Journey of the Seed Activity

Activity adapted from SOADI’s Journey of the Seed, by Grandmother Rene Thomas Hill and from Edward Benton Banai’s Poem of the 7 Fires of Creation & Jim Dumont’s Reflection.

Original Instructions

Gitchie Manito moulded “a shape which contained the inspiration and the motivation to be.  With intention and had within its blueprint the two side of twinness that makes up life itself.  These are the ‘seed thoughts’ that hold the potential and essence of life.

Mother Earth

Gitchie Manito needed a place to send his seed thoughts with the essence of life.  Aki, (Earth) was created, with “waters to flow in and around the earth, like veins and arteries carrying the life force of life itself.

Helpers of Mother Earth

We are of the Universe to bring about the harvest of all being – we are Sun, Moon, Wind, Water, Air, Animal and Seasons.  Gitchie Manito sent seeds down from the Star World, they were brought by birds of every voice and every colour.

We, Indigenous People

We have been assigned to watch over and encourage the growth of these seeds and the continuation of them.

The Visitors

We bring our understandings of life, new flavors and technologies to your way of life.  We bring our worldview of colonialism and greed to your instructions.

Changes of Values

People becoming less agricultural, moving away from the land to becoming urbanized.

Seed of No Spirit

I am no longer of spirit of our original Sacred Seed but am chemically inclined to create addiction of people so that there is nothing but chaos and death all about.

Grandmother Brings Hope

I have saved you for this new world.  We have been waiting for you so that you can take these seeds and plant them as it was in the beginning.  And what you are learning here is those seeds – taking those seeds, those sacred seeds, and now you are going to bring back that gift.

150 Years of Genocide

Today we will be learning about the Canadian narrative and the truth of Canada’s history.  The one that many of us never learned in school.  Today we will unpack events, legislation and oppression, assimilation and cultural genocide of colonization.

Remember your 4P’s: Perception, Power, Privilege and Purpose as we discuss some terminology, concepts and acts of Indigenous resistance.

150+ Years of Genocide Activity

The intention of this question is to gauge the Participants and their knowledge of Indigenous resistance in the present climate.  Have some examples prepared to discuss.

1. Show the picture to the group, explaining where the photo was taken.
2.  Description: First Nations rights activists hold a banner reading “150+ Years of Genocide,” as they march following the “Unsettle Canada Day 150 Picnic,” in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 1, 2017.
3. Ask the question, how does this photo make you feel?
   • In 2017, Canada celebrated being a country for 150 years. Not everyone was celebrating.
4. Some other examples from the last few years are:

• • Robinson Huron Waawiindaamaagewin (Treaty) Annuities Lawsuit with Ontario government.^[1]
  • Idle No More “protest legislature that would erode Indigenous sovereignty and environmental protections—that has now changed the social and political landscape of Canada.”^[2]
  • “Unist’ot’en Camp to protect sovereign Wet’suwet’en territory from several proposed pipelines from the Tar Sands”^[3]
  • 1942 Land Back Lane^[4]
  • Mi’kmaq Fisheries ^[5]

5.  Use the material below to further the discussion.

“We should never forget…it’s apart of who we are as a nation.  And this nation must never forget what it once did to its most vulnerable people.”

Senator Murry Sinclair

Senator Murry Sinclair, Commission Chairman illustrates why some people did not celebrate Canada’s 150, in his presentation of the Truth and Reconciliation report and the 94 Calls to Action in Ottawa, 2015.  He addresses how Canada funded the Residential School System, which was in operation for over 100 years.

Question:

• What is meant by “it’s most vulnerable people?”

Bundle 7 Senator Murry Sinclair Statement on TRC Report

Bundle 7 Background to TRC

Indigenous Views on Canada 150_Agenda with Steve Paikin (28 mins)

Colonization Road Activity Overview

Colonization Road Activity Script

Part I, Childhood Memories Slideshow

• Ensure PowerPoint of slide show of Cultural Program Events with children are playing in the background.
• If location has limited ability for slideshow, ask participants to look for a phone of a child in their life around 6-7 years old, put the picture next to them on their desk or on computer or phone.
• Adopted from Senator Murry Sinclair Presentation

Part II, Colonization Road Activity Introduction

The Colonization Road Activity is intended to be a journey through time that will explore historical events that are specific to North America and local to the North Shore of Lake Huron from Sault Ste. Marie to Sudbury. This historical storytelling will be from an Anishinaabe’s worldview, that is the First Peoples that were living on this land pre contact. The timeline is broken down into 5 main stages, 4 stages have been taken from The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) and combined with the “Waves” from Jim Dumont’s the Story That Was Never Told. These stages are:

