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What “Kwezens makes a lovely discovery” teaches us about Land-Based Pedagogy

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What “Kwezens makes a lovely discovery” teaches us about Land-Based Pedagogy

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The importance of Land as Pedagogy is perfectly explained through the story “Kwezens makes a lovely discovery” that can be found in the Leanne Betasamosake Simpson article “Land as pedagogy: Nishnaabeg intelligence and rebellious transformation.” This iteration of the story follows “Kwezens” (a word that literally means “little woman” but is used to mean “girl”) as she discovers how to tap maple syrup from a tree after she watches a red squirrel do the same. Kwezens shares her discovery with her enthusiastic and encouraging loved ones, and they later use it in their cooking. This story brings forth many reasons as to why land-based pedagogy is important. Here are some examples of this:

-The story exemplifies the importance of sustainable resource extraction. Though it is not explicitly written in the story, Kwezens only appears to tap sap from the one tree she had initially found for her mother to make maple syrup, which is representative of Netukulimk. Netukulimk is a Mi’Kmaw concept that refers to sustainable resource extraction. It essentially means to gather enough, but not more than enough. This is (broadly and generally) a tenet of many Indigenous cultures.

-The story also shows that engagement with nature can lead to discovery alongside a deep sense of connection with said discovery. Experiential learning is a process whereby a person learns by engaging with materials using a “hands-on” approach. This is shown by how Kwezens feels pride and satisfaction in her discovery. This further demonstrates how land-based pedagogy instills a sense of belonging and purpose in those who engage with it. There is an additional element to this, as Kwezens learned through watching an animal. This shows that people can learn about nature through animals, just as Kwezens learned about maple syrup by watching a squirrel extract it.

-Given that Kwezens is not the first to ever discover maple syrup, she is in a way connected with her ancestors/ those who discovered it before her. This deep cultural connection is a significant element of land-based pedagogy, and can also instill a sense of belonging within those who engage with it.

-The connection Kwezens has to ancestors, to nature, and to her loved ones is an example of the concept of “MSIT No’Kmaq,” meaning “all my relations.” This Mi’Kmaw term refers to the idea that all things in the universe are interconnected. This not only means that we all have relationships with other beings, whether alive or dead, but that we are also connected with nature. This is exemplified in the story through Kwezens’ experiential learning through nature and animals, as well as how she interacts with her loved ones after the exciting discovery.

Overall, the story perfectly exemplifies the importance of Land-Based Pedagogy, and shows how the approach to education is a holistic, relational, communal and experiential one. I think I would use “Kwezens makes a lovely discovery” as a starting point to introduce Land-Based Pedagogy as a concept to my students. I would do this in any course but especially in social studies.

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One idea that has certainly been reinforced in my mind in regards to Indigenous Knowledges throughout this course is that they do not mesh well with capitalism ideologically. The inherent values of Indigenous worldviews and capitalism fundamentally conflict, which is explained comprehensively in the work “For Our Nations to Live, Capitalism Must Die” on the site “Unsettling America” by Glenn Coulthard. This is because Indigenous philosophies are deeply rooted in MSIT No’kmaq, or “All My Relations,” a concept that refers to the idea that all things and beings are interconnected. This interconnectedness includes land as well, land from which capitalism siphons resources with reckless abandon to accumulate wealth for a select few. This is not only at the expense of the land, but also of everyone aside from those select few, as capitalism relies on the exploitation of the majority. The capitalist emphasis on perpetual growth to the detriment of the environment similarly directly conflicts with the Mi'kmaw principle of Netukulimk, which is based in the idea that humans should take what is needed from the earth and not more.

In Sociology 12, Unit 1 there is an emphasis on teaching Postmodernism wherein I would definitely take the opportunity to discuss the ways in which we are going backwards in terms of progress/ the betterment of society. The perfect example would be to juxtapose how various Indigenous communities have no access to clean water while corporations extract millions upon millions of litres from land, including treaty land. One specific case I would mention would be how the Six Nations community in Ontario lives without running water whilst Nestlé siphons millions of litres daily from the very land they live on. This is a perfect example of how advancements in our society aim to line the pockets of the wealthy whilst greatly disadvantageaging and exploiting the working class, especially those who are marginalized. Unit 4: Resources and Commodities in Global Geography 12 calls for students to be able to “analyze factors that affect the global distribution and consumption of water” which would be an ideal opportunity to teach about this as well.

