Fire and Water are medicines, relatives. Water is the blood of Mother Earth. When we light a fire, we invite the spirit in.  The relationship with fire and water informs the broader relationships with the land and how to protect it. 

We have lost so much. Despite all the rhetoric and "green" laws, the daily attack on the Earth continues. Water, the lifeblood of the Earth continues to be degraded and poisoned. But within the darkness of this landscape there shines a ray of hope – the emerging movement of Indigenous Rights Holders supported by Settler Allies. All over Turtle Island, Indigenous people, led by the women, are standing up for the land and water. 

“Toronto” is recognized as Traditional Anishinaabe Territory with the Rights Holders being the Mississaugas of the New Credit. It is also a major metropolitan city with four river systems and many ravines that are wildlife corridors throughout the city. There are many staff in the city who are deeply committed to the Earth. But change is slow, if it happens at all. Why?

In the last session (see report below) Kevin Best, the series curator who has been working on merging Indigenous and non-Indigenous actions for restoring the Great Lakes bioregion for more than 20 years, was joined in conversation by Giidaakunadaad (Nancy) Rowe from Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. 

We heard about New Credit’s initiatives to protect the land and water and their movement to restore Indigenous Governance in Toronto. We explored the opportunities and challenges in working with government structures, particularly in the areas of planning, education and the rights of Indigenous children.

We explored how exercising Indigenous Rights and re-establishing Indigenous governance are the best, if not the only, hope for protecting the land and water from further assault and beginning the process of regeneration. We looked at how realizing this hope requires spiritual, political, technical and social action.
 
In this session we will explore more fully Nancy's dreams for a regenerated territory for her grandchildren.

Kevin will share some ideas about spirit engaged, grass roots revolution. 

Presenters:

Giidaakunedaad (Nancy) Rowe
Giidaakunadaad n’dizhinikaaz “I am called the spirit who lives in high places”. Nancy Rowe is a Mississauga, Ojibwe of the Aanishinaabek Nation located at New Credit First Nation, ON. Nancy holds an honors BA in Indigenous Studies and Political Science. She is an educator, consultant and a Traditional Practitioner of Aanishinaabek lifeway’s, views and customary practices and is currently completing a Master’s degree of Environmental Resource Studies at the University of Waterloo. She is an avid volunteer who co-ordinates Kinomaagaye Gaamik, a grass roots initiative to provide educational opportunities for all peoples interested in Indigenous perspectives of life, health, education, history and the environment. “Education is the doorway through which we all can create a common ground and understanding of not only Indigenous Peoples but also, and more importantly, our environment.” She is also part of a newly formed, Indigenous based, initiative of Rivercourt Engineering, a dynamic team of engineers, scientists and social innovators who have been on the forefront of award winning, ecologically and socially integrated design for over 40 years.

Kevin Best, Series Curator
Kevin Best has focused on how to create a just and sustainable society through activism, innovative business and restoring Indigenous society for over four decades. Of mixed descent he identifies as Anishinabeg of the Martin Clan. He has worked with Indigenous people throughout Turtle Island, consulted to Greenpeace and pioneered green energy in Ontario. He is currently working on a start-up called Odenaansan (Village or “the little places where my heart is”), an integrated, culturally-based approach to restoring Minobimadzin (the good life) through sustainable food, energy, housing and water in Anishinabe communities. Passionate about decolonization and re-indigenization, he is committed to spreading understanding of these life-giving possibilities. He is Managing Director of Rivercourt Engineering.

We have lost so much. Despite all the rhetoric and "green" laws, the daily attack on the Earth continues. Water, the lifeblood of the Earth continues to be degraded and poisoned. But within the darkness of this landscape there shines a ray of hope – the emerging movement of Indigenous Rights Holders supported by Settler Allies. All over Turtle Island, Indigenous people, led by the women, are standing up for the land and water. 

“Toronto” is recognized as Traditional Anishinaabe Territory with the Rights Holders being the Mississaugas of the New Credit. It is also a major metropolitan city with four river systems and many ravines that are wildlife corridors throughout the city. There are many staff in the city who are deeply committed to the Earth. But change is slow, if it happens at all. Why?

In this session with Kevin Best, the series curator who has been working on merging Indigenous and non-Indigenous actions for restoring the Great Lakes bioregion for more than 20 years, we were joined in conversation by Giidaakunadaad (Nancy) Rowe from Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. We heard about New Credit’s initiatives to protect the land and water and their movement to restore Indigenous Governance in Toronto. We explored the opportunities and challenges in working with government structures, particularly in the areas of planning, education and the rights of Indigenous children.

We explored how exercising Indigenous Rights and re-establishing Indigenous governance are the best, if not the only, hope for protecting the land and water from further assault and beginning the process of regeneration. We looked at how realizing this hope requires spiritual, political, technical and social action. 

The session began with a conversation between Kevin Best and Giidaakenedaad (Nancy) Rowe followed by a circle of introductions, a Q & A and then smaller talking circles. Below you will find notes from three of the talking circles.  

Presenters:

Giidaakunedaad (Nancy) Rowe
Giidaakunadaad n’dizhinikaaz “I am called the spirit who lives in high places”. Nancy Rowe is a Mississauga, Ojibwe of the Aanishinaabek Nation located at New Credit First Nation, ON. Nancy holds an honors BA in Indigenous Studies and Political Science. She is an educator, consultant and a Traditional Practitioner of Aanishinaabek lifeway’s, views and customary practices and is currently completing a Master’s degree of Environmental Resource Studies at the University of Waterloo. She is an avid volunteer who co-ordinates Kinomaagaye Gaamik, a grass roots initiative to provide educational opportunities for all peoples interested in Indigenous perspectives of life, health, education, history and the environment. “Education is the doorway through which we all can create a common ground and understanding of not only Indigenous Peoples but also, and more importantly, our environment.” She is also part of a newly formed, Indigenous based, initiative of Rivercourt Engineering, a dynamic team of engineers, scientists and social innovators who have been on the forefront of award winning, ecologically and socially integrated design for over 40 years.

