1 00:00:06,494 --> 00:00:38,190 [Music] 2 00:00:44,253 --> 00:00:47,043 I'm fascinated with the way language 3 00:00:47,043 --> 00:00:50,913 is central to our world view as indigenous people. 4 00:00:50,913 --> 00:00:54,874 I'm a Naheo artist and curator living on Lekwungen territory in Victoria, BC. 5 00:00:56,451 --> 00:00:59,291 My personal research centers around language revitalization 6 00:00:59,291 --> 00:01:02,067 and how it connects us to our cultures and lands. 7 00:01:03,742 --> 00:01:06,475 Over the past few years I've been on a journey to learn 8 00:01:06,475 --> 00:01:07,395 the Cree language. 9 00:01:08,227 --> 00:01:11,116 It's been a challenging and incredibly rewarding experience. 10 00:01:12,465 --> 00:01:15,468 Now I want to travel to Alberta, where my ancestors are from 11 00:01:15,468 --> 00:01:18,444 to discover the ways that different communities 12 00:01:18,444 --> 00:01:20,518 are revitalizing their languages. 13 00:01:25,757 --> 00:01:28,217 My mother and I both grew up not knowing anything 14 00:01:28,217 --> 00:01:31,277 about our Cree family because she was adopted out at birth 15 00:01:31,277 --> 00:01:33,267 as part of the '60s scoop. 16 00:01:34,008 --> 00:01:35,990 Twelve years ago, we met our Cree family, 17 00:01:35,990 --> 00:01:37,243 and since then I have been 18 00:01:37,243 --> 00:01:39,452 in a process of connecting with the community 19 00:01:39,452 --> 00:01:41,683 in Wabasca, Alberta, the place where my kokum, 20 00:01:41,683 --> 00:01:43,403 my grandmother Florence, was born. 21 00:01:47,477 --> 00:01:49,721 I recently met Nora Yellowmee, an administrator 22 00:01:49,721 --> 00:01:53,297 at the local school, Oski Pskiknowew Kamik. 23 00:01:55,292 --> 00:01:57,399 After realizing that we were second cousins 24 00:01:57,399 --> 00:01:59,988 she offered to help me learn about my family tree. 25 00:02:01,254 --> 00:02:05,254 (Nora) You have your grandmother, Florence. 26 00:02:09,707 --> 00:02:12,567 and her mother is Isabelle, and then, 27 00:02:12,567 --> 00:02:20,279 I'm here. And your grandmother. And your mom. 28 00:02:20,949 --> 00:02:23,066 (Narrator) Um, Fancine. 29 00:02:23,066 --> 00:02:24,541 (Nora) Your first cousins or 30 00:02:24,541 --> 00:02:26,095 second cousins. (Narrator) Ok. 31 00:02:26,476 --> 00:02:30,476 (Nora) And you're down here. (Narrator) I'm down there. 32 00:02:30,730 --> 00:02:33,480 Yeah, this is more than, 33 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:37,139 a lot more than I knew before I met you, before I came up. 34 00:02:37,716 --> 00:02:41,716 (Nora) Yea, that's Isabelle. 35 00:02:42,233 --> 00:02:46,233 Nohkom Isabelle. 36 00:02:47,499 --> 00:02:50,049 (Narrator) This means a lot to me to see this. 37 00:02:50,049 --> 00:02:55,271 Again, um, because the more that I see it the more that I 38 00:02:55,271 --> 00:02:57,177 hear about this, and talk about it 39 00:02:57,177 --> 00:03:00,307 it's going to stick and I know 40 00:03:00,307 --> 00:03:05,337 I'll understand more and know more through that process 41 00:03:09,447 --> 00:03:12,327 (Nora) My dream for the language here, 42 00:03:12,565 --> 00:03:14,685 starting with the school, is to have 43 00:03:14,819 --> 00:03:16,929 our people who speak the language, speak it 44 00:03:17,043 --> 00:03:20,863 everyday, because we are not getting that. 45 00:03:21,004 --> 00:03:23,104 There are many Cree speakers working here, 46 00:03:23,133 --> 00:03:25,082 but they are not speaking it. 47 00:03:26,012 --> 00:03:29,382 For people, the young families now the young mothers 48 00:03:29,437 --> 00:03:32,414 speak Cree to their children 49 00:03:33,168 --> 00:03:36,578 and all the rest of it all follow. 