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-One concept that I wanted to explore further was that of “mino-bimaadiziwin” as I read about it in the chapter “Troubling Trespass: Moving Settler Teachers Toward Decolonization” of the book “Troubling Truth and Reconciliation in Canadian Education: Critical Perspectives” I wanted to learn more about it because I have heard our professor and guest speakers talk about doing something “in a good way,” which I discovered is broadly the meaning of this Anishinaabe concept. I found a piece by an Anishinaabe woman who describes it well, she says: “Anishinaabe women Elders have also been influential role models for learning what is the best path to being a ‘good’ woman. The Elders speak of the concept of mino-bimaadiziwin, which speaks of a ‘good mind,’ a ‘good way,’ or a ‘good path’ that an individual takes in order to live a healthy and well-rounded life as  an Anishinaabe.” (Bédard, 2008) It seems to have many meanings, but overall it appears to refer to the idea of moving forward in a positive way and being the best person you can be. It reminds me a bit of how my mother always said “Tomorrow is a new day; fresh with no mistakes in it.” Anyways, I wanted to highlight this one because I think it is a good mindset to have, especially as a teacher. You have to deal with a lot in this profession so I think it is important to keep a mindset grounded in ideas like mino-bimaadiziwin so that you can move forward “in a good way,” not hold grudges, and be the best person you can be. I would say that this also connects to something we discussed in class, the concept of being a good ancestor. This frame of mind allows us to analyze who we are through the lens of how our ancestors would see us. I think it is important to picture ourselves in the grand scheme of things as it is easy to get lost in our lives without seeing things on a macro level.

-The next concepts I want to explore are MSIT No’kmaq and Netukulimk, which I do define a few times in this curriculum toolkit so I will not go too into detail in this section. However, I will explore how I think they are connected, and how I might incorporate them into my teaching. MSIT No’kmaq refers to how all things and beings are interconnected with each other and with the earth, while Netukulimk is a concept that refers to sustainable resource extraction, taking only what we need, and having a reciprocal relationship with nature/ the earth. Both terms refer to the interconnectedness of humans with the natural world and the importance of treating it with respect and care. These would be important concepts to teach in any course that has a curriculum that refers to sustainability and the environment (most likely some sort of social studies.) It might be interesting to have students do research or hear a talk from a guest speaker on the topic, then have them compare and contrast the two concepts. Perhaps even in a course like Citizenship 9 or in an Integrated Learning context could students develop some sort of action plan to help the environment based in the concepts on MSIT No’kmaq and Netukulimk.

-The final concept that I want to explore is Etuaptmumk, or “Two-Eyed Seeing” This concept refers to viewing something from two different perspectives, these perspectives often being that of Indigenous Science vs Western Science. This is such an important concept when teaching science of any kind (in French we makes the distinction between “natural” and “human” sciences) Students must know that there are multiple perspectives when it comes to what constitutes science, and that Western/ Colonial perspectives on science are not inherently valid and infallibly correct. I think the concept of how we distinguish between what is and is not “valid” science was perfectly encapsulated in the case study we examined in class, where students were tasked with creating a project for a science fair and there was tension and conflict involving the students and the teacher in terms of what constituted a valid topic for a science project. That case study really got me thinking about how I would have to broach subjects like this in my teaching career. As the authority figure in the room, it seems like it is up to you to define what science is and is not, and the truth is that “science” is actually very nuanced and not as cut-and-dry as it might seem according to Western ways of thinking. I think that Two-Eyed seeing, or Etuaptmumk would help me in getting students to understand that concept. I think a compare and contrast activity or assignment could really help students grasp this concept as well.

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The first resource I have linked is a Post-Contact timeline of Mi’Kmaw History. I chose this one specifically because it comes from an Indigenous sources, whereas most of the other timelines I saw were from Western encyclopedias and universities. I would use this timeline in a social studies or history course to teach the history of the Mi’kmaq, as they are the dominant Indigenous group in Nova Scotia and I believe it is important for students to know the history of the people who lived on this land before us and who continue to live on this land to this day.

The second resource I have linked is a video by Cheryl Bartlett, author of two of the Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing articles that I have consulted for this curriculum toolkit. This is a video I would show in any class to explain the concept. Even though it is over a decade old it is still concise and has valuable information on the topic and incorporates first voice perspectives.

The third resource is more of a reference for my own teaching philosophy and practice rather than a resource for students. It was written to be an official document for the government of Canada, however it was written by two Indigenous authors and I found it helped me cement the connection in my mind between Indigenous worldviews and Restorative Justice/ Approach. The more I learn about restorative justice and the restorative approach, the more I find that it resembles Indigenous practices and perspectives. Not only due to the use of the concept of talking circles informing the circle work used in restorative justice and practices, but also due to their overall attitudes towards punishment and justice. Indigenous practices and legal traditions, as well as in Restorative practice and justice, value solving conflict and mending relationships. While it has been proven time and time again that allowing victims to share how they were affected by an incident with their offenders, and allowing offenders to try to make amends with their victim, is a successful practice in terms of meeting the needs of the parties involved, it goes against the doctrine of the Western punitive system which means it can never be the dominant form of criminal justice in a society so imbued in white supremacist and punishment-centric Colonial ideology. I hope to incorporate both Indigenous and Restorative perspectives into my teaching, because my goal is to help students learn and grow from their mistakes, not to shame them and punish them. Students who are shamed and punished never get a chance to improve how they treat others, and their victims never get restitution and closure.