Kevin Best, Series Curator
Kevin Best has focused on how to create a just and sustainable society through activism, innovative business and restoring Indigenous society for over four decades. Of mixed descent he identifies as Anishinabeg of the Martin Clan. He has worked with Indigenous people throughout Turtle Island, consulted to Greenpeace and pioneered green energy in Ontario. He is currently working on a start-up called Odenaansan (Village or “the little places where my heart is”), an integrated, culturally-based approach to restoring Minobimadzin (the good life) through sustainable food, energy, housing and water in Anishinabe communities. Passionate about decolonization and re-indigenization, he is committed to spreading understanding of these life-giving possibilities. He is Managing Director of Rivercourt Engineering.

Groups were offered the following suggested flow to guide their sharing:

• Thinking about all that you have experienced this evening, what specific words, phrases or images still linger in your mind? 
• What intrigued you or excited you about what you have heard?
• Where did you feel most challenged? 
• What questions remain? 
• How might non-indigenous allies play a part in this process we have heard about this evening? 
• What would you like to carry forward from this evening? 

They were invited to reflect on what the world needs to know from their discussion, and to record key points on a flip chart. Here are the points some of the groups recorded: 

Big I, Little i,

Indigenous, indigenous, indigenize…. Huh?

Weren’t we all indigenous at some point? Can’t we all have a reciprocal relationship with the land? Isn’t all this conversation of differences between Indigenous and Settler divisive? 

These are some of the questions have come up in the last year as we have explored the theme of indigenize or die as a statement of fact about our human survival on this planet. Of the many things that have emerged is that there is an important distinction between Indigenous, indigenous and indigenize.  
 Most of humanity has been separated from the land, from each other, from the cultures that have sustained human beings for thousands of years, and from ourselves -- in short from our indigeneity. It is a global phenomenon that has culminated in the cancer stage of capitalism so exquisitely portrayed in the Trumpocracy to the south.

The problem is clear, we believe "to Indigenize" is the answer but...what that means and how is less clear to most of us. In our discussions from last month's session, one insight that emerged was that there is a generalized, small "i" indigenize and a more nuanced, deeper, large "I" Indigenize. 

What do we mean by indigenize/Indigenize? 

How do these meanings affect us personally?

How do we, Indigenous and settler work together in the best way to restore that which has been lost, yet working towards a future that has never been?

This is some of what will frame our next session next Tuesday March 7th at the Peace Lounge at OISE-UT. The evening will be in two parts, a participatory, facilitated, plenary session which will frame the smaller talking circles which will allow each person to deepen their connection to this life-affirming process. 

You may have been actively participating in our process over the past year, or perhaps are an interested observer. Now in this precarious moment in history we are asking for the wisdom of our community to help guide our process over the next year. 

A year ago, we started the series with the following statement of intent:

The ship of global imperialism and colonization has hit an iceberg. While the majority of the world's inhabitants suffer the consequences of runaway capitalism and globalized war-making, the very few on the upper decks continue their party with business as usual, blissfully ignoring the realities. 

In this series, "Indigenize or Die," we deconstruct the myths of the dominant culture, explore a more truthful historical perspective and how that manifests today. Then, through the lens of decolonization and re-indigenization, we explore together possibilities for an ecologically sustainable and socially just way forward. We ask, how can we ensure the survival of complex life on this land in accordance with its legitimate laws and the laws of Nature?  

The intent of the series is to weave an understanding of history and current reality into developing a practical "go forward" plan for this land. 

Looking back, we’re happy with where the series took us last year in pursuing this intent.

Many would say the year has been filled with darkness. But it has also brought out huge expressions of solidarity from across many divides, like the world-wide support for the water protectors at Standing Rock and the millions who walked together in the recent Women’s March. We think that Indigenize or Die and both of these events are fires of hope in a bleak world.    

We have heard Indigenous voices, reconnected to land, and in the last months seen an inspiring potential emerge for a collaboration between settler/allies and indigenous rights holders in Toronto.  

We also have come to recognize there there are significant challenges to becoming authentic settler allies and to the process of reconciliation in Toronto.  

We’ve taken the turning of the year to retreat and reflect. Two main questions emerge for us: 

How can the expression of indigenous rights protect the Earth in Toronto? 

How do those of us immersed in the dominant colonial culture overcome our conditioning to become authentic, effective allies in this process?

And so we are turning to you, the community who have gathered around the series, who have important insights and experience to help guide and inform the process. For our inaugural session of 2017 there will be time for deeper dialogue and sharing to listen deeply to each other in our emerging community, to engage in authentic sharing of our own processes and gain insight into where we need to go in reconciling with the Earth and her Indigenous protectors.

We began by recalling the request from the Achuar people to the Pachamama Alliance that seeded Unify Toronto. Then we restated the original intention of the "Indigenize or Die" series and recapped the flow of sessions over the course of 2016. We shared the themes and questions that had emerged for us to that point during our turning-of-the-year retreat time:

- How can the expression of indigenous rights protect the Earth in Toronto?
- How do those of us immersed in the dominant colonial culture overcome our conditioning to become authentic, effective allies in this process?

From there, we broke into small circles of 5-6, each with a designated facilitator and a talking piece. The invitation was to share in a personal way about our own process with the "Indigenize or Die" series and what was percolating in each of us, with a view to thus inform how the series unfolds over the coming months.  

Four of the five groups harvested notes and shared a report in the closing plenary: