My journey towards reconciliation is of utmost important to me in terms of my life and my path as an educator. I would like to begin this section with a land acknowledgement, and make it known that I recognize and respect the land upon which I reside as a guest. I am a guest on Treaty 4 Territory, the traditional lands of the the Cree, Ojibwe, Saulteaux, Dakota, Nakota, Lakota, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.

With the land acknowledgment in mind, I wish to pursue a path of education and teaching in which I incorporate several indigenous ways of knowing, teach, and being. I feel as though it is only with Indigenous teachings in mind that I can pay respect to those whose land I reside on as a guest, as well as properly educate my students in a truthful and respectful manner.

I wish to share a photo that I submitted as my Journey Towards Reconciliation aesthetic assignment. This photo was taken in my backyard, and I use it as a symbol of my journey.

Allow me to provide the meaning behind this symbol of my journey, titled “A New Beginning: The Changing of Seasons”.

Winter represents the harsh past of Canada, with snow representing the whitewashing of Canada’s history. It is blunt and forceful, damaging all I nits path. The cold and frigid conditions destroy the environment and kill everything, just as settlers did when they arrived to Canada. We must acknowledge the damages of this winter, just as we must acknowledge the damages caused by settlers and colonizers when they first came to Canada. For if we do not acknowledge our past, we can never hope for change in the future.

Spring is the period we are entering now: our journey towards Truth and Reconciliation. Everything is being renewed and brought into a new light, filling our environment with beauty and abundant possibilities for growth and reconciliation. Additionally, the environment and spring conditions must all work together to create such beauty, like the beauty we see in all the plants that bloom and flourish in the warm weather. We as a nation must act as a single environment to foster the growth of reconciliation, and that is why I see spring as such a vital representation of my journey. Our community, our nation, must create an environment in which all Indigenous people are given their turn to lead and talk, for it is only just to do so.

The red rose hips illustrate how fruitful Canada’s future is with Truth and Reconciliation in mind and at the forefront of our decisions moving forward. Additionally, the red represents the red on the medicine wheel, which symbolizes the south. As I live on Treaty 4 Territory in southern Saskatchewan, I found this to be a fitting homage to the treaty on which I reside as a guest. 

Lastly, in the upper right corner of my photo, there is a deer skull in the tree. This symbolizes the history of Indigenous people on this land, and the respect they have for animals. One of my earliest memories from elementary school was about how Indigenous people across Canada viewed animals as sacred creatures, and were always respectful of them. Each and every body part of the animal was used and had meaning, and I see this skull as a representation of that. It is the Indigenous people of Canada, with specific respect towards Elders, that we can adjust our curriculums to include such vital teachings and ways of being. Their wisdom and knowledge can allow us as educators to not only move forward towards reconciliation, but provide pathways for our students to do so as well.

Education is not based on the effort of a sole being. Education is the collective effort and guidance of a community as a whole. We must all work together and walk together on our journey towards reconciliation so that we can provide a better future for all.