Perseverance, challenge and community

Where do you come from?

Sometimes in life and in education we are challenged to address issues that seem just too overwhelming, too big and unwieldy. Although we recognize their significance we wonder if we can reasonably expect to make significant and lasting change. When I confront this I often reflect on a poem I used to share with my kids when they were just little ones.  It’s titled Melinda Mae and was written by Shel Silverstein and it’s one of the best sources of inspiration I have found when thinking about perseverance and commitment.

Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae,
Who ate a monstrous whale?
She thought she could,
She said she would,
So she started in right at the tail.

And everyone said, "You're much too small,"
But that didn't bother Melinda at all.
She took little bites and she chewed very slow,
Just like a good girl should...

...And in eighty-nine years she ate that whale
Because she said she would!*

In June of 2021 I posted a blog about our school’s commitment to making a better world. Now there’s a pretty hefty challenge and it’s one we’ve been approaching bit by bit. 

One of our initiatives revolves around doing our part to create greater understanding of the history of Canada’s indigenous peoples. It’s something we embrace with real enthusiasm and compassion.

If we are collectively going to have success in creating a broader community of understanding it will require each of us to take a role in ensuring that the errors of the past serve as points of learning and provide points of light in moving forward. 

I recently read an observation by Marie Wilson who was a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner. Here’s what she related, “We have been investing in our collective ignorance, and we have to stop.”

As she does so often, Wilson deferred to the voices of children to make her point. She still remembers a young girl, shaking with anger, who told her, "You know, you have taught us about the American civil rights movement. You have taught us about Apartheid in South Africa. You have taught us about Bosnia. You have taught us about the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. You have taught us about the religious wars in Northern Ireland. And you have not taught us the truth about our own country.”**

It’s time for us to collectively invest in learning and there are several ways we can all participate. While we will commit to doing our part at Walden, there are things you can do at home to move this forward.

For example, the National Film Board of Canada makes many documentaries and films available at no cost. I’ve selected a few that you might want to check out and share with your family. 

The first is a short documentary that tells the story of Tony Chachai. He delivers a touching tale of his desire to reconnect with this Atikamekw traditions and roots. It’s called Red Path and you can find it right here.

The second is a 10-minute animated feature called The Mountain of SGaana. It tells the magical tale of a young man stolen away to the spirit world and it’s inspired by an old Haida fable.

Finally, and this is probably more suited for a slightly older audience, is Qallunaat - Why white people are funny. This documentary pokes fun at the ways in which Inuit people have been treated as “exotic” documentary subjects by turning the lens onto the strange behaviours of Qallunaat (the Inuit word for white people).

If you’re looking for more ideas to implement at home I also recommend checking out a guide created by the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario. While initially intended for the teaching community, this guide provides some insight and links to many resources that can help us all better come to grips with bringing genuine insight to bear.  The guide, Starting from the heart - Going beyond a land acknowledgement, can be downloaded here.  In the introduction to the guide the authors write, “A community is more than the land on which you live, work and play. There are many things from your own communities, culture, identity and upbringing that have shaped who you are today, and who you will be tomorrow. Take a moment to reflect. Where you come from is more than just a location…it is also a part of your story and helps to form your cultural identity and your relationship to the land and to all living things.”

What can you do at home to build community understanding?

*©Harper Collins

**https://www.ualberta.ca/the-quad/2016/10/7-thought-provoking-quotes-on-reconciliation-from-marie-wilson.html