Contemporary Communications Theories: Final Paper

                                                           

In my final paper, I primarily apply the Sapir- Whorf  Hypothesis, Stuart Hall - Encoding and Decoding model, along with terms from chapter nine, Mediated Culture(s) and relate them to Aboriginal languages in addition to how First Nations view themselves and how society views them.  My thesis statement asserts that the legislative protection of Aboriginal languages will benefit all Canadians; for First Nations it will foster self-confidence and a sense of pride improving overall health. For non-aboriginals it will enrich the country by providing a more balanced perspective of history told from First Nations about their contributions.  

Canada was founded on relations between First Nations and Europeans. At first, non verbal communication was crucial in the Fur Trade and Treaty process, respect was shown through kinesics - gestures, movements, and facial expressions (Warren, Fassett, 2011: 113). Learning each others language's was also a sign of respect and commitment to positive relations, and bridged the gap of misunderstandings. Today, First Nations people are struggling to recover their languages.

The Sapir -Whorf Hypothesis (Warren, Fassett, 2011: 91-94) states that language influences the way that we see the world. Because Sapir and Whorf studied languages across the world, they were able to determine that language had a significant role in shaping people's understanding of their experiences. In the textbook there is an example about 'illegal aliens'; the language suggests that they are not like us and should be punished. When I talk to people where ever I might be about university and goals, I am encouraged to pursue them based the term 'free education' supported by the 'taxpayers' which creates a general idea that I have unlimited access to education and programs at the 'taxpayer's' expense.  The word 'free' and 'taxpayer' create a sense of ownership to the general public that they are paying for Aboriginal education which is free to Aboriginals, but not to them. This attitude breeds discrimination and hate, but this paper is not to counter that argument.

Together, Sapir-Whorf  hypothesized that our language shapes our reality. This is the central claim of the their hypothesis. In the example of the conflict over the term 'gay marriage' as used by Audrey, as opposed to the 'marriage equality' term used by Denny, Audrey's vocabulary is shaped by the texts she has encountered, media she has consumed and interactions she had had. Denny's reality is more complex shaped by his experiences - many which are negative. This is why he uses the term 'marriage equality' as opposed to 'gay marriage'.  Audrey is unknowingly using offensive language when trying to communicate to Denny, much like people I communicate with about education, use terms offensive to me. Toni Morrison states that: Oppressive language does more than represent violence, it is violence and further help readers to understand what the Sapir- Whorf hypothesis means.

Language is a source of building self-esteem. English is a ‘white’ language, and it builds the self-esteem of white people part of that cultural location - in other words, they are of a privileged culture (Warren, Fassett, 2011: 8).  In the book by Terrance Nelson, Okiijida, The Warrior Society (1997), the importance of language is explained.  "There is an invisible enemy in your mind, an invisible enemy who teaches you to hate yourself because you speak the English language. If you speak English you have a racist mind that is racist against yourself. Let me prove this by taking the following color association test. Thinking in only colors of white, red, and black, associate one of those colors to the following words: purity, God, Devil, evil, Jesus, knight, hate, rapist, angel, sin, love, good, wedding, menace, heaven, funeral, depression, hell, death, despair. For most people, the negative words will be paired with either black or red. The positive with white. This is because English is a white man's language and all languages promote a positive self image for the people who originated the language. When you lose your language and are forced to use English you are losing a big source of positive self image. History is written by the winners, or in Canada's case, the colonizers.

 First Nations contributions are distorted; for history to be balanced it must include a First Nations perspective; the problem is that a lot get lost in interpretation.  If protection for Aboriginal languages is not taken and recognized, then Canadians cannot consider other perspectives and we miss the big picture - this is defined as social construction. The terms determinism - our language tells us what to think, and linguistic relatism - people who speak different languages will see the world differently, support this claim (Warren, Fassett, 2011).  

            The Vietnamese have a word to show  respect for your elders In their language - Lao. It is arguable they respect their elders more than other societies because they have a word for it. Even in the English language,  Professors, doctors, lawyers  all have a highly detailed vocabulary.  In a very multicultural society with large gaps in socioeconomic conditions, miscommunications can happen  because a difference of perception. People may live in different parts of town, come from an overseas country and decode messages differently.  

According to the Stuart Hall's Encoding and Decoding model, the producer (encoder) framed (or encoded) meaning in a certain way, while the reader (decoder) decodes it differently according to his/her personal background, the various different social situations and frames of interpretation. Hall suggests a four stage theory of communication: production, circulation, use, and reproduction. This means that the coding of a message does control its reception and each stage has its own determining limits and responsibilities.  Therefore messages can be decoded from three perspective's, the dominant, the negotiated, and oppositional. The different reading is defined as polysemy - multiple readings from the same text.

The dominant perspective serves the powerful larger society; negotiated is one that enables us to endure in a diverse socio-economic society, or oppositionally - the disbelieving perspective that provides political opposition. From the video we watched in class about the car ad when an older white male who was a prominent American figure was suggesting that I should buy this car, because it is built with the same values that America was built on, like hard work, I decoded the commercial oppositionally because from my standpoint, being a educated First Nations man, I know America was largely built on slavery and genocide.

Standpoint theory contends that we stand in relation to one another  within systems of power -that is, we are people who occupy relationships to each other and that those relationships are mediated by social, political, and economic power (Warren, Fassett, 2011: 203). There is a link  between the Stuart Hall - Encoding and Decoding model and textbook in chapter four. Harper is a  girl who graduates from college and applies for different job positions. From her standpoint, as a black educated women, she draws from discourse, and decodes and questions whether she is going to get her her job based on her race or qualifications.

How I relate the Hall - encoding, decoding model to Aboriginal languages is that culture has a linguistic component and language has a connection to the land. This connection is suppressed when a race of people adopt a new language just like the Indigenous peoples of North America did. Today, when elders who speak their language (encoders) and send a message to the youth (decoders), they draw from discourse that has to be interpreted to English because the vast majority of youth do not speak their Indigenous language. Discourse is the common sensibilities we draw on to encode and decode messages, just like I had a oppositional view to Chrysler ad. The English language lacks the spiritual connection to this land that Indigenous languages carry.  

In the chapter nine, Mediated Cultures (Warren, Fassett, 2011: 164-181), I immediately thought of what many elders say is a big factor in the loss of culture and language - television. Elders today however, say that we should be using the same technology to  save the language whether it is Facebook, YouTube, television, radio, phone apps, recorders, computer programs. This is described as co-constitution relationship. The double effect of co-constitution means that we use and create media as media use and create us. The problem is that we live alongside a dominant society who's culture is arguably an European-American pop culture that does not look favorable upon First Nations people. This is due largely to consuming mediated messages.

In Winnipeg, First Nation peoples social ills are splashed in photo's and headlines of the local newspaper. These negative images and headlines are predominantly written by writers in a condescending manner and frame First Nations as a burden to society. Media affects us by leaving unexamined issues of power, privilege and social inequality.  This shapes ourselves to conform to someone else's expectation of us. We have to train our eyes and ears to perceive the messages embedded in media texts. Messages sent out in media are purposeful, powerful, and certainly affect reality. Stuart Hall discusses that a representation, is the re-presentation of something that is already present - a replica of something that already occurred. It is critically important for First Nation peoples not to believe the distorted version they read or view in the news because this will affect their understanding of what is, what they believe, and what could be. Media is reinforcing hegemony- granting the group with more power and privilege the ability to shape our worldviews, attitudes, and actions (Warren, Fassett, 2011:200).

If action is not taken by First Nations themselves to save languages, ultimately, the fault will be their own for completing the process of cultural genocide; First Nations will have both willingly, and unwillingly embraced hegemony- assimilation by allowing domination by consent. This generation is at a critical/cultural turn in communication research that involves incorporating culture and working for social justice to  save their languages along with their history - speakers are aging. Communication produces meaning, relationships, and ourselves. Communication sustains all aspects of our lives and helps create us, and what we think as our realities; this is defined as communication as constitutive. When a person speaks their language of their origin, it connects them to history, builds self esteem, and fosters healthy identity.  Identity is the answer to the question, who am I? With the added recognition that the who is always emerging from the cultures to which we belong (Warren, Fassett, 2011: 199-200). Language and culture are indivisible as language holds and allows for the expression of culture.

I am a the first generation that does not speak my language fluent. I feel a sense of resentment and disconnection. I am not alone and I personally believe that this contributes to the many social ills First Nations are facing, losing a language is losing your identity. What I advocate for is twofold- First Nation community commitment and action ; and state financial support and a legislative and institutional framework; including official recognition of Indigenous languages (The Human Rights Commission, 2012). The onus is on me to watch YouTube videos in Ojibway, and find other media outlets to rebuild my capacity and share it with my son. Otherwise, I fear he will interpret reality and history just like the  Disney movie Pocahontas. This simulacra is a facade that replaces the real to such an extent that the real ceases to be (Warren, Fassett, 2011: 199-203).

References

1. The Human Rights Commission, New Zealand. Available at:       http://www.hrc.co.nz/human-rights-            environment/about-the-human-rights-            commission/contact-the-commission

2. Nelson, Terrance. The Warrior Society, 1997. Print.

3. Stuart Hall- Encoding Decoding Model.

4. Warren, John T., and Deanna L. Fassett. Communication: a critical/cultural        introduction. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications, 2011. Print.

combat in sport, and combat sport thoughts

these are just some thoughts about combat in sports and combat sports - from an ex hockey goon perspective.

 June 27th.

hockey - today, there is alot of education about the impact of concussions on players. i also think that players exploit that education and say they have a concussion when they really don't. however, i think that alot of canada's best fighters, are in the nhl and minors
mma- just like boxing, i admire the way the fighters watch their diet, can cut weigh, however, i think alot of the current stars (not all) , have failed in other sports but found success in mma because it is a new sport.
boxing- i think the boxers in the lighter weight division would absolutely demolish the ufc stars. as for the heavyweights, all the best heavyweights are in football leagues.
 promotion- ufc does the best job, better than hockey. it has learned from the mistakes of boxing. boxing should have stacked cards like ufc. I would love to see some crossover, like james toney did, except, Junior Dos Santos, challenge a top ten heavyweight in boxing, another boxer try out mma, from the lighter divisions, like kermit cintron, who has some wrestling in his background.
pay- boxing top stars make alot of money, the most in any sport. ufc spreads it out, but the top fighters are still very underpaid.
Identity- every athlete gets addicted to the attention and can't turn the page in life. it is worse for the ones who don't make the money or have support systems in palce to help them to adjust to life after the spotlight.
Exploitation -  either way, all athletes are exploited.
Jiu jitsu - is a lifelong martial art
amateur boxing- is misunderstood, it is safe, well matched, predominantly all training, less gruelling than hockey and football.

judo - not a sport I know alot about, only recently been introduced to - a sport I would put my son in.
education- I am very thankful that at 32, with a university degree now. I did not achieve the goals I had dreamed about, prayed for, put all thoughts into,  - it is a true blessing that I did not achieve goals and applied myself to school instead of getting stuck into the identity of an athlete, chasing the dreams and old glory.

