[MUSIC] It's difficult to fully explain the concept of the worldview including Indigenous worldviews, because they're so diverse and complex. And there are a multitude of ways to understand the world. Despite this diversity, there are some similarities that we can find amongst the many Indigenous worldviews. Indigenous ways of knowing are based on the idea that individuals are trained to understand their environment, according to teachings found in stories. These teachings are developed specifically to describe the collective lived experiences and date back thousands of years. The collective experience is made up of thousands of individual experiences, and these experiences come directly from the land and help shape the codes of conduct for Indigenous societies. A key principle is to live in balance and maintain peaceful internal and external relations. This is linked to the understanding that we are all connected to each other. The hierarchical structure of western world views that places humans on the top of the pyramid, does not exist. The interdependency with all things, promotes a sense of responsibility and accountability. The people would respond to the ecological rhythms and patterns of the land in order to live in harmony. While there may be some commonalities between Indigenous worldviews, remember that there are great complexities and rich diversities within each nation. Sharing all the worldviews of every Indigenous nation does not fall within the scope of this lesson. That would probably take us years. However, we will talk briefly about four different worldviews, Inuit, Nehiyawak, Kanien:keha'ka or Mohawk, and Tlingit. First, we will discuss some commonalities between Indigenous nations. Then, we will take a brief look at some of the ways in which each of these nations, the Inuit, Nehiyawak, Kanien:keha'ka, and Tlingit understand their place in the world and how these worldviews rationalize thoughts and actions. First and foremost, Indigenous worldviews often have the philosophy of interconnectedness and belonging. This is the understanding that we are all related. Our discussion on storytelling established that Indigenous worldviews include the understanding that we are connected to each other and to all life on Earth. The phrase, all my relations, demonstrates that this relies on a respect for all living things. The governing principles of peace and harmony are highly valued and each person is expected to have accountability for their actions and words. Caring about the well being of others is vital to ones position in the community. Secondly, there is a unity through collaboration. With the foundation that we are all related, the group then becomes accountable for each of their actions. Each child, youth, adult, and elder has a role and a responsibility to each other and to the community, ensuring that there is peace and harmony. Thriving groups function well when everyone works towards a common goal. Thirdly, there is a distinct relationship with the land extending to environmental stewardship. The idea that land is a commodity to be exploited or owned could not be conceived. Land is only borrowed from future generations. While Indigenous peoples utilize the land in many ways through agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing, gathering, and living, there is a responsibility connected to these resources. This understanding of stewardship is based on the belief that land is the heart of creation. Land is not merely a supplier for resources, but an environment to be cared for and looked after for the next generations. We will take a brief look at four distinct nations— the Inuit, Nehiyawak, Kanien:keha'ka and the Tlingit— and discover that their unique worldviews are often reflected by the land and territory that they occupy. The physical landscape influences the values and paradigms of each nation’s worldviews. The Inuit thrive in the northern region of the globe. The term Inuit Quajimajatuqangit, or IQ, is used to explain Inuit philosophies and worldview. It means, that which Inuit have always known to be true. Although the Nunavut government has formally adopted this wording to describe Inuit worldview, it's important to realize that the Inuit occupy a large span of the circumpolar North; circumstances which necessitate variations in the culture. In Canada the four Inuit regions, Inuvialuit settlement region, Nunavut, Nunatsiavut, and Nunavik, are called Inuit Nunangat. The Arctic environment, which includes vast shelves of seasonal ice and marine waters, shapes Inuit worldviews. Therefore, a traditional homeland territory that includes sea ice and other marine water, is vital to Inuit worldview. Thriving in the harsh Arctic climate, Inuit people relied heavily upon each other for survival. Each person had value and contributed to the community. This reliance established codes of ethics and behaviours, or Maligait. Maligait has many meanings and translations, but to Inuit people it means, things that had to be done, and includes four main principles: work for the common good, respect all living things, preserve harmony and balance, plan and prepare for the future. The kinship practice of ancestral naming is an age-old practice amongst the Inuit. When a child is born, the elders of the family would gather to decide on the name of the baby. Often the name would be a relative who passed on, or someone who made a significant contribution to the community. All of the characteristics of that ancestor, including the strengths and skills, are imbued onto the child. From a naming day forward, the child is expected to act in the manner of their respected namesake. In this way, each member of society would be enveloped in a system of accountability and responsibility to their community. As with the Nehiyawak, the Inuit placed a lot of value on kinship. For the Inuit, ancestral naming created strong bonds between the Sauniriit, the person who receives the name, and the person from which the name comes from. This tradition strengthened kinship ties within the community and encouraged people to uphold the four expectations of the community. To work for the common good, respect all living things, preserve harmony and balance, and plan and prepare for the future. Nehiyawak, meaning “the people”, are the largest population of any Aboriginal group in Canada. Nehiyawak traditional territories extended into BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and parts of the United States. Like many Indigenous peoples, Nehiyawak are intricately connected with place, as they are with each other. For example, a Nehiyawak