If I may respond, thank you for that question. I wholeheartedly understand why you asked that question, and I'd say yes: Healing is one of the most fundamental elements. Each and every day, we heal. It's everyday lifelong learning.

When we look at the past, this colonial past and all these lived experiences that our people have endured, healing is so much needed. It is so much needed, and it is our languages and our culture that bring forth that healing—absolutely. We don't separate language and culture. We cannot separate our languages from our culture, and from our culture to our identity. We cannot separate it. It's all part and parcel of who we are as Anishinabe people or who we are as first peoples of the land.

In every experience that we have in our lives, our ways of knowing, our ways of being, are so important. We know that our people need to heal, especially our children. Definitely, the act must provide for and must support healing—absolutely. Without language, there will be no healing. Without healing, there will be no self-esteem. There will be no.... Even for that world view and the understandings and traditional knowledge, or even for those practices or just the connection to the land, it is so important. I think about that word we have in the Anishinabe Algonquin language, when we say, I am the land and the land is me. That is where I find my source of healing and strength.

I definitely agree that healing has to be part and parcel of it. It's integral. It's connected. We cannot separate it. With languages come every aspect of our lives. We've heard it eloquently expressed by both speakers: Dr. Williams and Dr. Lewis. It speaks about who we are, our creation and our connection. Without healing, how can we reconnect? We have to restore, revitalize and reclaim every aspect of our being. Healing is so important, absolutely.

Chi miigwetch for that question.

Transcript

Discussions (0)