What did you learn about Indigenous peoples?
During the reading this week I learned that Indigenous philosophies were established according to the rhythms of certain ecological contexts, and from a mixture of observation and interactions with nature. That is why different Indigenous communities in different regions of Canada including; the arctic, the subarctic, the plains, the plateau,
the northwest coast, and the northeast all have different political, social, and economic ideologies. Different communities developed in relation to the land and their processes are a reflection of the territorial rhythms.
What makes Indigenous peoples in these various regions of Canada similar and different from one another?
This week we learned about the similarities and differences between the different Indigenous communities that are living in different parts of Canada. These communities are similar in the fact that they stress living in harmony and balance with all of creation, rather than promoting economic competition and material wealth. The ethic of trying not to overexploit the environment was a standard that promoted economic process and ideologies based on respecting your surroundings, only take what you need and don’t waste anything. Communities were also similar in their political traditions. Most embraced a system that doesn’t include power relations like, hierarchical, authoritative, and coercive, and used a system of hereditary chiefs. They govern their own personal affairs and did not have the right to govern others. Also, kinship acted as the basis of political philosophies which emphasized shared responsibility for all of creation. The differences are mainly because of the different terrains that Indigenous peoples live on. Because of the different climates, different communities developed different resource management schemes. Some had to migrate regularly to secure enough resources, while in other places resources were abundant and they were able to have permanent villages. In terms of politics, some had a big emphasis on political autonomy and were independent while others relied on more traditional leadership organizations.
What Indigenous knowledges are you picking up from having completed this reading and these discussions? Identify at least 3 examples.
Some of the Indigenous knowledges I have picked up from completing this reading would be living in harmony with all of creation, the importance of kinship, and leading by an absence of power relations. It is admirable how Indigenous peoples can recognize and respect the importance of living in balance with creation. They don’t overconsume, taking only what they need in order to respect the land. This is a refreshing idea compared to the greedy world we live in. I think this ties into the importance they place on kinship, as it emphasizes that everybody has a responsibility for all of creation. Lastly,
most Indigenous political traditions embraced a system that did not rely on hierarchical, authoritative, or coercive leadership. They didn’t rely on wealth for people to follow their lead or gain respect, they led by example.