worldview embodies the words "all my relations", and is not just limited to their family or their community, but extends to every nation, every person. Because Nehiyawak traveled over vast distances in largely mobile culture, it was important to know who your relatives were. As such, whenever greeting each other, Nehiyawak often asked, “tânte ohci kiya?” Separately the word “tânte” means where, “ohci” means from, and “kiya” means you. Put together, one might understand the words as, “where are you from?” But taken within a cultural context, and considering the value placed on Wahkohtowin kinship, it means “belly button”. So what role does belly button play in this? Well, “tânte ohci kiya,” within the Nehiyawak worldview, means that your belly button is literally the connection between you and your mother. It is the connection you share with all of your ancestors, your grandmother and all your great greats. Your metaphorical umbilical cord connects you to thousands of relatives. So when you are asked, “tânte ohci kiya?”, It's not where are you from; but more like, who are you from? The Nehiyawak of the Plains believe that each Nehiyaw are given gifts from the Creator when they are born—the physical gift of the body, the emotional, mental, and spiritual. In this way, the Nehiyawak term “all my relations” can be seen as a way to live in the world. People of the Place of Flint, as the Kanien:keha'ka call themselves, who are one of the five branches of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, are also known as the Mohawk Nation. Along with their creation story of Sky Woman, the Kanien:keha'ka of Kahnawa:ke also utilize the concepts of the Seventh Generation, the Great Law of Peace, and the Two Row Wampum Treaty as the basis for forming their values and beliefs. While Kanien:keha'ka worldviews do share some commonalities with other Indigenous peoples, their extensive agricultural work with the land has had a great influence on their worldviews. For instance, Kanien:keha'ka women were responsible for and tended large plots of land for planting, cultivating and harvesting. This distinct connection exists between the women's strong leadership in this provider role and the development of a Matrilineal Clan System. Kanien:keha'ka lived in longhouses and were housed in three clans, the Bear, the Wolf, and the Turtle. These clan systems form the basis of Kanien:keha'ka kinship. This kinship system is crucial to the ways in which Kanien:keha'ka see the world. These kinship groups were linked together through marriage alliances. The woman, her husband, and daughters would live in her family's longhouse, along with her daughter's families and any unmarried sons. This system would ensure fair distribution and control of farmland and responsibilities. Older respected women were called clan mothers and often held critical roles in their clans due to the Kanien:keha'ka story of creation of Sky Woman. Women were seen as having direct links to the fertility of the land, and as such, were responsible for the caretaking of the land. As well, clan mothers were responsible for selecting and installing clan chiefs. This balance of power between the two genders ensured strong ties of kinship and community. This particular worldview about roles and responsibilities structured everyday life and functioned to create a peaceful and thriving existence for the Kanien:keha'ka. The northwest coast Indigenous nations share similar traits, practices, and worldviews. Even so, this area is brimming with diversity just in the variation in languages. It's amazing. There are forty-five (45) different Indigenous languages in this small region alone. The Tlingit are one of the many nations living along the Pacific Coastline. And within the Tlingit there are twenty-one (21) geopolitical groups or Kwáan. Unlike the Inuit and Nehiyawak, the Tlingit do not have village councils or confederacies to manage governmental affairs. Instead, like the Kanien:keha'ka, they have a well developed clan system. Like with the other tribes, it was the land and the environmental dynamics that influenced the formation of Tlingit ways of seeing the world. For example, potlatches were utilized as a method for the redistribution of resources amongst community members, and served well as a method for governance. Due to the abundance of resources and the temperate climate, the Tlingit often made and accumulated great stores of food and material items, such as Chilkaat robes, button blankets, vests, and masks. The potlatch ceremony redistributed resources sharing this material wealth. General governing matters were determined by the chiefs and high ranking community members, who often held elaborate potlatches for the social and economic relations. Potlatches were held for many reasons. For instance, a family celebrating a new chief or a naming ceremony would host the potlatch. They would be expected to feed everyone who attended, as well as give valuable gifts to each participant. This led to a redistribution of wealth. Accepting a gift meant that attendees would be responsible for recognizing and acknowledging the meaning behind the celebration. This way, everyone had a warm home, clothing, and food to eat. The twenty-one (21) Kwáans of the Tlingit have distinct clan systems consisting of moieties, or sides. These are the Raven, and the Eagle, or Wolf, depending on location. Connections to the land are demonstrated through the designs created on clothing articles, such as the Chilkaat robes and button blankets. These designs, owned by each moiety, reflect the landscape to which they belong. In this way, the land becomes a crucial part of identity and social being as the designs reinforce the belonging to a clan. Today, the clan moieties remain the same, but residing in traditional clan houses is not readily practiced everywhere. The Tlingit worldviews are still meaningful as they remain spiritually and culturally linked with the land and the sea. As we have seen, through thousands of years of inhabiting North America, Indigenous nations have many different ways of looking at the world. For Indigenous people, storytelling is used to pass on lessons. We have learned that the environment plays a large role in worldview. Kinship systems, such as clans and moieties, also shape a group's worldview. The differences and distinctiveness of groups, such as the Inuit, Nehiyawak, Kanien:keha'ka and the Tlingit, must be borne in mind when using classifying terms such as Indigenous or Aboriginal. These worldviews would be challenged to the brink of annihilation once newcomers started to arrive. [MUSIC]
