We Are All Connected
Emily Robinson Leclair, Community Learning Network
“We are all connected”
Authors: Lori St.Cyr and Emily Robinson Leclair
Most of us have heard this phrase, and some of us have used it, but what does it mean? In Indigenous culture the meaning of kinship extends far beyond “relationship between family” to include friends, community and nature.
Kinship systems are as complex and diverse as the people and communities who practice them. Encompassing societal values and spiritual beliefs within a land-based framework, kinship systems help to maintain traditional ways of life, assure the care of and responsibility for the elderly and young, and determine the sharing of work and the distribution of food. In essence, kinship ensures the clan’s survival. https://www.learnalberta.ca/content/aswt/
This prompts the question "how can Community Adult Learning Programs include kinship to create safe and welcoming spaces for learning?"
Invite kin. Find opportunities to include whole families. Include extended families and communities in learning opportunities.
Offer cultural teachings. Proud Tłı̨chǫ Dene and author, Richard Van Camp, explains that while he had the “best childhood, the best teen years,” he needed the Elders in his community. “They could see right away that I was a really hollow Indigenous person culturally and that I was searching."
Tell stories. Storytelling has been used by First Nations since time immemorial. Stories are used to teach language, culture, knowledge, values and worldview. CALP’s own Elder Lucille Provost wrote “How The Earth Was Created: A Piikani Blackfoot Creation Story.” Her book is based on various Blackfoot Creation stories.
Incorporate land-based learning opportunities. Author of ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ Robin Wall Kimmerer states, “The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness.”
Use traditional languages. Our neighbor to the north, the NWT Literacy Council, supports literacy development in all the official languages of the NWT. They have these suggestions:
- Develop Indigenous language books and resources.
- Use storytelling in your program and community.
- Create fun games in your language and teach them to families.
- Use your Indigenous language on the radio and in public places.
- Create posters with positive messages about speaking your Indigenous language.
- Set up a language committee that promotes culture and language in your community.
- Make a plan for maintaining and/or revitalizing your Indigenous language.
- Encourage parents to speak their language in the family.
“All My Relations”
“All my relations” is another way to express this worldview. It means that everything in the universe is connected.
“All my relations” is at first a reminder of who we are and of our relationship with both our family and our relatives. It also reminds us of the extended relationship we share with all human beings. But the relationships that Native people see go further, the web of kinship to animals, to the birds, to the fish, to the plants, to all the animate and inanimate forms that can be seen or imagined. More than that, “all my relations” is an encouragement for us to accept the responsibilities we have within the universal family by living our lives in a harmonious and moral manner (a common admonishment is to say of someone that they act as if they had no relations)." Thomas King, All My Relations
More than phrases, “we are all connected” and “all my relations” are important to think about when planning for learning and engaging with Indigenous learners. As we prepare for the upcoming National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we must acknowledge the intergenerational harm caused by Indian Residential Schools. We must also consider the ongoing impact of this harm on traditional kinship in Indigenous families and communities. "If I was caught waving at my sister there would be punishment for it." (Chief Robert Joseph)
On September 26, the CALP community will gather for a time of remembrance, reflection and learning. CLN invites you to join us for the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation event. To find out more, and to register, visit: https://calp.ca/events/national-day-for-truth-amp-reconciliation-2024-2024-09-26.htm
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