50 00:03:38,286 --> 00:03:40,509 Seeing a photo of my kukom Florence 51 00:03:40,587 --> 00:03:43,817 as a young woman created a sense of healing and re-connection 52 00:03:43,874 --> 00:03:46,500 after feeling disconnected for most of my life 53 00:03:47,681 --> 00:03:50,211 Knowing more about my family's history 54 00:03:50,288 --> 00:03:52,708 has allowed me to connect deeper with my ancestors 55 00:03:52,931 --> 00:03:55,111 There is so much more to discover 56 00:03:55,175 --> 00:03:56,769 but, like learning the language, 57 00:03:56,773 --> 00:03:58,293 this will take time. 58 00:04:02,881 --> 00:04:05,241 The Kapaskwatinak Cultural Education Center 59 00:04:05,276 --> 00:04:07,149 is a place for the Children of Wabaska 60 00:04:07,174 --> 00:04:09,664 to connect to the land and their culture. 61 00:04:10,142 --> 00:04:11,982 Knowledge Keeper Lorraine Cardinal 62 00:04:12,027 --> 00:04:14,587 helps guide the children through land based education 63 00:04:14,645 --> 00:04:17,234 including coming of age ceremonies. 64 00:04:17,872 --> 00:04:20,052 I'm excited to learn about these teachings 65 00:04:20,052 --> 00:04:22,752 since I didn't have the opportunities to experience them 66 00:04:22,802 --> 00:04:25,972 Growing up disconnected from community and family. 67 00:04:27,136 --> 00:04:31,236 The reason that I do these things, 68 00:04:32,077 --> 00:04:35,197 like the coming of age because 69 00:04:35,199 --> 00:04:39,269 it's also my responsibility as a Naheo School 70 00:04:39,300 --> 00:04:42,760 to protect the children, 71 00:04:43,238 --> 00:04:46,838 creator's children. And when I'm protecting creator's children 72 00:04:48,190 --> 00:04:52,140 we need to teach them those protocols. 73 00:04:52,225 --> 00:04:54,915 We need to teach those values. 74 00:04:54,982 --> 00:04:57,162 They need to know them so that they don't 75 00:04:57,162 --> 00:04:59,977 end up getting hurt in the future. 76 00:05:00,502 --> 00:05:02,544 And that shame of our language 77 00:05:02,573 --> 00:05:06,013 and who we are, and our ceremonial ways. 78 00:05:06,064 --> 00:05:10,494 Losing those has caused big destruction 79 00:05:10,494 --> 00:05:11,878 in our communities 80 00:05:12,969 --> 00:05:15,729 Because our children, as they're growing up, 81 00:05:15,730 --> 00:05:17,290 they know who they are, 82 00:05:17,290 --> 00:05:20,375 they came with the gift of knowing who they are. 83 00:05:20,375 --> 00:05:23,662 I have a responsibility to pass those teachings 84 00:05:23,726 --> 00:05:26,346 on to other children too, 85 00:05:26,390 --> 00:05:29,740 because they will experiment, they will explore 86 00:05:29,950 --> 00:05:33,070 and we want to prevent them 87 00:05:33,121 --> 00:05:37,531 from hurting each other or hurting themselves, right? 88 00:05:38,287 --> 00:05:42,717 (Singing and drums) 89 00:05:54,688 --> 00:06:00,868 (Lorraine) They call that oskeskwew (?) oskinîkiskwew (?) 90 00:06:01,484 --> 00:06:05,344 young manhood and young womanhood. 91 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,490 I want to thank you and honor you for 92 00:06:10,551 --> 00:06:12,329 coming into this world. 93 00:06:12,892 --> 00:06:15,375 You are a blessing to us. 94 00:06:15,432 --> 00:06:17,509 We are so very honored to have you 95 00:06:17,524 --> 00:06:20,064 as part of us, Naheo school. 96 00:06:21,239 --> 00:06:25,069 Always remember to hold your head up, don't be ashamed 97 00:06:25,705 --> 00:06:28,725 and always accept yourself for who you are 98 00:06:29,305 --> 00:06:31,583 and honor those gifts you brought with you 99 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,141 And welcome into womanhood 100 00:06:35,141 --> 00:06:36,122 Welcome. 101 00:06:37,441 --> 00:06:40,621 It truly is a blessing and an honor to have you 102 00:06:40,654 --> 00:06:44,024 as a young Naheo iskwew (?), 103 00:06:44,056 --> 00:06:47,815 A young Naheo woman. Welcome. 104 00:06:48,746 --> 00:06:50,376 (children talking) 105 00:06:50,843 --> 00:06:53,313 (Lorraine) Somehow, someway 106 00:06:54,185 --> 00:06:59,655 fear got instilled in us as indigenous people. 107 00:07:00,343 --> 00:07:04,403 Shame got instilled in us as indigenous people. 108 00:07:04,968 --> 00:07:08,612 Our children, what they experienced here today 109 00:07:08,726 --> 00:07:11,156 taught them how sacred they are, 110 00:07:11,321 --> 00:07:12,971 how important they are, 111 00:07:13,558 --> 00:07:16,408 how beautiful they are and that 112 00:07:16,732 --> 00:07:21,282 they're not just beautiful in physical form. 113 00:07:21,340 --> 00:07:25,370 that they're beautiful in spiritual form too. 114 00:07:25,489 --> 00:07:27,919 All we need to do is believe in them, 115 00:07:27,933 --> 00:07:30,513 to love them, and to tell them that 116 00:07:30,546 --> 00:07:32,794 they're important and they'll start feeling 117 00:07:32,811 --> 00:07:34,413 good about themselves. 118 00:07:34,415 --> 00:07:38,635 I'm proud of them. Their spirit is still alive and well. 119 00:07:40,085 --> 00:07:44,236 (Narrator) What do you see being the way forward 120 00:07:44,422 --> 00:07:48,502 so that these young ones in the community 121 00:07:50,049 --> 00:07:52,379 can not only understand the language 122 00:07:53,463 --> 00:07:55,893 and its relationship to their spirit 123 00:07:56,066 --> 00:07:58,356 and their relationship, to the land 124 00:07:58,470 --> 00:08:01,076 and each other and themselves, 125 00:08:02,414 --> 00:08:05,794 but be speaking it? How do you feel about 126 00:08:06,331 --> 00:08:09,091 the future of the language in these 127 00:08:09,157 --> 00:08:10,567 next generations to come? 128 00:08:11,070 --> 00:08:14,580 We have to believe in ourselves to be able to do it 129 00:08:16,087 --> 00:08:22,637 and we need to set our goal 130 00:08:23,523 --> 00:08:28,632 and if it's revitalizing the language, then let's do that. 131 00:08:29,192 --> 00:08:31,094 How did we learn Cree? 132 00:08:32,847 --> 00:08:36,397 We learnt it sitting around with the old people, 133 00:08:36,438 --> 00:08:37,747 visiting each other and 134 00:08:38,065 --> 00:08:41,125 our parents speaking to us, you know? 135 00:08:42,700 --> 00:08:48,836 So we can get it back. We just need to do it. 136 00:09:03,047 --> 00:09:05,137 John Bigstone is a Wabiskaw elder 137 00:09:05,168 --> 00:09:08,028 who carries vast spiritual and ceremonial knowledge 138 00:09:09,425 --> 00:09:12,565 He invited me to the land where he holds sweat lodge ceremonies 139 00:09:12,595 --> 00:09:15,570 to share teachings about the spirit within our languages. 140 00:09:16,605 --> 00:09:18,065 [Music] 141 00:09:29,751 --> 00:09:33,821 [inhales deeply] 142 00:09:34,620 --> 00:09:37,930 It clears your mind when you breathe in this smudge 143 00:09:44,087 --> 00:09:46,217 English language is inadequate 144 00:09:47,489 --> 00:09:49,451 if you're going to describe spirit. 145 00:09:50,053 --> 00:09:51,105 Anything of spirit. 146 00:09:51,774 --> 00:09:52,844 Its inadequate. 147 00:09:55,808 --> 00:10:00,677 They named it according to their connection to that plant. 148 00:10:00,677 --> 00:10:02,729 because they spoke to the plant 149 00:10:03,730 --> 00:10:05,258 They had a connection. 150 00:10:05,754 --> 00:10:07,744 They had a connection to all of life. 151 00:10:07,777 --> 00:10:09,393 They understood their environment. 152 00:10:09,696 --> 00:10:11,868 They understood that everything was alive, 153 00:10:12,406 --> 00:10:15,614 and your spirtit has a connection with that spirit 154 00:10:15,877 --> 00:10:19,225 of mother earth, and everything that grows on her body. 155 00:10:22,394 --> 00:10:26,906 Prior to contact, everything was described in a more spiritual way. 156 00:10:26,952 --> 00:10:30,906 Mitos (?) you know, has a spiritual meaning. 157 00:10:31,612 --> 00:10:35,732 Sifta (?) as in spiritual meaning that's the poplar and the spruce. 158 00:10:37,682 --> 00:10:43,459 (...?) coming back to the language where our families have had these interruptions 159 00:10:44,730 --> 00:10:46,753 of residential school, the 60s' scoop 160 00:10:47,657 --> 00:10:54,749 I'm curious what your thoughts are about those of us with this blood in us 161 00:10:55,385 --> 00:10:58,845 and whose ancestors have spoken the language 162 00:10:59,073 --> 00:11:04,733 and whether you think that we have it inside of us 163 00:11:04,826 --> 00:11:07,217 just waiting to come out, 164 00:11:07,293 --> 00:11:11,354 this bone memory or blood memory of the language. 165 00:11:12,060 --> 00:11:14,072 Yeah, it's in yur DNA. 166 00:11:15,782 --> 00:11:18,202 It's programmed in there already. 167 00:11:18,312 --> 00:11:20,674 You just have to wake up that programming. 168 00:11:22,825 --> 00:11:24,971 That's why you're here. See? 169 00:11:24,971 --> 00:11:27,265 It's that programming, and your spirit guide - 170 00:11:27,265 --> 00:11:30,143 you've got to remember there's a spiritual aspect to this 171 00:11:31,382 --> 00:11:33,642 You're never alone. You never walk alone, 172 00:11:33,648 --> 00:11:37,270 your ancestors, your Cree ancestors, walk with you, 173 00:11:38,148 --> 00:11:41,134 they're assigned to you to guide you where you need to be 174 00:11:41,673 --> 00:11:44,824 That's the beauty if this understanding of spirit 175 00:11:46,283 --> 00:11:48,036 It happens in spirit 176 00:11:48,719 --> 00:11:53,740 We are the result of spirit in action. We become material. 177 00:11:54,566 --> 00:11:55,978 That's a deeper teaching. 178 00:11:57,290 --> 00:12:02,265 But the reality is (that) everyone of us have spirit guides around us. 179 00:12:03,420 --> 00:12:10,700 I was on kind of a lost path before I found my way to my first lodge. 180 00:12:13,454 --> 00:12:16,402 And it's interesting to think of these 181 00:12:16,402 --> 00:12:21,701 European modalities or academic ways of describing 182 00:12:21,817 --> 00:12:23,678 how things are working. 183 00:12:24,378 --> 00:12:28,280 And the way that I explain it to people is 184 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:31,564 I don't know how it's working, I just know it is working for me. 185 00:12:33,131 --> 00:12:36,630 And it's not something I'm trying to figure out up here , 186 00:12:36,136 --> 00:12:38,816 I just know it's working down here. 187 00:12:42,413 --> 00:12:46,503 And I think it has connected my heart and my spirit 188 00:12:46,550 --> 00:12:50,100 in ways that weren't happening before. 189 00:12:51,195 --> 00:12:53,784 When I say a prayer in the social gathering, 190 00:12:53,784 --> 00:12:55,136 I say it in Cree 191 00:12:55,186 --> 00:13:00,468 because it's an insult to my ancestors if I pray in English. 192 00:13:02,109 --> 00:13:05,051 It's the very thing that oppressed me as a child. 193 00:13:05,660 --> 00:13:06,869 I can't do that. 194 00:13:06,869 --> 00:13:11,569 I have to speak and pray in Cree. 195 00:13:12,075 --> 00:13:16,163 That's what I do and I explain, you know, why. 196 00:13:16,988 --> 00:13:19,112 Because I'm not praying to the people. 197 00:13:19,274 --> 00:13:22,902 I'm praying to the spirits that are guiding me. 198 00:13:23,354 --> 00:13:26,382 They don't have to understand what I'm saying. 199 00:13:26,826 --> 00:13:31,290 Because as long as a spirit hears, the Spirit will come. 200 00:13:32,378 --> 00:13:35,361 And they understand my language, the Cree language. 201 00:13:35,676 --> 00:13:37,903 Once I identify myself, they say, 202 00:13:37,903 --> 00:13:41,718 "Huh, our grandson is playing. Let's go support him." 203 00:13:42,732 --> 00:13:44,427 That's the beauty of our language. 204 00:13:48,232 --> 00:13:50,705 What happened to our language -- 205 00:13:52,158 --> 00:13:54,547 came from the time of the residence in school, 206 00:13:54,547 --> 00:13:56,993 the first time it was introduced, -- 207 00:13:59,294 --> 00:14:03,131 not only the Cree but the many tribes themselves. 208 00:14:04,878 --> 00:14:07,431 When they took away the children, -- 209 00:14:09,843 --> 00:14:12,573 they took the children away from the land, -- 210 00:14:14,605 --> 00:14:17,636 the language, their ancestors, 211 00:14:17,705 --> 00:14:19,573 their grandfathers, their grandmothers, 212 00:14:19,573 --> 00:14:23,803 their teachers, their parents, their aunts and uncles. 213 00:14:25,473 --> 00:14:28,025 That's when the separation happened. 214 00:14:28,677 --> 00:14:30,577 They broke that connection. 215 00:14:30,659 --> 00:14:33,746 So when he took us away, -- 216 00:14:35,171 --> 00:14:38,192 they severed that connection to all of those things. 217 00:14:38,473 --> 00:14:42,496 We were taught a foreign way of thinking. 218 00:14:42,748 --> 00:14:44,993 I was programmed as a child. 219 00:14:44,993 --> 00:14:49,847 Now, I have to deprogram myself, sometimes referred to as decolonization, 220 00:14:50,252 --> 00:14:53,049 as they gave us that colonized mentality. 221 00:14:53,290 --> 00:14:59,757 And it just did not fit with our paradigm, how we saw our place in creation. 222 00:15:01,302 --> 00:15:03,714 At some point, somebody's got to wake up. 223 00:15:04,415 --> 00:15:07,475 One day, you've got to say, "Hey, there's something wrong here." 224 00:15:07,562 --> 00:15:08,853 This is the time. 225 00:15:09,712 --> 00:15:10,915 That's why we're here. 226 00:15:11,391 --> 00:15:12,839 To wake the people up. 227 00:15:13,710 --> 00:15:15,244 To wake ourselves up. 228 00:15:17,487 --> 00:15:20,342 Still be the guiding light, you know. 229 00:15:20,342 --> 00:15:22,236 There is a different way. 230 00:15:22,236 --> 00:15:24,303 So, it's about connection. 231 00:15:24,445 --> 00:15:26,156 That's what was severed -- 232 00:15:27,218 --> 00:15:29,422 in the time of the residential school. 233 00:15:30,211 --> 00:15:34,089 We lost connection to our spirit. 234 00:15:34,307 --> 00:15:39,400 It replaced the creator outside of us instead of in here. 235 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:42,843 We're trying to mend that rift. 236 00:15:45,012 --> 00:15:46,324 That's what you're doing. 237 00:15:46,324 --> 00:15:48,262 That rift that was caught; 238 00:15:48,633 --> 00:15:53,486 you are the stitch that is bringing those two worldviews -- 239 00:15:55,143 --> 00:16:00,096 but to where they start respecting our way, 240 00:16:00,834 --> 00:16:02,116 the Cree way. 241 00:16:03,404 --> 00:16:06,340 When you have love, when you feel love -- 242 00:16:07,821 --> 00:16:12,328 and somebody tells you something that your spirit is looking to hear 243 00:16:12,489 --> 00:16:14,242 like, "Welcome home." 244 00:16:14,242 --> 00:16:15,830 Where do you feel it? 245 00:16:16,399 --> 00:16:19,227 Right here. You're connecting. 246 00:16:19,505 --> 00:16:21,834 You'll always have that sense of belonging -- 247 00:16:22,437 --> 00:16:25,036 because you come home. Yeah. 248 00:16:25,875 --> 00:16:28,317 So once you come home, you know where to come 249 00:16:28,317 --> 00:16:30,596 next time you're out there, wandering, -- 250 00:16:30,929 --> 00:16:34,522 you have a connection there. 251 00:16:34,626 --> 00:16:37,263 You've made some connections already here. 252 00:16:38,782 --> 00:16:40,365 You're no longer disconnected. 253 00:16:41,944 --> 00:16:45,368 I left my conversation with John feeling like I belong 254 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:47,764 in a way that I've never felt before. 255 00:16:48,961 --> 00:16:54,032 it was an incredibly powerful experience that made me feel more connected to my spirit. 256 00:16:58,082 --> 00:17:02,606 tell me again like your your family story with with wall bisca. 257 00:17:02,988 --> 00:17:11,066 My mother grew up there my father grew up and grew hard a couple hours away and she didn't want to raise me on reserve. 258 00:17:11,375 --> 00:17:13,963 So as soon as they found out about me they moved away. 259 00:17:14,378 --> 00:17:25,288 And when we move to him and ten through the teen years through my adult years that's when the reconnection really started to happen going home more happen before that I would only visit like holidays few times a year. 260 00:17:27,454 --> 00:17:32,262 dusty Legrand is the creator of the clothing label mobilize Wasco Whelan. 261 00:17:32,905 --> 00:17:39,304 Using the ancient writing system of Cree syllabics and his designs he's making the language visible to a new generation. 262 00:17:42,255 --> 00:17:51,770 yeah so this was the it has the yeah the different languages tribes of the north mm-hmm. 263 00:17:52,130 --> 00:18:01,055 yeah tells the story of a bunch of people and is really special to hear like the feedback from from different people that had never seen their nation represented on a policy. 264 00:18:01,288 --> 00:18:12,303 And there were certain people that they had just this was like their first time they're like I'm just buying this just because I've never seen my nation represented and then put revolution down the arm just just a lot of know what's going on. 265 00:18:14,456 --> 00:18:27,257 I've been always wanting to create a closing ground so to be able to create something that can empower indigenous youth and educate them on the indigenous history on the future values and what it means to be indigenous. 266 00:18:29,211 --> 00:18:32,833 so mobilize was a way that I could give voice to the voiceless. 267 00:18:33,326 --> 00:18:34,856 I could give a voice to the youth. 268 00:18:35,287 --> 00:18:39,899 To do it in a different way than I had seen being done it was very important to me. 269 00:18:40,159 --> 00:18:51,579 To do it completely different to represent the keep people to represent the different people to represent everybody that's ostracized that way and especially as indigenous people like that's been done to us. 270 00:18:52,994 --> 00:18:58,884 okay so this is the first drawing of this shirt. 271 00:18:59,109 --> 00:19:06,408 So a lot of like the pieces will come and they'll come at certain times when I'm driving when I'm listening to certain things. 272 00:19:06,708 --> 00:19:10,634 And they'll come and if I don't write it the way it's supposed to be the idea won't stay. 273 00:19:11,388 --> 00:19:17,192 I want to try to encompass all of Canada and I'm gonna try to reach his as many as I can. 274 00:19:17,354 --> 00:19:26,717 So for me this was like a lot of studying a lot of research to try to see as far east as I could go and see what nations are there. 275 00:19:27,215 --> 00:19:36,206 And that's what it is special about the language I find is that the stories and the purpose and everything exists within the language. 276 00:19:36,206 --> 00:19:39,795 That's in kind of a place that it's been locked and it remains. 277 00:19:39,993 --> 00:19:51,438 And even though the assimilation has taken a lot of like our connection to community our ceremonies our practices the language has kept all of that. 278 00:19:52,436 --> 00:19:57,326 How did you get the decree word yes well the the Cree word is on the back 279 00:19:57,475 --> 00:19:58,831 of this one here okay. 280 00:19:59,103 --> 00:20:09,486 so it I just keep it as like mobilized is the English version and then Wasco Whelan M which is the Cree word for movement is the key element that comes in 281 00:20:11,231 --> 00:20:18,188 mobilized and have a translation but I also didn't want to just translate mobilise 282 00:20:18,406 --> 00:20:21,784 I wanted to use movement as a as the word. 283 00:20:22,308 --> 00:20:34,557 So one thing that I really liked about the word was Kui when was was the the presence of the triangular symbols and for me he's represented like two teepees and represented the tribe that way. 284 00:20:34,786 --> 00:20:43,178 Being apart of Reubens class was really special to understand the fundamentals of and to learn the history of the star chart and to learn the history of syllabics. 285 00:20:43,710 --> 00:20:49,757 And yeah I was like learning indigenous history through the through the spirit mechanism that's a it was really special. 286 00:20:49,918 --> 00:21:01,095 He kind of just takes you back and he tells you the stories and he takes you through a journey through story of the significance of the numbers of the grandfather directions the grandmother directions. 287 00:21:13,228 --> 00:21:14,644 yeah he knew. 288 00:21:17,758 --> 00:21:20,421 and what what does that mean you. 289 00:21:20,721 --> 00:21:26,861 it's a collapsed word you know actually is the way I'd say it you know see. 290 00:21:31,544 --> 00:21:42,808 from what I understand talk a little bit about colonization and taking over lands the lands of original people 291 00:21:43,308 --> 00:21:52,780 what I understand first thing you got to do is you got to get rid of those peoples deity that name and replace it with yours when you're colonizing people. 292 00:21:53,842 --> 00:22:05,054 so our name for nihilo people was ie and we have a different paradigm as far as a dogma is concerned. 293 00:22:06,787 --> 00:22:18,773 you are is I am is so a diminutive of ie so is II know so that's it yeah so that's it's a 294 00:22:20,578 --> 00:22:27,195 but it this is a collapse version of that you know II knew ya 295 00:22:29,703 --> 00:22:36,855 o3d is until this Goodell 296 00:22:38,008 --> 00:22:50,346 fantastic so we have a relationship with the earth and that relationship is that we relate to her as mother. 297 00:22:51,531 --> 00:23:06,203 so she when she brings forth those different people that plant the plant people the different once that's soggy bug all coming order the trees out of the grass. 298 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:09,282 And so she's showing us what love is. 299 00:23:10,823 --> 00:23:12,602 It's a it's practical. 300 00:23:12,891 --> 00:23:14,718 So she'll give us all of this. 301 00:23:15,232 --> 00:23:23,661 We will be nurtured by it the dandelion somewhere and different grasses. 302 00:23:23,661 --> 00:23:27,565 The four-legged people will eat from it from that. 303 00:23:27,748 --> 00:23:36,874 We will in turn get our sustenance from the four-legged people but she's giving us all of that showing us that love. 304 00:23:36,874 --> 00:23:42,416 now soggy is the morpheme of that word. 305 00:23:42,789 --> 00:23:48,050 And if I were to say to you I love you I would say it soggyt didn't. 306 00:23:49,258 --> 00:23:55,517 Some people say key soggy it didn't and and I say kissaki it didn't. 307 00:23:55,884 --> 00:24:01,362 that's how I've been taught Kisaragi it then I love you or you are loved by me. 308 00:24:01,963 --> 00:24:08,138 so that's a good word to learn to say to your to your loved ones. 309 00:24:09,001 --> 00:24:10,732 That's one of the only if. 310 00:24:10,732 --> 00:24:15,024 that's one of the only words that I know to say to my partner. 311 00:24:16,286 --> 00:24:32,098 yes and see how that it's coming into bloom it's gonna start blossoming it'll continue to grow and then it'll go through its cycle just like we will come into a relationship with others. 312 00:24:34,353 --> 00:24:51,342 yeah cuz I know just this really sticks out to me when I got to when I came here last summer as a special place not only Amy's piece but the other artwork and it's kind of perch over the river. 313 00:25:01,858 --> 00:25:09,603 when did you begin learning about Slovaks and the spirit marker system. 314 00:25:10,154 --> 00:25:17,215 when we were liberated from residential school probably 1970 or 71 I don't remember. 315 00:25:17,582 --> 00:25:27,125 I was just young and the late Rosana whole and late Caroline hunter would come in and teach us about them me and my peers. 316 00:25:29,141 --> 00:25:33,023 so that's when I started learning the system that I was that I know about. 317 00:25:33,498 --> 00:25:49,757 And into a soul mate so simply for me to learn it that I pass it on the weight I was taught to me and I guarantee that people will master that writing system. 318 00:25:50,574 --> 00:26:01,979 So always tell us tell the ones that are coming in to learn like this 319 00:26:01,979 --> 00:26:06,308 take your page and go to the center I tell them that's where we're gonna start off 320 00:26:06,308 --> 00:26:12,490 because we're used to writing from the top to the right left to right left to right 321 00:26:12,490 --> 00:26:18,505 but in this one it's you go from the center and you start from inside. 322 00:26:18,704 --> 00:26:25,833 So there's the center there I'll go to left the center and right the first one and that's this one here. 323 00:26:27,816 --> 00:26:29,611 This one is a phonetic language. 324 00:26:29,976 --> 00:26:32,048 So that one says ah. 325 00:26:33,348 --> 00:26:45,869 And it's all sort of sound the first sound that people will make when they're when they're praying and worshiping. 326 00:26:46,285 --> 00:26:50,179 they'll say something like ah you say I'm on earth or 327 00:26:50,587 --> 00:27:00,133 they'll describe that Supreme Being and the supreme beings name this part of this as well ah 328 00:27:00,810 --> 00:27:07,057 i'm summonin will say ah ma ma da oui ma describing again. 329 00:27:09,304 --> 00:27:16,277 they'll endear themselves to that Supreme Being by calling that Supreme Being father of all 330 00:27:16,277 --> 00:27:18,359 ah mom won't bow mo 331 00:27:18,815 --> 00:27:24,581 So I say ah hi and recognition nurse you me and the Supreme Being. 332 00:27:24,686 --> 00:27:31,656 I love people say hi hi that's why that's probably how you've heard it quite a bit. 333 00:27:32,003 --> 00:27:37,463 So it I don't near says ah this one says baa there's that poppet. 334 00:27:38,781 --> 00:27:50,181 So who's ah ba la and there's fordham like I said going off into the east Miki nice ET wreath 335 00:27:50,616 --> 00:28:00,699 and there's seven of them like I said there's seven tectonic plates going off into the South is the same vowel sound and then into the southwest 336 00:28:00,917 --> 00:28:03,795 this what I like to call the anomaly 337 00:28:04,290 --> 00:28:16,962 it's a a balsamic yeah man yeah say yeah yeah 338 00:28:16,962 --> 00:28:18,626 a vowel sound ooh 339 00:28:18,626 --> 00:28:23,018 and thank you dr. James McCool cos for correcting me on that 340 00:28:23,018 --> 00:28:28,551 I used to go all borrowing from English 341 00:28:28,551 --> 00:28:37,020 he said it oh isn't it ooh and I said yeah that's right boo boo - Lulla. 342 00:28:37,020 --> 00:28:45,512 and then they're smaller smaller and these are way smaller than the big ones big spirit marker 343 00:28:45,512 --> 00:28:59,564 small spirit markers here to complete the what dr. Marilyn shirt has called the star chart. 344 00:29:03,876 --> 00:29:06,570 So the one I talked told you 345 00:29:21,075 --> 00:29:29,486 kissaki hittin that's how you are loved by me or I love you 346 00:29:32,551 --> 00:29:36,751 you suck yeah then yeah okay I guess I did it then 347 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:40,226 so that's the writing system there. 348 00:29:40,963 --> 00:29:49,580 my hope is that it will help to instill pride and those for those young people Missy not like 349 00:29:49,866 --> 00:29:56,431 because this is a racist country and it was born out of racism 350 00:29:56,431 --> 00:30:04,344 and of course racism disconnects people this one connects us from exes 351 00:30:04,432 --> 00:30:19,508 And all all have access to whatever whatever ethnicity or from yeah we all have that it all makes sense to everybody it can make sense to everyone and we can start connecting. 352 00:30:22,346 --> 00:30:32,992 what they taught us in the residential schools is that we were worth worth less then than Europeans 353 00:30:33,383 --> 00:30:48,519 and this one teaches us that Papa went deeper on measured will have the same measurements as far as humanity our DNA says that we're all the same. 354 00:30:53,898 --> 00:31:09,435 I want to thank you so much for sharing about this because I can see the the brilliance and sophistication lifts within this the way you've you know shown and explained 355 00:31:09,813 --> 00:31:16,587 and it piques my interest and makes me want to learn more it makes me want to move out here so I could take one of your classes. 356 00:31:16,820 --> 00:31:18,090 yeah 357 00:31:20,433 --> 00:31:22,078 thank you so much for sharing this. 358 00:31:23,019 --> 00:31:24,404 honor and a privilege.