Ancestral Knowledges, Spirituality and Indigenous Narratives as Self-Determination

Abstract

Indigenous knowledge systems and spiritual traditions are intricately interwoven. They sustained First Nations peoples for centuries, are part of the everyday lives of Indigenous peoples and are at the core of Indigenous epistemologies. This paper argues that, despite the adverse impacts of Canada's colonial policies on Indigenous peoples, their ancestral knowledge systems and spirituality guide and nourish them as they navigate their way through contemporary educational and everyday life contexts. I specifically examine how several Indigenous women, many of whom experienced systemic discrimination, use spirituality to cope with and overcome everyday lived oppression. Their narratives form the basis of the analysis.