Day 5: Still Time for a Little More

Day 5: Still Time for a Little More

by Donna DesBiens -
Number of replies: 0

Thank you to everyone who has said hello in the Who’s Here forum and kudos to folks who have already posted their land acknowledgements and contributed to the feedback process.

This morning I was looking at the ZeeMap of where in the world participants live, work, and have cultural connections. While building the map over the week, I was curious to learn how our connections to diverse places and cultures might influence our work and relationships with others and be reflected in our acknowledgements.

When I look at the map now, one thing that stands out is that participants represent learning institutions and agencies across the country and across the border in neighbouring States. I also notice the weight of European cultural roots with a sprinkling of African and Caribbean connections. To me, this map reflects a commitment to reconciliation among the children of settler cultures, some of whom were also oppressed in their own ancestral homelands and recognize the damage done.

We have both noticed this commitment also shining through your acknowledgements, the quality of the dialogue, and - maybe most encouraging of all – the ways you are putting this commitment into action. As Willie Ermine (2010) tells us, people have a deep yearning to be ethical, i.e. to try and do good; but the challenge is to do something about it, which is quite different from just talking about ideas the way we usually do in the academy.

Equality, Equity, Liberation image

  Image: CC0

If you haven’t yet posted, no worries – there’s still time to do that. If all you’ve got is a rough idea, that’s okay, post it anyway. We have a little overflow time into the weekend as we will also be continuing to participate in the feedback sharing process.

Thank you for taking this learning journey with us. Eye? Sqâ’lewen.

Your facilitators, Donna and Dianne