Indian Policy: The 1969 White Paper

The 1969 White Paper tabled by the Federal Government had the most profound effect on the Indian and government relationship. For the first time in history the Indian people were united in a collective way across Canada to oppose the Canadian government’s White Paper initiative. Today however, the intent of the 1969 White Paper is alive and well because Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada is capable of absorbing progressive self government ideas and crafting them to fit their assimilative purpose. ‘Self-government’ today comes in a tightly defined form similar to a municipal model in which a community has to apply and qualify for. This paper will examine prior policy developments before 1969 to provide the background to the White Paper process, a review the content of the 1969 White Paper to highlight the important issues that the government wanted to terminate and how the government planned to address its legal obligations, the First Nation’s response to the White Paper and lastly, there will be a brief discussion on the policy initiatives that the government introduced after 1969. The conclusion will address the question how the government and Indian relationship was handled.

            This part of the essay will mention Indian Policy development before Confederation in 1867, and discuss policies and legislation post Confederation. Much like the Royal Proclamation (1763) preceded Treaties, the Indian Act (1876) was consolidated legislation of the Gradual Civilization Act (1857).The British North America Act (1867) includes Section 91(24) which states "Indian and lands reserved for Indians". This implies that the word Indians was to control citizenship and membership to any group of Indians. “It was the first time through precedence of earlier legislation that non-aboriginal people can determine who was and was not considered an "Indian" in Canada and enshrined that definition in law”[1]. Lands reserved for Indians are intended to control and to manage lands through the reserve system. The Indian Act (1867) is explicit to deal with membership and how Indian reserves should be managed.

The Indian Act of 1876 is a policy to implement legislation Section 91(24) of the Constitution Act of 1867. Further to membership and land management, the Indian Act was explicit to the original government's concept of assimilation, enfranchisement and civilization. The Indian Act from 1876-1951 greatly controlled and the lives of Indian people, I.E. - the pass system, traditional practices and even legal counsel were denied to the Indian people. Sarah Carter in her book, Lost Harvest provides a complete picture how Indian farming was limited to merely make a living but not in the commercial sense for expansion or profit.[2]

Industrial schools were introduced to teach Indians how to work and be labor oriented to make their living. Residential schools were introduced in late 1880's with a specific objective to suppress Indian language, customs, history which was to be replaced with European education to assimilate and to be civilized to non aboriginal values and customs. Duncan Scott's famous quote "to kill the Indian in the child", was government's intent to follow its policy of assimilations.

After the Second World War, Aboriginal organizations were formed to address the unfair treatment and inspire change were led by world war veterans. One such organization was the League of Nations founded by Fredrick Ogilive Loft of the Six Nations Iroquois.[3] The League of Nations can be credited for helping influence the 1951 amendments to the Indian Act. Organization and mobilization of Aboriginal organizations was also influenced by another factor, south of the border, the blacks and America were going through the civil rights movement. It is worth to note of Canadian Social Policy of 1950's and 1960's greatly influenced the lives of Indian people.  Social policy like old age security, social welfare, health, family allowance, the right to vote and the right to welfare in financial terms like all Canadians.

Government Policy relating to Indians was becoming a sensible issue with the federal government, because of public awareness of Indian issues. The Federal Government initiated some objectives to address Indian issues. For example, in the mid 1960s; the ration system was converted to cheque written welfare which was authorized through treasury board policy.[4] The Consultation Process (1968-1969) with the Indians to get feedback and Indian participation in what appeared as a partnership between the Federal Government and Indian people about policy development. This consultation process was window dressing as the government had a hidden agenda. Ultimately, rising administrative costs were at the heart of the 1969 White Paper along with concerns about the American Indian Movement spreading into Canada.[5]

The Hawthorn Report (1966) provided an eye opening experience concerning Indian issues. This was a government commissioned national survey on Canadian Indians. This Hawthorn Report rejected termination as a policy option but instead suggested "Citizens Plus" status for Indians. This report also mentions the role of provinces in proper program services to Indians. It is also important that non aboriginal people showed a great awareness and interest. “A delegation called Independent Order of the Daughters of the Empire”[6], presented a brief to the government with the emphasis of equality of opportunity with other Canadians. The trust of the report was a concept of choice: Indians should have a greater choice of lifestyle.

The report recognized poverty, under employment. The report also mentions jurisdictional and constitutional issues surrounding Indian administration. The division of powers between the federal and provincial governments was discussed. This first volume clearly outlined the government’s lack of ability to provide services to the Indians. The second volume addressed education and local government; therefore it had more impact on programming than on policy. Most glaring was the term ‘structured poverty’ to describe the gap in quality of life between First Nations and the rest of Canada.

The Hawthorn Report contradicted an underlying assumption held by many Canadians that Aboriginals contribute little economic product to the Canadian economy and the larger dominant economy supports the Aboriginal economy through government subsidies and transfers, which provide 80 to 100 percent of Aboriginal salaries and non earned income. This assumption reflects the ignorance held by Canadians regarding the legally binding relationship between the federal government and aboriginal people. The flow of money stems from this relationship that was deemed in the best interest of both parties dating back to the Royal Proclamation.[7]

The election of Trudeau as the Prime Minister in April 1968 had a profound impact on Indian policy. Trudeau's vision of participatory democracy and equality was based on individual rights rather than on collective rights. The term equality from his European or Western thought was not consistent with Indians concept of equality based on treaty principles[8]. The White Paper’s intention to void the unique treaty message rooted in a nation to nation union of equal co-existence with the Crown was met with resistance from First Nations. This contrasted the federal view under Trudeau that First Nations are no different than any other minority group.[9]

Trudeau also made some drastic changes in the way that government operates and functions on policy development. Trudeau did not trust the bureaucracy and public servants, therefore the role of the Prime Minister’s Office (P.M.O) and the Privacy Council Office (P.C.O) were given a new mandate to provide more partisan advice to the prime minister. This change in government structure greatly influenced Indian Policy. Trudeau misread the Indians political thought to protect their rights and did not expect a concentrated and collective effort by all Indians across Canada.

At this point, the government had the Hawthorn Report and consultation process feedback from the Indians. Trudeau instructed his Minister of Indian Affairs and Minister without portfolio to set goals on “reason rather than emotion”[10], therefore his infamous remarks of ‘“ghetto’ mentality’ or ‘Wigwam complex’”,[11] and suggested that Indians should forget what should have been, but operate on a written word of the treaty. Trudeau's thinking is mentioned because he later replied "that the Indians have more rights than I thought”[12], after that the Calder case about Treaty rights and title to land in British Columbia. It is important to acknowledge the role of P.M.O and P.C.O and the political leaders were in conflict in regards to Indian Policy development.The central agencies and the top bureaucrats assumed they can develop policy to benefit Indians without their participation and consultation. This is still the underlying intent of the original Indian Act of 1876 that Indian people were not capable for their own benefit; the concept of the ward of the state is still reflected in the 1969 White Paper. Drafting of the 1969 White Paper identifies how the role of government can drastically be misguided for the benefit of Indian People. Government has not learned from the negative impact of residential schools and the Indian Act to make changes to improve lives of Indian people.

The White Paper used the term equality or non discrimination as the key ingredient in addressing Indian problems. It also states that special rights are the major cause of Indian problems. The goal of equality was to terminate special legislation for the Indians and transfer the responsibility to the provinces, - for Indian people to become provincial responsibility rather than Federal. The White Paper proposed to terminate all special rights, including the Treaties, Indian Act, and reserves. The department of Indian affairs would be dismantled within five years and the federal government was to retain trusting relationships functions for only Indian lives; which would be administered through an Indian Lands Act. It is worth noting Section 91 (24) of the Constitution states, “Indians and lands reserved for Indians". If the letters of the word were followed government interprets Indians as to control citizenship and membership and lands reserved for Indians simply to manage Indian reserves.[13]  According to the federal government the meaning of these words is simply about citizenship and management of Indian lands.

The White Paper ignored the recommendations of the Hawthorn Report in particular the ‘Citizens Plus’ concept for Indian people. The White paper was well written but underlying the intent of the government was what was proposed by Diamond Jenness in his proposal "plan for liquidating Canada’s Indian problem in 25 years”.[14] The government has been consistent that Indian people will disappear into mainstream society. Canadian government still embodies the concept of a savage society and vanishing race. That is the reason the written history of Indian issues have been negative. The White Paper was a policy document entitled Statement of the Government of Canada on Indian policy 1969. The cover of the statement was stamped as Indian policy, therefore the government did not view the White Paper open for discussion, but made their mind to implement the white paper as policy. The white paper has British Government roots and it indicates the government intent.[15]

The government emphasized that the policy was non discriminatory. The government believes in equality therefore the historical direction of special relationship between the government and Indians must change creating equality of all people. This will facilitate greater Indian participation into society. According to Trudeau, special rights to Indians will not address their problems. This is that same notion that Trudeau has for Quebec that no special status is required to participate in a greater society. Trudeau did not mention that language and culture must be maintained to be productive in a society, - to clarify, Trudeau mentions language and culture when speaking about Quebec, but not in regards to Indians. The White Paper did include that “land claims and treaties will be honored on limited bases as lawful obligations”.[16]

Trudeau was explicit that the isolation of Indian people creates an inward and backward existence as Trudeau describes it as ‘Wigwam concept’. The object of the Federal Government was to bring Indians into the mainstream society. This process would encourage some Indians to leave the reserve for education and employment, however, this process would eliminate special status for all Indians to become regular Canadian citizens and become residents of the provinces. This process would completely eliminate the ‘Spirit and Intent’ of treaties. By this process the Treaty making process to establish Canada through Treaties will no longer have a legal status. The next point of this essay will demonstrate the response of all Indians who firmly believe that Treaty is forever, "As long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the water flows"[17].

The First Nation’s response to the White Paper was immediate and forceful. In Manitoba, Dave Courchene reacted in no uncertain terms that Indian people will never accept government’s agenda to eliminate the ‘Spirit and Intent’ of treaties. Dave Courchene’s famous words were, “we are people to speak for ourselves and do things for ourselves and that treaties were made in the spirit of honesty and fairness. Indians were never defeated, nor conquered or surrendered and the birth of Canada was based on a negotiated and peaceful treaty agreement between First Nations and the Crown”.[18] Wahbung was Manitoba’s response to the 1969 White Paper.

In Alberta, under the leadership of Harold Cardinal, the chiefs under their position Citizens Plus, better known as the Red Paper, became a symbol of collective rights of all First Nations in Canada. Similar positions papers were submitted by chiefs of B.C., Ontario and later the Atlantic provinces. For the first time in history all Indian people across Canada acted as one voice and acted as collective political opposition to an issue like the White Paper that the government wanted to implement. Because of the near total support of all Indian people the government could not provide a divide and conquer approach therefore were not able to advance the White Paper policy as the intended. It is also noteworthy, not all First Nations were opposed to the White Paper, lawyer William Wuttunee was hired by the government to provide a descending opinion on First Nation position papers. Wuttennee’s book, Ruffled Feathers provided opposition to Cardinal’s Unjust Society. Much like Manny Jules, Chairman of the First Nations Tax Commission, today supports the Land Management Act and even wrote the forward for the outspoken Tom Flanagan’s book, First Nations Second Thoughts, (this book’s agenda is the same as the 1969 White Paper).[19] Lastly public opinion also became aware and supported First Nation’s organizations.