• Time Immemorial
• 1st Wave, Recon & Invasion
• 2nd Wave, Occupation
• 3rd Wave, Assimilation
• Resistance & Resiliency

Part III  Time Immemorial – 12,000+ Years

Turtle Island Map – Poster Resource

There were 100’s of various nations of Indigenous peoples that lived in their territories across Turtle Island prior to settler arrival. This is known as “Separate Worlds”, Indigenous people living independently with a universal “understanding” of respect and humility that was grounded in connection with the spirit world.

• Identity location of the various First Nations and territories
  • {insert reference page with Nations, Locations & Numbers}
    
• Terminology
• Treaties and understandings between Nations ex Dish with One Spoon
• Attention to the Bundle in the Center, review Day 1 & Day 2
• Ask participants to give some examples and symbolism.

The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples identified this as “Stage 1 – Indigenous and non-Indigenous societies developed on their own in lands far from each other, with different cultures and forms of social organization. This changed when Europeans arrived and began to settle in North America.”

Review

Treaties

Terminology Exercise

Part IV Colonization Bundle

Before Moving Forward

Before beginning where most people begin thinking about Turtle Island in “1492”.  We need to back up the scroll to what life was like before contact.  What was the history of the world before contact on Turtle Island?  Specifically Europe, Brittan, Africa to name a few.

During this same time on turtle island, the people across the ocean in European countries have perfected the domination of peoples and lands by the strategic goals of genocidal warfare, pillaging (Pirates), slavery, and scorched earth policy in the name of Christianity and conquest.

It makes you thing what lead up to the Papal Bulls in the 1400s in Rome, which is what we know as the “Doctrine of Discovery”.  Papal Bulls are formal statements from the Pope that decreed law.  “During the European “Age of Discovery”, Christian explorers claimed lands for their monarchs who felt they could exploit the land, regardless of the original inhabitants.”^[11]

This was invalidly based on the presumed racial superiority of European Christian peoples and was used to dehumanize, exploit and subjugate Indigenous Peoples and dispossess us of our most basic rights.  This was the very foundation of genocide.  Such ideology lead to the practices that continue through modern-day laws and policies.^[12]

Examples of this established colonialist domination can be seen with:

• Ancient Egypt (Alexandria Library, 250 BC – what info was lost and effect to humanity)
• Roman Empire (at height 200 CE), where Roman Catholism came from
• Medieval Europe (750 CE), feudalism, separation rich from poor (power & privilege)
• British Empire (500 CE), majority converted to Christianity by 7th century^[13]
  • Later to Colonize (to name a few):
    • North America (1600s)
    • India (1750s)
    • Australia (1780s)
    • South Africa (1800s) – apartheid 1948-1996, New World as example

However, in really this was a time of:

• Recon & Invasion that brought disease and genocidal warfare.
• During this time on other continents, people were mastering the skills of slavery and genocidal warfare techniques to conquer. Natural resources were diminishing, and the need to posses more, and lay claim to new lands became the focus of empires.

Reconnaissance: small expeditions to scout out new lands and resources and gather information.  “These are often celebrated today as voyages of exploration & scientific discovery.”  Example Jacques Cartier in the name of France, landing in 1534 on what is now Canada’s east coast looking for the North passage to Asia.^[14]  Cartier came with perception of authority under the Doctrine of Discovery.

Doctrine of Discovery: Created for European monarchies in 1400s by the Roman Catholic church (Terra nullius/Papal Bulls), declaring lands can be seized if not inhabited by Christians (Savages) in the name of discovery. This point is very important, the Church became very powerful and behind ALL colonial expansion, and is the root to ALL legal systems.  “The New World” examples:

• Spain – Christopher Columbus, South America, 1492
• France – Jacques Cartier, Newfound Land, 1534
• Samuel Champlain, Quebec, 1603
• English – John Smith, New England, 1607
• Henry Hudson, Hudson Bay Basin, 1611

Invasion: can begin with a period of conflict of resistance to colonial forces. “Invasion can begin immediately after the recon or may be delayed by a period of trade & settlement that serve as a basis for later invasion.  In every case, colonial military strategy is genocidal and includes the destruction of food supplies, resources & shelter, as well as massacres & biological warfare (disease).”^[15]   An example, Cartier kidnapped 2 Indigenous boys when he returned to England.  He used them as guides when he returned to “the New World”, with more ships and men in 1535.  Cartier kidnapped another bunch of Indigenous people his 2nd time back.  This time, they never saw home again.

