re forgiven.”
Mohun said one action specific to the business community is summed up in Call to Action 92, from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which calls on businesses to “Commit to meaningful consultation, building respectful relationships, and obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before proceeding with economic development projects.”
Batycki said non-Indigenous people may need to remember that actual consultation is not always immediately attainable.
“They are not always ready to engage, they are on a healing journey, so you may reach out, and you may not get the response you want,” she said.
Boyd closed the meeting off with her list of specific action items, including things like: read a book by an Indigenous author, buy some Indigenous-made artwork, attend an art exhibit, take an Indigenous course at a college, learn what First Nations are in the community, hire an Indigenous person, go to a Pow Wow, visit Wazin Îchinabi Ti, learn a land acknowledgement . . . her list went on.
Mohun recommended Dancing with a Ghost by Rupert Ross as a good book to start with about Indigenous world views.
For more information on the Arts and Culture Week, go to wazinti.ca.
