Starting with the land: Toward indigenous thought in canadian education

Abstract

Standing on the earth with the smell of spring in the air, may we accept each other’s right to live, to define, to think, and to speak. -Eber Hampton (Chickasaw)1 The voices of these victims of empire, once predominantly silenced … have been not only resisting colonization in thought and actions but also attempting to restore Indigenous knowledge and heritage. By harmonizing Indigenous knowledge with Eurocentric knowledge, they are attempting to heal their people, restore their inherent dignity and apply fundamental human rights to their communities. They are ready to imagine and unfold postcolonial orders and society. -Marie Battiste (Mi’kmaq)2.