In the book, Original Instructions – Part One; Chief Lyons discusses “what happens to you and what happens to the earth happens to us as well,” (Nelson, 2008) referencing to the unethical practice and/or protection of Mother Nature. Chief Lyons emphasized that as Indigenous people, we must take a stand and advocate against atrocities occurring to Mother Nature by influencing the stakeholders and powerful leaders who have the ultimate responsibility to make a difference and who are influential to their followers. Our Indigenous ancestors have survived through unfortunate unethical treatment from the government that has impacted us through historical trauma; nonetheless our ancestors and indigenous people today have survived and conquered because …show more content…
40) The Okanagan people live by their code of ethics to collectively collaborate and make decisions on a consensus basis to make a positive decision for all people—elders, mothers, fathers and youth. They also practice conflict resolution known as the traditional “En’owkinwiwx” process which provides a powerful experience to the conscious mind and helps (or persuades) individual to listen and follow through with changes. This would be a powerful tool to utilize in the efforts of changing the mindset of individuals to be more conscious and protective of our natural environment and respecting our Mother Earth. Moreover, the ancestors’ connection to the land and nature resulted in knowledge development of the stories of origin and became the natural teachings that have formed the education system in emanating the sacred teachings of land …show more content…
Our ancestors’ Indigenous Knowledge (IK) which is a “relationship of balance and harmony with local environment,” (Nelson, 2008 pg. 45) has been the basis of future technology and/or development related to the powerful knowledge of sustenance, survival, and uses of foods and plants for medicinal use. Priscilla Settee “explored the work of Pam Colorado, Oscar Kawagley, Greg Cajete, David Bohm and others who considered Indigenous Peoples knowledge as scientific and knowledge that was modern science borrows from.” I found this extremely remarkable and inspiring to know that the immense wealth of knowledge and innovative ways of thinking our ancestors possessed is currently being utilized by researchers and others. I also felt devastated to learn that IK has been affected by bio-piracy because the use of “synthetic drugs and quinine and aspirin derived from IK…and is one of the principle sources for identifying new molecules and genes in the rapidly growing pharmaceutical and genetic engineering industries.” (Nelson 2008, pg 30) It seems as though IK has never been given credit or acknowledged just like the real history of indigenous people is disregarded in educational systems history classes and oppressors are personified as heroes, a great example of forced
Within Aldo Leopold’s novel, A Sand County Almanac, the concept of trophic cascade is brought forth with his idealistic mindset for “a land ethic”. To Leopold, the land ethic “changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow-members and also respect for the community as such” (Leopold 871). Utilizing this mindset, the actions, consequences, and events from Timothy Treadwell’s life depicted in the documentary Grizzly Man have an understanding and purpose for why they transpire the way they do.
The Muscogee Nation, also know as the Creek, have taken initiatives to sustain indigenous food sovereignty within their community. First, it is important to understand the difference between food sovereignty and indigenous food sovereignty. Food sovereignty is the right to define one’s own food system and the ability to control production of food. Indigenous food sovereignty is similar, but has key major differences like the focus on culture, identity, and place. Another difference is that the food system is not just a right, but a responsibility for the community to sustain their relationship with nature.
Throughout the book we are given an interesting look into the role that the Native Americans played in the environment. Before the colonist arrived, the Native Americans lived a life of traveling from place to place depending on the season. They had a system of land ownership that was fluid and varied depending on the environment and on their source of food for that season. This was a stark contrast from the colonization strategies of the new settlers that we have seen. As the colonists continued their development of the environment the traditions that the Native Americans lived by began to deteriorate.
The Oka Crisis of 1990 was seventy eight day standoff initiated by Mohawk protestors against the municipality of Oka, Quebec regarding the expansion of a private golf course and the construction of sixty luxury condominiums that protesters felt would encroach on sacred burial grounds known as the Pines. Beginning with peaceful resistance, tensions quickly escalated as the provincial police were called to tame the situation. Further deteriorating relations prompted the request of the Royal Canadian Armed Forces releasing army troops against Canadian Mohawk citizens. The destabilizing events of July 11 to September 26, 1990 became a focal point of national interest as land negotiations began to break down between opposing sides. By the end,
American Indian’s believe that we should put our planet and the living things that are on it at just as high or nearly as high as ourselves. Most of the ethical theories we study today put humans and their needs above everything. We care more about making money than anything else and do it in a way that kills living things, takes away their ecosystems, and pollutes the earth with bad fumes and trash. American Indian ’s believe that all things have moral status and should be respected.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders cultural beliefs and practices vary depending on region. They live a hunter/gather lifestyle. The land and environment they live in is fundamental to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The land is not just simply soil, rocks and minerals, but rather an entire area that manages and is maintained by individuals and culture.
