“How does one learn?” Such a simple question warrants a simple answer, or so I had thought. During the silence in the classroom as our professor waited for more answers, I thought to myself, “By ingesting information. Personal experience. What more could there be?” In Canadian universities, students become well-versed in Western pedagogy and methodology. Though the university narrative is that students should think critically, we do operate and learn in a defined framework. As a Political Science student, we listen to professors give lecture, we read scholarly texts. To quantify our intelligence, we write a lengthy essay based on what we read, we write an exam. In the quest to be smart, the joy of the learning process may be lost.
In the story of Why Nenabozho is So Smart, I sense that the Indian man failed to recognize his innate intelligence. If he recognized and listened to his intuition, maybe he would have been suspicious of the “smart berries”. In his quest to be smart, the Indian man only looked to an external source. Learning about Anishinaabe pedagogy, I was surprised that there could be seven ways of learning and teaching. Through spirit never occurred to me as a valid way to learn or to teach. I realized that Anishinaabe pedagogy is not simply a framework to become smarter or a better university student but a way to become a better human which, to me, is much more valuable in the long run of life.
How can Anishinaabe pedagogy improve lives, and more specifically, Aboriginal lives? To start, it has become crystal clear that we cannot treat colonization of Indigenous peoples as simply a historical event because people still suffer from the Shut Eye Dance today. One of the most blatant consequences of colonization is the endangerment of Indigenous languages. Language is a system of words and rules that allows us to communicate, but it is also so much more. Language reflects the world view of a culture. Furthermore, for Aboriginal peoples, language is not only a matter of culture but a matter of survival, a protective factor for their health (Dickie, McIvor, Napoleon 7). Therefore, language revitalization is crucial for the well-being of Indigenous communities. I think that Anishinaabe pedagogy and language have a symbiotic relationship, one using the other to fulfill their role successfully. For example, Anishinaabe-Kendaaswin or traditional knowledge is a component of Anishinaabe pedagogy which requires the language. The loss of language means that traditional knowledge cannot be passed down to younger generations; therefore, resulting in a weaker sense of identity which has proven to be detrimental (Dickie, McIvor, Napoleon 13).
In class, I learned that the Anishinaabe word for love is zaagidwin. The word ‘zaagidwin’ is not simply a direct translation of ‘love’ but means to be “willing to extend oneself, be vulnerable, to let go of shame”. For Anishinaabe people, love is not only a noun or a feeling but involves a conscious action. This example demonstrates that knowing the language is empowering and teaches one how to go through daily life.
In “Language and Culture as Protective Factors for At-Risk Communities”, the authors raise the point that pre-contact belief systems may never be fully revived; however, language is key to attempting any cultural revitalization (Dickie, McIvor, Napoleon 15). History cannot be reversed, but we can begin to heal the wounds and move forward. Language is essential to comprehend core spirituality (Dickie, McIvor, Napoleon 15). Without the language, it becomes very difficult to understand and define spirit or to learn in a spirit way. Without language, true identity loses the voice it needs to survive and thrive. In the end, language is life and death, culturally, spiritually and physically.
Works Cited
Dickie, Kerissa M., McIvor, Onowa, and Napoleon, Art. “Language and Culture as Protective Factors for At-Risk Communities.” Journal de la santé autochtone 5.1 (2009): 6-25. PDF.
In the story of Why Nenabozho is So Smart, I sense that the Indian man failed to recognize his innate intelligence. If he recognized and listened to his intuition, maybe he would have been suspicious of the “smart berries”. In his quest to be smart, the Indian man only looked to an external source. Learning about Anishinaabe pedagogy, I was surprised that there could be seven ways of learning and teaching. Through spirit never occurred to me as a valid way to learn or to teach. I realized that Anishinaabe pedagogy is not simply a framework to become smarter or a better university student but a way to become a better human which, to me, is much more valuable in the long run of life.
How can Anishinaabe pedagogy improve lives, and more specifically, Aboriginal lives? To start, it has become crystal clear that we cannot treat colonization of Indigenous peoples as simply a historical event because people still suffer from the Shut Eye Dance today. One of the most blatant consequences of colonization is the endangerment of Indigenous languages. Language is a system of words and rules that allows us to communicate, but it is also so much more. Language reflects the world view of a culture. Furthermore, for Aboriginal peoples, language is not only a matter of culture but a matter of survival, a protective factor for their health (Dickie, McIvor, Napoleon 7). Therefore, language revitalization is crucial for the well-being of Indigenous communities. I think that Anishinaabe pedagogy and language have a symbiotic relationship, one using the other to fulfill their role successfully. For example, Anishinaabe-Kendaaswin or traditional knowledge is a component of Anishinaabe pedagogy which requires the language. The loss of language means that traditional knowledge cannot be passed down to younger generations; therefore, resulting in a weaker sense of identity which has proven to be detrimental (Dickie, McIvor, Napoleon 13).
In class, I learned that the Anishinaabe word for love is zaagidwin. The word ‘zaagidwin’ is not simply a direct translation of ‘love’ but means to be “willing to extend oneself, be vulnerable, to let go of shame”. For Anishinaabe people, love is not only a noun or a feeling but involves a conscious action. This example demonstrates that knowing the language is empowering and teaches one how to go through daily life.
In “Language and Culture as Protective Factors for At-Risk Communities”, the authors raise the point that pre-contact belief systems may never be fully revived; however, language is key to attempting any cultural revitalization (Dickie, McIvor, Napoleon 15). History cannot be reversed, but we can begin to heal the wounds and move forward. Language is essential to comprehend core spirituality (Dickie, McIvor, Napoleon 15). Without the language, it becomes very difficult to understand and define spirit or to learn in a spirit way. Without language, true identity loses the voice it needs to survive and thrive. In the end, language is life and death, culturally, spiritually and physically.
Works Cited
Dickie, Kerissa M., McIvor, Onowa, and Napoleon, Art. “Language and Culture as Protective Factors for At-Risk Communities.” Journal de la santé autochtone 5.1 (2009): 6-25. PDF.