The Red Paper was a point by point rebuttal to the White Papers reasons as a policy. The Red Paper rejected the government’s views that treaties did not have the legal power to ensure First Nations have the right to look after themselves.[20] The Red Paper was the basis for Harold Cardinal’s book entitled the Unjust Society which was the complete opposite to Trudeau’s concept of a just society. Trudeau’s just society was about individual rights and Cardinal countered that treaties were both individual and collective rights that cannot be altered by any government because the treaties were made under a negotiated peaceful arrangement. Other First Nation’s organizations followed the same line of reasoning that treaties mattered and still matter; furthermore, they can never be terminated by any government. Treaties have international recognition and the law of Canada also acknowledges that treaties have a legal base.[21]

Finally the public reaction to the White Paper was also immediate and in favor of First Nations. Trudeau finally said that the government will not make any constitutional changes regarding First Nations and respect their desire to implement their treaties. The famous Calder case about land title in B.C. was one of the sources that Trudeau acknowledged that Indians had more rights than he originally thought. In 1971 the Liberal Government made a public announcement that they will not pursue the 1969 White Paper as it was presented.

The government took a different view of First Nation’s reserves to be involved in programs and services under their own administration. Financial arrangements through treasurer boards were initiated which were known as band to band agreements and later contribution agreements. These arrangements were financial arrangements through existing financial transfers and the guidelines of the treasury board of the day. During the 1970s and 80s there were some notable government initiatives and considerations for First Nations self government. First the Penner Report which was the most complete and drastic change required First Nations self government. Later other arrangement like the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples was a study to address Indian issues leading to self government which fell on deaf ears much like the Hawthorn report did an earlier generation in the 1960s. Most recently, and arguably most controversial is the Land Management Act because it represents the underlining objectives of the 1969 White Paper.[22]

To elaborate, the systematically driven department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development has continued to flourish driven by an ideology capable of absorbing progressive self government ideas and crafting them to fit their assimilative purpose. “Tightly defined forms of self-government that approximate municipal forms of government exist, but Aboriginal bands must apply to ‘qualify’ for them, and their funding remains controlled by Ottawa.”[23] One such form that has been introduced is The Land Management Act (LMA). However in the opinion of First Nations this act is not close to the original treaty. LMA is a municipal model that can be subject to taxation and other provincial regulations. LMA is used successfully by communities because of their location, I.E. - Swan Lake, OCN, Buffalo Point, Long Plains, but in circumstances that they become bankrupt or are not well managed, they are not protected under the Indian Act and they can be seized by the government and banks no longer having reserve status. The LMA is like the Métis scrip, it’s best only for immediate gain. In other words - LMA addresses what the 1969 White Paper was going to do for First Nations, no more special rights or protection.

In conclusion, the 1969 White Paper had the most profound effect on First Nations and government relations, first the White Paper galvanized First Nations across Canada speaking and acting as a collective political force to fight for their rights. The political process for First Nations commenced because of the 1969 White Paper. In the mid 1970s there was a cabinet committee comprised of cabinet ministers and assembly of First Nation’s leaders to discuss First Nation’s issues on political terms. This process died but it is important because the government acknowledged the need to discuss First Nation’s issues. For First Nations, the White Paper simply was about a formal arrangement for assimilation, enfranchisement and civilization in the modern context. As First Nations who believe the source of their rights come from their languages and their teachings, there was no way they would accept what the White Paper offered. The White Paper awakened the spirit of First Nation’s people to speak for them and to do things for themselves as Dave Courchene said during the 1969 political meetings.

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[1] Weaver, Sally M.. Making Canadian Indian policy: the hidden agenda, 1968-1970. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1981. P.195.

[2] Eyford, Ryan. "History of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.” University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg. 15 June 2012. Lecture.

[3] Eyford, Ibid. 15 June 2012. Lecture.

[4] Research Paper on Social Policy. Treaty Relations Commission on Manitoba.

[5]  Dickason, Olive Patricia, and William Newbigging. A concise history of Canada's first nations. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.P.250.

[6] Weaver, Sally M.. Making Canadian Indian policy: the hidden agenda, 1968-1970. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1981. P. 20

[7]  Frideres, James S., René R. Gadacz, and James Frideres. Aboriginal peoples in Canada. 8th ed. Toronto: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008. P.384

[8] Research Paper on Social Policy. Treaty Relations Commission on Manitoba.

[9]  Belanger, Yale Deron. Aboriginal self-government in Canada: current trends and issues. 3rd ed. Saskatoon: Purich Pub., 2008. p 5,6.

[10] Weaver, Ibid P. 22.

[11] Weaver. Ibid.  P .54.

[12] Weaver, Ibid. P. 78.

[13] "Statement of the Government of Canada on Indian policy (The White Paper, 1969)." Affaires autochtones et Développement du Nord Canada | Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100010189 (accessed June 2, 2012).

[14] Weaver. Ibid. P.4

[15]  Eyhart, Ibid. 15 June 2012. Lecture.

[16] Weaver. Ibid. P. 167.

[17] Wahbung: our tomorrows. 40th anniversary ed. Winnipeg: [Manitoba Indigenous Cultural Education Centre], 2011.. P. 1.

[18] Bone, Harry . Personal interview. 19 June 2012.

[19]  Q & A: Clarence T. (Manny) Jules. 8^th Fire, CBC News Accessed 13 June 2012 at: http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/8thfire/2011/11manny-jules.html

[20] Weaver. Ibid. P. 183.

[21] Cardinal, Harold. The unjust society. Vancouver, B.C.: Douglas & McIntyre, 1999.

.

[22] Weaver. Making Canadian Indian Policy: the hidden agenda, 1968-1970. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1981.

[23] Burnett, Kristen , and Geoff Read. Aboriginal History: A Reader. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2012.  P.179.