Eighty-one percent of respondents indicated that they would be interested in learning more about traditional Native healing.” (Zubek 1925). Of course, one might argue that this survey was made in 1994 and that our culture and the scientific world is
“To Indians tribe means family, not just bloodlines but extended family, clan, community, ceremonial exchanges with nature, and an animate regard for all creation as sensible and powerful” (Lincoln 1983:8). The author understands the loss of the Ojibwa’s strength who is continuously victimized to physical and spiritual loss. Fleur Pillager and Nanapush lose their land due to her inability to pay taxes. Both acts make the Native Americans leave their traditional hunting and gathering practices. It is a reason for the loss of traditional ways of life.
In the early 1960’s, the original state of the American environmental justice movement can be traced back to the emergence of the American Civil Rights movement. Prior to the concerned environmentalism with humanity’s adverse impact upon the environment, but there are arguments that are primarily concerned with the impact of an unhealthy environment that forcefully pushes upon a collective body of life, entailing both human and non-human existence, including in some instances plant life. I found the Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice more interestingly and I chose to write about that.
Indigenous people were self-governing long before Europeans arrived in Canada but in 1876, the Indian Act came into effect, dismantling traditional governance systems and Indigenous peoples ' lives (Bc Treaty Commission). Today, the Federal government recognizes that Indigenous people have an inherent, constitutionally protected right to self-government, a right to manage their own affairs (Bc Treaty Commission). Self-government agreements are one means of building sound governance and institutional capacity that allow Aboriginal communities to contribute to, and participate in, the decisions that affect their lives and carry out effective relationships with other governments (Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada). Thus, this essay explains
Alienating and Suppressing the Wild Thomas King’s A Short History of Indians in Canada introduces the effects of colonialism and bias established on indigenous peoples’ reputation through satire. King’s play on major metaphors and animal depiction of indigenous people paints an image of an abhorrent and gruesome history. Through moments of humour, King makes references to racial profiling, stereotypes and mistreatment as historically true. Thomas King utilizes industrialization versus the natural world to incorporate the effects of colonialism and how representing indigenous people as birds made them the spectacle of the civilized world. The colonizer dominance and power imbalance is evident and demonstrated often in the short story through
The Oglala Lakota Indians felt their rights and values from government treaties were not being abided by, and they believed their condition could be positively altered. While there were many shoot-outs during this incident, it all came to an end after the second death of an Oglala Lakota tribe member. The lack of human rights and government support lead to the violent reaction of some Oglala Lakota members, a great example of how a social problem can lead to violence. The conflict perspective views violence as a tool to enhance or protect one’s own interest.
In his oration to Governor Isaac I. Stevens Chief Seattle, a Native American leader addresses the governor's request to buy Indian lands and create reservations. Through his oration Seattle boldly presents his stance on the issue of Indian lands, representing his people as a whole. On account for his native people Chief Seattle's stands up for their land through the use of imagery, parallels, and rhetorical questions. Chief Seattle communicates his purpose by using bold imagery that directs the audience to the cause that Seattle is speaking of. He uses metaphors and similes comparing aspects of nature to the issue at hand.
Prince Ea’s video titled “Dear Future Generations: Sorry” portrays the possible future faced by future generations if people don’t take responsibility for environmental issues that mankind has caused. Humankind must apologize for leaving the Earth an eyesore for the generations to come because they gave themselves reasons to not act. The descendents of the people of today will be forced to live without tree, for the reason that people of today didn’t realize how extraordinary the Earth was. Trees did a great deal such as, provide oxygen, fight against human ailments and contamination, but they were cut down so humans could obtain money. Unlike the Native Americans who took care of the planet for their children’s children, humans now aren’t thinking about
I particularly agreed with the authors’ argument about blending cultural and academic knowledge (McKinley & Brayboy, 2005, p. 435). I think it is institution’s responsibility to respect their cultural knowledge but also provide appropriate academic knowledge, relative to Indigenous students to be able to actively engage in reciprocal learning with their cultural knowledge, which, then, adds value to their survivance practice. I find that this piece opened up a new way of looking at the challenges which Indigenous students encounter and the ways to move forward with the situation through changing the perception of education not only from Indigenous students, but also from the perspectives of non-Aboriginal members in institutions by providing a way to