For my aesthetic piece, I have taken what I have learned from the seven Ojibway teachings and have created a new creature. It possesses one body part from each of the represented animals of the teachings. I have placed the creature in the palms of my hands. This represents my possession of the traits. I feel called to live out all these traits in my life and display them within my journey of reconciliation. I want to have Respect, show Love, have Courage, be Honest, express Wisdom, and speak Truth. The blood is there to remind me that no matter what race, color, culture, or background one may have, we all bleed red. Lastly, I have included a sunrise in the background. In some Indigenous teachings, it is said that the sunrise represents growth and rebirth. When my journey of reconciliation first began, I threw away my old self, the past, and all the hurt that was caused. I also had to recognize that I needed to change my perspective, research, learn, and change. When I did that, a new version of myself was born. And every day I am growing and moving forward in hope, and I think that is beautiful, like a sunrise. My journey is still fresh, and I have much to learn and act upon. Although I cannot change the past and the hurt my ancestors have caused, I can own up to my responsibilities and do everything in my power to prevent the acts of the past from happening again. I unconsciously took advantage of my white privilege for many years. Moving forward, I can recognize scenarios that this has happened and now am ready to call myself and others out when necessary. I have found the seven Ojibway teachings inspiring and hopeful for the future. By applying the teachings to my own life, I believe that my journey will become even more impactful. I am excited to continue my journey in the classroom when I become a teacher and challenge my future students in similar ways that I was in this class
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