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Journal Entries

1. January 15th, 2020: After missing the first class due to the first day being too snowy to

drive in, I caught up with professor Tamez and she let me know that we did a Rubix cube

activity. I connected to colonialism through my education and learning about the

struggles colonialized people have been through throughout history. Especially my

family background, listening to my grandmother’s experience growing up in residential

school. Next, I connected to family because having a strong, supportive and loving family

allows me to continue going through school. Family is not only blood-related members

but close friends who are considered family. I am grateful for that and everything they

do. Next, I connected to knowledge because in high school I never valued what I was

learning. Once I started post-secondary school, I realized education is valuable and

important.

Chapter one by Smith was complex. I learned what colonialism brought to Indigenous

peoples which was capitalism, western politics, western ideas, Christianity and disease. I

learned that books are dangerous, they don’t reinforce values, culture, and identity. I

appreciated the way imperialism is explained in the text and how imperialism and

colonialism are explained as interconnected. I valued the struggle for self-determination

by Indigenous peoples telling and writing stories in their way, it is powerful. My

impression was the detail and complexity put into each sentence “history is about power”,

“justice”, how it will enlighten future decisions.

2. January 22nd, 2020: what I learned through Kaandossiwin chapter 2 was how Indigenous

peoples are both researched and are researchers. Indigenous peoples seek knowledge of

all kinds, like metaphysical and wholistic. Indigenous peoples are scouts of the best food,
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trails, and lodges. Before research preparation is important it includes tobacco, starting

with your own knowledge, announcing my intentions, respect, relationships, patience,

gratitude which are all connected to understanding and knowledge. Indigenous discourse

must be understood in the context of racism and colonialism. There is also the aspect of

Indigenous knowledge versus western knowledge that equals academic racism and

colonialism. Jefferson Faye on page 28-29 talks about the history of science, truth is the

construction of those in POWER. I believe it is was good to keep in mind how action-

based, participatory and community research have gained validity among Indigenous

researchers. “to Indigenize is to position your Indigenous worldview at the center” (p.30).

Knowledge is relational, shared with all of creation, it is not individualized. The

ecosystem is at Earth's center which includes animals, plants and the earth.

3. January 27th, 2020: I agree, that we need to do pre-engagement before engagement

research. I enjoyed how Cultural Teachings connects the sovereignty of Indigenous

peoples to language and culture. I enjoyed this quote “I am fluid, my subject position is

always growing and changing every day”. I connected to how we need to decolonize and

reconstruct. But everyone needs to be willing to learn what we don’t know. Pre-

engagement is very important for conducting research.

In class, we discussed in groups about how settlers or non-Indigenous peoples can

involve Indigenous teachings and culture into the school’s curriculum. Everyone had an

interesting idea and options for how to do that respectfully. We also listened to Sylvia

McAdams and how we are on this circle and we broke the connection because of forced

colonization by stepping out which results in breaking Indigenous law. For example.

Breaking down family, children, creating the welfare system, removal by governments
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and the law. It is essentially criminalizing of identity (Who are you). Lastly, I enjoyed

how McAdam talks about respecting plant and animals and respecting the earth.

4. February 3rd, 2020: Cultural Teachings chapters 3&5. Previously Indigenous peoples had

their own laws and regulation until they faced colonialism. Knowledge keepers believed

a good lifestyle, being clean physically, intellectually, mentally, and spiritually was very

important. It was very important to have deep listening skills, give gifts to elders which is

usually tobacco, and always show respect. Smiths chapter 2 is about the effects of white

research, academic research, and outsider research. For example, Hall discussed 1)

classifying societies, 2) condense images, 3) comparison, 4) criteria of evaluation. That is

all related to power, for example, Marxism and Feminism. While I enjoyed how

feminism is explained as challenges to epistemology because it is challenged by women

of color. Theories about research are underpinned by cultural systems of classification

and representation of views about human nature. For example, morality, virtue, space,

time, gender, and race. Nandy says colonization as a “shared” culture for those who have

been colonized. Intersections of race and gender, the slave trade, racial discourse, racists

practice of modernity. Communication is all gendered. I found it interesting how

historically Indigenous women were chiefs and very respected. While western interests

always dominate. Savage versus civilized, white versus non-white, civilized versus non-

civilized. History is all about POWER.

5. February 7th, 2020: Cultural teachings chapter 6. I found it influential because spirituality

is an integral part of indigenous people’s life. It was interesting how it addresses the

importance of spirituality with how all beings and things are interconnected as one. The

chapter expresses how a clean life is important. My favorite part was when it talks about
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how even the smallest insect and the air we breathe, have a life force or spirit and are

therefore sacred. I connect to that because of my huge love for animals and the

environment. I believe animals are sentient beings which led me to become vegetarian

two years ago.

6. My thinking has definitely shifted. The way the readings and class discussions have been

conducted really has shifted my outlook on Indigenous culture, laws, and methodologies.

I believe now that viewing and holistically treating research is important to form a real

relationship with or who you’re researching. First, in “Kaandossiwin”, I enjoyed the petal

framework because I believe it grounds you in your pre-engagement research journey.

Knowing you should be respectful before conducting research. This is discussed in

cultural teachings as well. While when I am reading Smith, I find learning the history of

colonialism power and westernization important in my process to deconstruct western

ways. When I first started journaling I felt confused but once it began, I felt relieved

because we never had this experience in class to just write from our own perspective. I

think journaling is a great idea. I have started noticing how my journaling has improved

over the semester. In the beginning, this class is intimidating because of the different

format but I feel more spiritual when I am readings these books and connected.

7. February 26th, 2020: A major framework that impacted me through Smith’s work was the

imagery around the twelve ways to be researched in particular “having your genealogy,

Identity, stolen, patented, copied.” That statement alone is terrifying. It creates an

imagery of Indigenous peoples being seen as simply scientific research not real human

beings. It dehumanized anyone in that situation, the other image that came to mind was
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how troubling it is to think about having your umbilical cord blood of aborted babies

“farmed”. Farming an umbilical cord is a troubling sentence.

8. March 2nd, 2020: Chapter 6 My favorite part of this chapter is the Indigenous research

agenda because it is a global effort of self-determination among Indigenous peoples. It is

centered within decolonization politics and it mobilized peoples. The charts metaphor is

how the sea gives life and conveys movement. The flow of the ocean enables everyone to

create relationships with the sea. Then Smith explains the four directions the tides

(decolonization, healing, transformation, and mobilization) which intertwined. Within the

process. While the major tides are survival, recovery, development, and self-

determination. This framework shows respect for Indigenous communities and peoples.

9. Kaandossiwin Ch. 11, “Winding Down the Research” was an interesting chapter because

it helps to wind down the class and the book. I enjoyed reading the summary about

“Roots: worldview” because it discusses how prioritizing Indigenous world views is very

important as well as positioning Indigenous ways at the center. When Absolon

summarises the rest of the flower petal in chapter 11 it is a transformative process that is

centered around respect for Indigenous ways of knowing. I appreciated how in Absolon’s

concluding words it is saying that there is no way to conclude due to still being on that

journey. Especially the metaphor about the concluding is like the sky ending which is not

a possibility. Absolon’s concluding words are important because it is shared how there

are many other flower petal models out there and Absolon creates space for that.

10. Pictures from the journal below:

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