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Why Indigenous Wisdom Matters: Finding Turtle Island - a Narrative

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Why Indigenous Wisdom Matters: Finding Turtle Island - a Narrative WHY INDIGENOUS WISDOM MATTERS: FINDING TURTLE ISLAND - A NARRATIVE JAYME DANSEREAU B.Ed., University of Saskatchewan, 1997 A Project Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Lethbridge in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF EDUCATION FACULTY OF EDUCATION LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA December 2011 Indigenous wisdom enhances knowing and understanding of the earth and it is prudent to be guided by Indigenous wisdom in a time of ecological crisis. Through storytelling Indigenous wisdom offers messages of hope to the world in this struggle for harmony. There is an Ojibwa prophecy that states, "… look for a turtle-shaped island that is linked to the purification of the earth” (Benton-Banai, 1979). Easter Island (Rapa Nui), remotely located in the South Pacific, is a turtle-shaped island. This mysterious island’s stone monuments and wooden tablets are a seal about to be opened by a meek child. This project is a fictional narrative of one child’s journey of self-discovery. In Finding Turtle Island, this child, Hotu-iti, struggles to belong to a foreign island in 18th century Polynesia. The islanders are also struggling amidst a war to keep their ancient ways and protect their land. It takes the wisdom of a child hidden in a cave to lead the islanders to restoration. The story is filled with mysteries unraveled and epic adventures. This contextual narrative reflects transferable Indigenous values to help guide the renewal of the earth. Acknowledgments iii Thank you to my wife, Shawna, for her unwavering support and dedication. To my family who teach me that there is no greater institution on earth than the family, you give me life and joy. To Cathy Campbell, Cynthia Chambers, Leah Fowler, Richard Butt and Roy Weasel Fat who supported me in the First Nations, Métis and Inuit program at the University of Lethbridge. To David Short who contributed to the edits of this project. To Elders Bruce Wolf Child and Andy Black Water who adopted me into the circle of the Blackfoot, teaching me Indigenous and universal wisdom. To all Blackfoot Elders and Polynesian Wisdom Keepers who have guided me to honor the ancestors and meekly follow this vision even in the face of the greatest adversities. To the people of Rapa Nui, past and present, and Indigenous people everywhere, may they have their voices heard in time to restore humanity to the garden paradise we call earth. And thanks to www.350.org for giving me hope. This narrative work began about a year ago, when the atmosphere contained 388 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Now that this work is completed in November of 2011, there are 390.31 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere (co2now.org). For the ecosystems on our planet to thrive a level of 350 ppm must be maintained. This project is dedicated to those who strive to return sustainability to our planet. Table of Contents iv Abstract ............................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v Table of Figures .................................................................................................................. vi Prologue ............................................................................................................................. vii Glossary of Terms ............................................................................................................. xii Characters ................................................................................................................ xii Deities ..................................................................................................................... xiii Locations ................................................................................................................ xiv Key Terms ............................................................................................................... xv Chapter 1: Vision of a Birdman Prince ............................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Vision of a Wayfinder ..................................................................................... 14 Chapter 3: Vision of a Mermaid Princess .......................................................................... 35 Chapter 4: Three Years in the Underworld ....................................................................... 50 Chapter 5: Tupahotu: To Carry the First Man ................................................................... 69 Chapter 6: Called into the Light ........................................................................................ 92 Epilogue: The Transferable Wisdom of Finding Turtle Island ....................................... 111 References ....................................................................................................................... 113 List of Figures v Figure 1. Easter Island (Rapa Nui) .............................................................................................. ix 2. Map of Easter Island ...................................................................................................... 2 3. First Verse of the Life Cycle of the Soul into Harmony ............................................. 11 4. Stone house in Orongo with moai Hoa-hakanana’ia .................................................. 12 5. Fifteen Foot Tall Giant Moai statue at Ahu Tahai ....................................................... 27 6. Cave of Easter Island made by gases escaping lava .................................................... 51 7. Sacred Statuettes in ancestral cave .............................................................................. 53 8. Reimiro Neckband of authority engraved with Tuhinapo-rapa ................................... 61 9. Maui, Prince of Easter Island, who welcomed Hotu-iti .............................................. 73 10. Hotu-iti, the narrator, after an ear piercing ceremony ................................................. 77 11. The Sacred Temple Platform of Ahu Tonga-riki ......................................................... 87 Prologue vi Does Indigenous wisdom truly matter? Yes. There is untold value in a human community that thrives with their natural environment by weaving each and every person’s identity to the earth. This identity weaving happens as Indigenous elders lead the next generation of elders through sacred ceremonies filled with sacred stories and artifacts related to the local ecosystem. One such ceremony was called the Tangata- manu, Birdman contest, which once a year captivated everyone on Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in the South Pacific. The winning contestant held, not a prize of money or material wealth, but the first egg laid by the sooty tern. The egg was treasured as a representation of the life contained on the island for the entire year. Over the next year, the winning Tangata-manu lived in a sacred house overlooking the graves of the ancestors. There he would fast and pray, while everyone on the island would take a turn in feeding the Birdman in gratitude for his victory. The Tangata-manu ceremony impressed upon every islander a living metaphor of one, who by imitating a fledgling bird, was enlightened with a spiritual perception of life with an intimate sensitivity to the earth. This Indigenous wisdom has the power to enable humanity to belong to this planet instead of destroying it. For example, in considering the ecological crisis, Indigenous wisdom presents messages of hope and strategy to escape a world falling apart and return to a land of harmony and sustainability. This wisdom is intended to inspire all humanity, since we are all Indigenous to Mother Earth. It is a natural and gentle voice constantly echoing through living witnesses and ancestral prophets who have sustained harmony with the land over many generations. Overconsumption of natural resources is evident in today‘s world. Wangari Maathai of Kenya’s Green Belt Movement writes: “And all the signs indicate that we vii cannot provide this level of wealth and comfort using our current means of production without threatening the life systems upon which all wealth and civilization and other species depend” (Maathai, 2010, p. 113). Human habits of taking, without giving enough in return, drain ecosystems and threaten life on the entire planet.1 It is remarkable that the Sioux prophesied this day would arrive and even offered a sign of hope for the listening ear: There will come a time when the earth is sick and the animals and plants begin to die. Then the Indigenous Peoples will regain their spirit and gather people of all nations, colors and beliefs to join together in the fight to save the Earth. They will call this circle the Rainbow Warriors. Adapted from a prophesy of the Native American Sioux (Manataka American Indian Council, 2011) The earth is sick. This is true. Animals and plants are dying and species are becoming extinct. However, hope is found in the resurgence of the Indigenous spirit, a spirit which draws together a circle of learners who are eager to apply Indigenous wisdom in this time of ecological crisis. One question remains, ‘Who are the Warriors?’ In An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore described how human beings have the technological
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