Indigeous Education: Look to the Horizon

        This essay is an article review highlighting the key points from Indigenous Education and Ecology: Perspectives of an American Indian Educator written by Pueblo Indian Dr. Gregory Cajete, supported by insights from his 1994 book Look to the Mountain: An Ecology of Indigenous Education. I further discuss the history, implementation and challenges of Indigenous education today supported with the work of Andrea Bear Nicholas from the book Aboriginal Oral Traditions: Theory Practice Ethics, and conclude with my thoughts about Indigenous education. To begin, I would like to highlight the questions the author poses to the reader, stimulating critical thinking. I questioned the education I have received over the last few years. Asking further what would I describe as education? What do I think when someone says they are educated, and in my mind, what would constitute a ‘good education’? This essay aims to answer those questions.

Dr. Gregory A. Cajete is a Tewa author and professor from Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. He has pioneered reconciling Indigenous perspectives in sciences with a Western academic setting. His focus is teaching culturally based science, with its emphasis on health and wellness.[1]  An overview of the article by Dr. Cajete on North America education and ecology provides the reader with a personal narrative from his own Pueblo standpoint. His focus on orientation to place highlights is a center purpose of Indigenous education as an experiential quest (to know that place that Indian peoples talk about); emphasizing art, hunting and planting as a source of mystic tribal expressions; Cajete explores the indigenous ecological education of Pueblo life ways. The article discusses Indigenous traditions and equality as a multi-disciplinary approach to reconcile traditions and ecology. The books aim is to celebrate plurality raising conscious awareness, multiple perspective nature and human earth relations, as articulated in the religions of the world.

In the Introduction Dr. Cajete gives his own personal narrative as Pueblo Indian, educator, artist and environmentalist. The article is a cultural context and subjective of Indigenous ecological relationship educating the reader; to re-enliven cultural sensibilities and understanding of Indigenous traditions. The goals are to rediscover and revitalize Indigenous self knowledge, community self renewal, and environmental understanding and to create teaching curricula in the context for integrating arts with culture, with science, and with communal sensibility and ways that get to the heart Indigenous perspective, - a deeper understanding of ancient relationships between traditions.

In the next subtitle, The Central Purpose of Indigenous Education, key points the author emphasizes are the basic framework of Indigenous education is an intimate and complex set of inner and outer place oriented environmental relationships. The Pueblo concept, “that place Indian people talk about”, needs to be understood. That place is more than objects and economic interest; Indigenous people talk about protecting the environment through Indigenous traditions. There is a co-creation of natural environments and human relationships. All creation is interrelated like a spider wed of co-existence. Elders through their languages for knowledge and understanding connect human relationships with the land that are an important source of indigenous ways of learning and understanding. 

In the next subtitle, An Indigenous Metaphor, the author stresses for a complete education the following four interrelated relationships are necessary. First, finding your face and appearance as authentic – your true self identity. Second is to find the inner spirit as a soul and heart of a person; the term spirit within is universal for all indigenous peoples. Third is the journey to help individuals through education by finding their identity and spirit to be authentic human beings. Fourthly, to become complete as a man or women as a way of life, survival of life and develop a spirit and human life with ecology.

In Ensouled and Enchanted Land, the author states that all Indigenous societies have a special relationship with the land that may be called spiritual ecology. This relationship includes all ecology including space, land, and environment and all living things. For Indigenous people, the land is an extension of human thought and being. Pueblo elders say, It is this place that holds our memories, and the bones of our people…this is the place that made us. Indigenous language is based on the environment and the land, Indigenous teaching is through experience with the land, I.E., - vision quest. The Pueblo mythic symbolic figure is called ‘kokopelli’ which is a seed carrier of nature’s fertility. Pueblo Indians believe they emerged from the earth’s naval at the time of creation and became a journey through sacred landscape which is described as `that place that Indian people talk about`.

There were several key points In Indigenous Windows into the Natural Affiliation which I thought were important. The author articulates that sacred orientation to place is a key concept of Indigenous education. To Pueblo Indians, “to the right side of the sun rising,” is known as the north direction. The south represents "to the left side of the sun rising", east is “to the sun rising” and west "to the sun setting”. Indigenous languages describe the colors plants animals, winds, kinds of thought and features of the landscape. All indigenous people have distinct cardinal directions to base their directional relationships; these cardinal directions are universal for Indigenous people of the world.

Art is an expression all Indigenous people use to reflect their ancient teaching to integrate humans with animals. Hunting, fishing, gathering, and planting are important to express and honor their collective sense of natural affiliation. This is a core understanding of all Indigenous people. It is by observation that they learn to interact with nature at all seasons. Indigenous people also honor the spirit of all animals because they provide food for existence. Prayers and storytelling are a common way to show respect for all animals and environment. Animal dances are common to all indigenous people - the coyote is the animal that is used to create the relationship between human and animal. The `web of life` is understood by Indigenous people by their annual ceremonial cycles based on their belief systems, I.E., - Sundance’s.

For the Anishinabe / Ojibway,  the seven directions of the pipe represent the creator, the land,  the people, the directions to the east represent languages, south is teaching(culture), west is history, and the north is way of life (government). These directions represent the seven principles of nationhood that every nation in the world needs to be sovereign.[2] Symbols of animals and colors are also included.

In Pueblo Journey, the author says that for Pueblo people, the corn represents a sacrament of life in life itself. There is a Pueblo proverb “we are all kernels on the same corn cob”. Water is fundamental to recognize and honor as it the foundation for maintenance of life on earth, the Earth naval is where Pueblo people came from and are guided by the evergreen Tree of Life. Earth is like a mother that creates identity as people of a place. All Indigenous people, including the Pueblo, have ceremonies for the cycles of seasons, to honor the spiritual ecology of place.

In Community and a Place in New Mexico, Dr. Cajete states that New Mexico is called, `Land of Enchantment`, which reflects the natural affiliation of the people and the place. Education is important for Indigenous youth to understand their relationship to the land. The metaphor, 'look to the mountains' is to understand the earth journey of the people. For Pueblo people they say this journey “is to look to the mountain”, for the Anishinabe / Ojibway it is to `look to the horizon`, either concept means to think of future generations, to have a holistic perspective.

Lastly, in Final Thoughts: the Place of Indigenous Ecology in a Post Modern World, the author elaborates on a problem for young people to understand the ancient teaching about the traditions and ecology. Today people live in a dual existence because some want to live like today's society which is materialistic, - reap the money and profits from the land. At the same time try to protect the land and environment. This is described as a schizophrenic state. This confusion and the existential problems such as alcoholism, drug abuse, suicide, and all other social problem are because youth have lost their connection to their spiritual ecology. Split thought in traditions and ecology is like living in two worlds and this creates the major challenge for Indigenous people to survive as Indigenous people. American society has become more materially affluent which means that environment is not treated with a sense of urgency. This is why it is necessary that education on Indigenous traditions and ecology is necessary for human survival on mother earth. Indigenous education is based on environment and its relationship to human existence.[3] To the Anishinabe / Ojibway people, a vision quest is necessary for young people to base their hopes and dreams, along with their relationship to the land and humans.

Dr. Cajete’s really put into words the issue of living in two worlds and contrasting that to a schizophrenic state. It is the dilemma every Indigenous person faces today at some point in their life - in other words, First Nations need to get through the anger to get to the healing.[4] After reading this article one should be able to understand that the struggle of Indian peoples are now shared with non-Indigenous people, I.E., - climate change because of natural resource exploitation. The articles in the book illustrate the Indigenous perspective of traditions and ecology.

 In his Dr. Cajete’s1994  book Look to the Mountain: An Ecology of Indigenous Education, Dr. Cajete articulates Indians throughout the Americas incorporate many symbolic expressions reflecting the metaphysical, ecological, and cultural constructs of tribal education. These include symbolic expressions representing the 'Tree of Life' for example. These expressions which occur in a variety of forms in many American Indian languages reflect common understanding and shared foundations for traditional ways of learning. Behind these mythic metaphors are the philosophical infrastructures and fields of tribal knowledge that lie at the heart of American Indian epistemologies. Dr. Gregory Cajete makes reference in his book to a journey as a metaphor that will focus upon a circle or relationships that mirror the seven orientation processes of preparing, asking, seeking, making, understanding, sharing, and celebrating the special wisdom of American Indian tribal education. [5] This further emphasizes the universal concepts that all Indigenous believe in their creation stories and relationship to the land.

The message in this book is that all First Nations believe in one creator and there are indeed people that have a special relationship of the land to for their survival and existence. Indians throughout the Americas incorporate many symbolic expressions reflecting the metaphysical, ecological, and cultural constructs of tribal education, I.E., - The Tree of Life. These expressions which occur in a variety of forms in many American Indian languages reflect common understanding and shared foundations for traditional ways of learning. Behind these mythic metaphors are the philosophical infrastructures and fields of tribal knowledge that that lie at the heart of American Indian epistemologies.

 Besides the lack of connection to spirit and land in Indigenous education that Dr. Cajete discusses, one has to take into account history and implementation of education regarding today`s Indigenous youth, Andrea Bear Nicholas points out several problems, among them is that our elders have been excluded from the education of First Nations children, resulting in another way that our traditions have been silenced. Common thinking of generations before dating back to earliest recorded Maliseet oral traditions, published by J. Barratt in 1851, stated that in recording oral traditions, he intended to exhibit the Indian as he is, it may serve, also, to show the darkness of the human mind that has never been illuminated by the word of god. As a result, history has been distorted, oral traditions have been discredited, racism taught in university classrooms and engrained in the minds of people, influencing negative public opinion. On top of discrediting oral traditions, others have pretended to know how Indigenous peoples think and feel, passing off their concoctions as ours so successfully, that their stories are now believed to be ‘our’ stories by generations of our people.

One invented tradition is the so-called `medicine wheel` which is now promoted as the basis of Maliseet traditions. In fact, it was invented as recently as 1972 by a man representing himself as Cheyenne, Hyemeyohsts Storm, but who was immediately exposed as a fraud. The medicine wheel is not a Maliseet tradition, nor, a Cheyenne tradition. Within two decades, however, it evolved into the form it is known today, thanks to the embellishment of several others, including the discredited `plastic medicine man` known as Sun Bear, who exploited the idea for personal gain. The irony is now that this now very non-native invention is seen as the essence of native traditions, not only by the immigrant society but also by First Nation peoples, even many who style themselves as ‘traditionalists’. Today the medicine wheel is taught in school, with a variety of material totally based on the medicine wheel. This philosophy has displaced oral traditions and aboriginal languages. This poses the difficult question, thrown back onto First Nations by J. Edward Chamberlin, If This is Your Land, Where are your Stories? (2004), this author is not alone in his thinking.

Even promising policies developed and promoted by First Nations themselves have been quickly appropriated and exploited by government and various educational institutions, as in the case of the 1972 policy known as Indian Control of Indian Education (ICIE). First Nation teachers were to instruct First Nation children; the problem was that both governments and universities found a way to use this policy to meet their own agenda. Universities expand their teacher education program taking in cohorts of Aboriginal students to be trained as teachers, while governments working closely with corporations would continue to benefit since the new teachers would be subtly trained to reproduce Euro-Canadian ideas. In other words, the teachers were trained effectively only to teach in the medium of a dominant colonial language using alien methods and ‘standard’ textbooks, without any suggestion that they could or should teach in the medium of their own language, or that their children might have the collective right to learn in that medium. As a result, Aboriginal languages were rarely given a place at all in the curriculum, and when done so, only as window dressing to the curriculum. One Saskatchewan native educator pointed out that after the implementation of ICIE, First Nations in Saskatchewan have experienced some of the most rapid declines of all time in native language fluency.

The writing of history is a political act designed to control the past for the purpose of controlling the present and maintaining the social order. In the same way that common law gives property rights to squatters, Canadian laws continue to legalize the appropriation of our oral traditions by virtue of copyright laws which grant sole ownership in our stories to scribes, collectors, and appropriators to the total exclusion of the individuals or the First Nations in which they were taken, I.E., - The movie, Avatar. Further, copyright laws declare that 50 years after the death of a writer or collector, the ownership of such stories passes not to the Indigenous people who told them, but into public domain.[6]         

In my opinion,  problems exist in addition to the above mentioned because of a change in the nature of communities, disruption of the family nurturing process and loss of identity. Speaking for myself,  I am very fortunate to have a supportive birth family and family of choice to assist me through my post secondary education process. While I still carry resentment and feel a sense of disconnection, education has been a decolonizing process for me. I also take the responsibility upon myself (more so now than I am older and have family) to put in the best effort I can academically and to overcome social hurdles. Since the 1960's there has been a slow change in the nature of communities due in part the introduction of welfare to First Nations people.

This change in particular has fostered a mentality  that since I am politicized as Aboriginal, I have some leverage to manipulate my responsibilities. While there are thousands of young people graduating every year from high school and university, there are too many who push the envelope the opposite direction to just get by, rather than to see how far they can go. Responsibility needs to be taken more seriously. This contributes to the state of affairs First Nations are facing today, leadership is weak and divided.

Our communities have become zones of lateral violence because there is a deeply embedded anger and frustration, people elect leaders who are not the most educated and could do the best job for the community, but rather who they think they can influence. Children see the fighting and relational process demonstrated by adults and learn from this example, going on to have poor relational skills.[7] This is due largely in part to a loss of connection to the land an language. Further communities are divided between Christian and traditional beliefs and practices. Youth have lost their identity because they look at things from a materialistic perspective being influenced by the dominant European-American pop culture and that influences their values and aspirations, I.E., - rap music over rattles, drums, and traditional songs.

There is no magic remedy or policy to heal a community. It takes a long process of healthy individuals to create strong families and build stronger communities. In the chapter I did my article review on, there are communities in the Andes Mountains that incorporate traditional knowledge into a large part of the school curriculum. This is an example that should be followed here in  Canada along with stronger language programs using software and technology that is already available. There are elders in my own community that say to understand where you are going you need to understand where you came from. That is from our history through our languages. As my father's grandmother used to say, "know your language to remember the original teachings, at the same time understand the English language. Bring these two together for a more balanced educational approach".[8] One must find a way to reconcile the original language teachings with modern concept of education. Indigenous teachings about respect and caring of all people of the world, the goal should be working together co-operatively with all people following the true values of their religions and traditional beliefs rather than distorting interpretations of them.

            In conclusion, the class text book Indigenous Traditions and Ecology and the articles within have provided a balanced understanding of Indigenous traditions and history, and why they are so important to understand ecology (land).Therefore, this book can bridge the gap for non-aboriginal people to understand the above mentioned connection in a balanced framework. The question posed at introduction, 'what constitutes a good education?' -  must include an understanding of Indigenous traditions; that it is through their languages and elders that traditions are connected to ecology.

Bibliography

1.      Bone, Harry. Former Chief of Keeseekoowenin First Nation.

2.      Cajete, Gregory. Look to the Mountain: an ecology of indigenous education. Durango, Colorado: Kivaki Press, 1994.

3.      Eigenbrod, Renate, and Renée Hulan. Aboriginal oral traditions: theory, practice, ethics. Halifax, [N.S.: Fernwood Pub., 2008.

4.      Grim, John. "Indigenous Education and Ecology: perspectives of an American Indian Educator." In Indigenous traditions and ecology: the interbeing of cosmology and community. Cambridge, MA: Distributed by Harvard Press for the Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard Divinity School, 2001.

5.      Lavallee, Jaye. Experiential psychotherapist and  life skill trainer.

6.      Rice, Brian. Instructor, Global perspectives on aboriginal societies, spiritualities and the environment. University of Winnipeg.  

7.      Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Cajete

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[1] "Gregory Cajete - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Cajete (accessed June 19, 2012).

[2] Bone, Harry. Interview by author. Personal communication. Winnipeg, 2012.

[3] Grim, John. "Indigenous Education and Ecology: perspectives of an American Indian Educator." In Indigenous traditions and ecology: the interbeing of cosmology and community. Cambridge, MA: Distributed by Harvard Press for the Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard Divinity School, 2001. 619-638.

[4] Rice, Brian. "Week 4." Class lecture, Global Perspectives on Aboriginal Societies, Spiritualities and the Environment from University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, May 22, 2012.

[5] Cajete, Gregory. Look to the Mountain: an ecology of indigenous education. Durango, Colorado: Kivaki Press, 1994.

[6] Eigenbrod, Renate, and Renée Hulan. "The assault on aboriginal oral traditions: past and present", in Aboriginal oral traditions: theory, practice, ethics. Halifax, [N.S.: Fernwood Pub., 2008. 1-9.

[7] Lavallee, Jaye. Interview by author.  Personal communication. 2012.

[8] Bone, Harry. Interview by author. Personal interview. Winnipeg, June 17, 2012.