The Four R’s

Something that has outlined my experience in EDUC 400 from the first week was from a handout on September 5th titled “Enacting the Four R’s: Respect, Responsibility, Relevance & Reciprocity.” These Four R’s come from Kirkness and Barnhardt (1999) where the authors ask “How then can the monolithic/ethnocentric institution of the university be reoriented to foster a more productive two-way exchange that increases its capacity to respond effectively to the higher education and human resource needs of First Nations students and communities.” The reading expressed how many First Nations people adapt their ways of communicating to learn how to talk to non-Indigenous people, but people rarely think about how they can communicate with First Nations people in a First Nations way. This made me reflect on what we commonly think is a default way of communicating and being in relation with others. The Four R’s are meant to serve as a tool for relationship building and empowerment for individuals, communities, and First Nations as a people. I found that consciously enacting these Four R’s strengthened my communication and listening skills. It is easy to get lost in your own thoughts when someone else is talking. I used to do this a lot and repeat what I was going to say over and over until it was my turn to speak. I was much more afraid of saying the wrong thing that I wouldn’t listen to others as much. I am much more confident in letting go of my ego and listening with my three ears (Archibald, 2008). I also took on more responsibility and reciprocity in regards to our spaces. I always picked up garbage when I saw it and I made sure the room looked as good or better than when we entered it. Implementing these seemingly small gestures proved to have a larger impact and I could see how this standard could be positive and sustaining learning environment for schools and communities. I continue my commitment to bring these values into my own work as an educator and into my classroom in a mindful and respectful manner.

Stories

A profound learning that I experienced this semester was the importance of stories. I had always known stories to have entertaining and educational purposes, but I did not see the deep value in storytelling until this year. At the beginning of the semester we had numerous Indigenous speakers come in and tell their stories. Each speaker had a different approach in speaking and told their story in an individual way. It seemed that the students would argue over who told each personal story “the best” and who was a more “effective” storyteller. I had to then question why people thought one was “the best” or “most effective” Was it because they were calm and soft, or were they loud and more aggressive? Was their language personal or was it accusatory of the audience? I found that many people were looking past the story itself and why it was told in the way it was told. When I reflect on the stories I’ve heard, especially personal ones, I always think “What is this person working through right now? What have they been through?” You cannot separate the story from the storyteller. When Gertie told her story, I reflected in my notes that “My spirit is different now. My brain is easier to change. I can learn about events on paper but these stories have changed my spirit and my personhood.” I truly believe that learning about something as heavy as residential schools would not have been as impactful if we read slides on a powerpoint and did some readings. Hearing a storyteller share their personal first-hand account is what made these lesson sit deeper. In my second point below, I also said “Carolyn calling these presenters ‘Women Warriors’ really moved me. They are not the traditional warriors who use arrows and swords. They use their words and share their experiences to fight for their land, their people, and their future.” This still resonates deeply with me. The people who choose to share their stories are using it as a weapon to combat the narratives and histories about their people. Sharing these stories insure that these injustices won’t ever happen again.

Sometimes I would question whether the stories my peers shared in our PLC time were relevant like mentioned in the Four R’s. I used to think people were adding unnecessary tangents to our conversations, but I am understanding each day that everyone has a story to tell. We did a storywork activity in our PLC where everyone received a card with two words and then they would share a story related to one of those words. Some stories made me laugh out loud, some made me cry, some left me in awe wanting to know more about what happened. This sharing time was difficult because I did not want to make my story too personal, but I wanted it to still wanted to have something valuable to share. I first shared with a partner and felt like my story wasn’t a story at all, just an experience that I was recounting. However, when I shared it to the group, the form and structure of my story completely changed. Certain aspects I realized were not important and I had forgotten other components that I thought could be useful. I learned about thinking and reflecting first before sharing. Some stories aren’t ready to be shared. Many of my peers had difficulty sharing their story or chose to tell a more personal story when their turn came. Like stated in the First People’s Principals of Learning - Learning takes time and patience.

I realized I was always looking for an answer and I felt uncomfortable with the story being left as is with no further questions or explanations. This is how I felt in our PLC time. We would share and share, but sometimes things weren’t resolved neatly. The discussion would be left for us to reflect on.

“Western culture takes the spirit out of everything”

One day during our PLC discussions regarding Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies, my friend said “Western culture takes the spirit out of everything.” Up until this statement we had been talking about yoga and other spiritual practices/traditions that have been taken by Westerners and appropriated in some way. We talked about yoga and mindfulness as a marketable concept used by companies to sell their products. Everything that was said in this conversation I agreed with. However when my friend said this statement I was shocked. I tried to practice my listening skills and the Four R’s, but I had a moment where I stumbled. After five or so minutes passed I raised my hand and asked if we could return to that statement because I was uncomfortable. My friend responded “Good.” It was a simple response, but powerful enough to send a message to me. I look back at this interaction and I cringe. Had I not learned about listening and letting things be that challenge me? There are situation where I ask questions to gain clarity, and there was a part of me trying to gain clarity. I asked my friend what she meant by “western culture,” “spirit,” and “everything.” I was confused on how she could generalize Western culture so easily. There are obviously large components of Western culture that are spiritual. Not every person who is a part of this culture aims to kill spirituality. These were the thoughts that were darting through my mind when I responded. However I realized on the way home that my reaction and response was likely not an appropriate or helpful one to the conversation. I should have sat in my discomfort and reflected on it in my own time, and if questions were still present, I can ask my friend when I have collected my thoughts and am less argumentative. I also did not consider for long enough as to why my friend said what she said. My friend is Indigenous and has her own views, histories, and personal definitions regarding culture and spirituality. I think the challenge helped my friend and gave her the opportunity to specify and clarify, but perhaps I did wrong by my friend for questioning her and making her explain her statement. This was never my intention, but as the phrase goes “The road to hell was paved with good intentions.” I don’t think my question was inherently wrong or rude, but it allowed my to reflect on what makes me uncomfortable.

Through all of these experiences this semester, I slowly began to see that we learn from each other through stories. I have often learned about stories, but I was not aware that I was also learning through stories. Realizing this changed how I viewed sharing and listening to stories. Not all stories need to be linear and well planned. Sometimes the purpose of telling a story is to heal and it may not be for the listener as much as it is for the teller. Now, I make a stronger effort to let people talk and tell their story without interrupting or forcing my experience into their narrative. Decolonization as a settler and educator begins with listening. It is not neatly tied up at the end of the day. It is not an end to be reached. Like a story, the practice of decolonization presents itself in new ways and may take on a new voice. In honouring Indigenous ways of being and knowing, I listen and hold space for stories with greater appreciation than before.

Further Commitment

While on the topic of stories, I would like to share two stories I recently bought. Both are written by Indigenous authors and have Indigenous issues and perspectives running throughout their story. I hope to learn more about new perspectives and ways to telling stories that I am not familiar with. I also am interested in bringing books like The Marrow Thieves into the classroom as it is targeted towards young adults. As mentioned in the other outcomes, representation is so important for students who feel like they may not belong in school. I think it is really important to consider who your students are and then ask who are the characters in the stories you are telling and who may be missing from the story. I have also been listening to a lot more Indigenous musicians and exploring all types of storytelling through a musical medium. These are topics that I am highly interested in and still discovering, but I am excited to learn more as I journey on into my teaching career.