My Mapping Introduction – created for ECS 303 while attending the University of Regina
For my mapping activity I wanted to focus on sharing about two places – Treaty 7 Territory, where I am from and Treaty 4 Territory where I live now because they are both connected to my story. While reflecting on significant places from my hometown the first landmark that came to mind for me was The Big Rock. The Big Rock is a beautiful and familiar landmark located on Treaty 7 Territory in Okotoks, Alberta which is situated just east from my hometown Black Diamond. An interesting fact to know about The Big Rock is that it holds significance to the Indigenous Blackfoot peoples who named it “okatok” – meaning ‘rock’ (Government of Alberta, 2023).
The mountains and rivers that weave through and surround the Foothills area where I am from are significant places to me as they remind me of so many wonderful outdoor experiences that I was privileged to have had growing up. Some of my best memories from my childhood were spent down at the river where I would spend time camping, exploring its waters, collecting and skipping rocks, floating across its surface on tubes with friends and simply just exist alongside it in reflection. The river was the place I always went to when I was seeking peace, rest and solitude. Sometimes I would share my time at the river with my dog – Bandit. We would walk over together and I would throw sticks into the river for him to retrieve.
In 2008, I moved away from the mountainous terrains and rivers that are present in Treaty 7 territory to the lush prairies and open skies that cover Regina, Saskatchewan’s Treaty 4 territory when I married my husband. It was difficult for me to leave my family, friends and the beautiful landscape of the Foothills and embrace new surroundings and experiences. Moving away has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life but I have taken pieces of my home with me that I carry with me each day into my new experiences. When I ride alongside my children down the paved bike paths behind my home the twists and turns through the trees remind me of the winding rivers I grew up on. While I study amongst rows of books, I glance up at the concrete architectural peaks that shape the universities Archer library and I am reminded of the mountains that comprise the backdrop of my small town. This reflective dichotomy of two places in which I share makes me wonder how much more the Indigenous peoples might see aspects of their traditional lands reflected in man-made spaces? As a future educator, I believe I am charged with the duty to help position my students through education to be able to see this perspective – to listen, to learn and to reconcile together as we uncover our shared history. We all have a responsibility and relationship with the lands in which we reside on and they have much to offer us in return. I am thankful to have lived on Treaty 7 territory and I continue to embrace new experiences where I now reside on the lands of Treaty 4 territory.
References
Government of Alberta. (2023). Okotoks Erratic – ‘Big Rock’. Retrieved September 1, 2023, from:https://www.alberta.ca/okotoks-erratic-big-rock.