2nd  Wave – Occupation, mid 1600’s – mid 1800’s

Loss of Pathway is from continued disruptions from their cultural traditions and way of life, leaving Indigenous People uprooted.  Disruptions include: Colonization tactics which include marginalization & oppression, Europeans wealth, power and possession, superiority, exploitation, and greed.

Occupation:  the seizure and control of a country or area by military forces,^[16] this can also be symbolized by expansion, colonial government setting up to take control by means of reservations and legislature, colonial authorities as corporations established for resource extraction, with roads, railroads, ports etc.^[17]

The occupation of North America was different then the occupation of South America.  The main difference was that the explorers/settlers learned early they needed help from the Indigenous people if they were going to survive the harsh winters and wilderness.  It was also evident that the Indigenous peoples were skilled military strategists and would be an asset for access to trading routes, access to the interior, and alleys while competing against other countries (France, England, Dutch and Spain).  This made colonizers work with the Indigenous peoples, with the ulterior motive and intent of domination and control of lands and resources.

Occupation was happening with a smile and promises, while different legislature was being put into place behind the scenes.

Basic Timeline of the Occupation of Norther America:

Assimilation: “culture of the colonized people is affirmatively changed to be more closely aligned with the culture of the colonizing people, another term is social engineering”^[22]

In Jim Dumont’s The Story that was never told, calls this the time of loss.

• Loss of land – identity and life ways, sacred relationship
• Loss of tradition
• Loss of spirituality
• Loss of culture
• Loss of language
• Loss of political systems
• Loss of governing systems
• Loss of clan and clan systems

Basic Timeline of the Assimilation of Norther America:

The time of war had ended, and the need for advocacy and resistance was evident.

Residential Schools

The next phase of colonization, equally as violent and traumatizing was to focus on the next generations, the children.  To forcibly take children away from families and raising them in the colonizer’s educational institutions.  1883 marks the partnership between the government of Canada and the Church for federally funded Indian Residential Schools.  Attendance became mandatory in 1920-1969 for children between ages 6 to 16.  Officials could come into the home to collect, and if parents declined or fought, it was punishable by jail (practice that was not legal).^[24]  People would hide their children so that they would not be taken. Officials were needed to ensure children were attending school, and to return the runaways.  In 1881, an amendment to Indian Act gave Indian Agents direct control over the Indigenous people and reserves.  They were given the same authority as Magistrates (judges).  The Indian Agent placed fear into the people.

By 1895, IRS were in full swing.  In 1891, a “per capita grant” passed to offer dollars based on occupancy, which all students were accepted. Health of the child was not a priority for acceptance to institution.

In 1906, The Bryce Report (Peter Henderson Bryce – a true Ally and Champion), highlighted the appalling conditions and high death (25% children died per year and 69% died before they reached 16 years) rates to Duncan Campbell Scott, Super Intendent of Indian Affairs; which Duncan on behalf of government of Canada did nothing.  The report was buried, and Scott was banished by 1921.  He later published his report in a book, “A National Crime”.

Cindy Blackstock, CBC News Interview Duncan Campbell Scott Plaque (8 mins audio)  Scroll down to listen to interview

• A total of 130 chronically underfunded Schools in operation across Canada
• 150,000 estimated students attended.
• At least 3,500 children died, TRC estimates at least 10x this due to poor records.

In these schools, the intention was to turn the savage Indians into the civilized, this was done by spiritual, emotional, physical and mental abuse systems for 120+ years. Children experienced:

In the Algoma region, schools started to open.

The 60’s Scoop

Timeline Continued

Resistance & Resiliency: 1970 to Present

Awakening, a movement toward reconciliation.

Acculturation – is a process of social, psychological, and cultural change that stems from the balancing of two cultures while adapting to the prevailing culture of the society. Acculturation is a process in which an individual adopts, acquires and adjusts to a new cultural environment. Individuals of a differing culture try to incorporate themselves into the new more prevalent culture by participating in aspects of the more prevalent culture, such as their traditions, but still hold onto their original cultural values and traditions. The effects of acculturation can be seen at multiple levels in both the devotee of the prevailing culture and those who are assimilating into the culture.^[26]