Blog #8: Why Engage With First Nations?: Spiritual Sites

My First Nations mentors taught me about the importance of meaningful engagement. One important engagement outcome is earning the right to learn about First Nations traditional knowledge, like the location and type of First Nations spiritual sites and expected behaviour if we, as settlers, encounter such a site.

A settler from outside a First Nations homeland is likely to recognize a physical church building as a spiritual site (Photo 1) because the church is compatible with our understanding of what a spiritual site looks like. Likely, we would not roam around an old church graveyard, tapping on headstones with our geology picks. Likely, we would walk carefully to avoid stepping on overgrown grave markers. Those actions would be disrespectful. Does it matter if we recognize the old church and graveyard as a spiritual site? Of course it does. We modify our behaviour accordingly.

Photo 1: Log church located in Summer Beaver, in the homeland of Nibinamik First Nation, Ontario, Canada, March 26, 2013.

But, as a settler, is it likely we would recognize all First Nations spiritual sites, like a forest clearing or a prominent rocky area (Photo 2). Many of us, including myself, do not have the experience to recognize such First Nations spiritual sites. Would we walk around the area? Likely. Would we sit and have lunch on the prominent rock? Likely – the view is nice and the wind keeps the bugs away. But, that could be disrespectful. Does it matter how we treat First Nations spiritual sites? Of course it does. We would modify our behaviour accordingly if we knew.

Photo 2: Chief Eli Moonias on a rocky area, northern Ontario, Canada, July 26, 2002. Would you recognize this as a spiritual site?

So, how do we learn about First Nations spiritual sites in an area we plan to work? How do we respectfully treat a First Nations spiritual site if we come across one? The answer? Through First Nations engagement. But first, we must earn the right to learn about such sites through First Nations traditional knowledge shared with us. If you have earned that right, congratulations. But, remember, you have not earned the right to incorporate that traditional knowledge into your work. That is a higher level of learning that may come with ongoing engagement.

Recall, I am not an expert. I just share what I was taught.

Engagement is important in many ways. And yes, engagement takes time. And yes, engagement is an investment.