“People revealing their lives to each other as if the contemporary and ancient world had collided between indigenous and new comers. “ (Ch1) Namwayut- Chief Robert Joseph




















“"Reconciliation belongs to all of us."”(Ch1) Namwayut





“ONE community, ONE spirit, ONE environment, ONE humanity” (Ch2) Namwayut








“Step by step, bit by bit, block by block” (Ch3) Namwayut
Oneness of humanity






Everybody matters





“There’s not one child in the village of Gwa’yasdams who did not feel loved.”
(Ch1) Namwayut







“Children were at the center of the Universe.”(Ch1) Namwayut






“Hold children at each life phase" (Ch1) Namwayut






“I am also a child of the universe… I am no less than stars.”(Ch4) Namwayut

NAMWAYUT

I long to belong... don't we all. 

My first friend in Canada was Sydney. We met when she was 17 and I was 18 years old. She introduced herself as a Rez kid... I was a new comer and had no context for what that meant.  Our first day of friendship was spend down at Wreck Beach, looking out at Vancouver Island. I had never been there.. Campbell River is where Sydney grew up with her four brothers. Since the first day we met, her dream was to speak Kwak'wala. I spoke my mother and father tounge- English and German. Why did she not have the oppurtunity to learn hers? The recent histroy of Canada shared with me on our first day scratched the surface of my understanding of the horrific past and continued reprecussions of colonization of this land we now call Canada. Sydney's family has experienced the direct impact of residential schools where children were torn away from their families, they were abused and their languages and cultural practices were forbidden. It was not only a genocide, it was"cultural cleansing... "killing of the soul, culture, language and body." Chief Robert Joseph Namwayut. Shamefully this is something my birth place, Germany, has it's hands bloody with in the Holocaust during WWII.. Hurt begets hurt. Intergenerational trauma seeps into present day reality in my country of heritage and in this one. We see grandchildren of Holocaust survivors participanting in Isreali army regime. Can we call this the consequence of intergenerational trauma? Who is to blame? How can we hold nations accountable? The intergenerational trauma caused my Residencial schools is something we are all responsible for in present day Canada and both Educators and Artists have the responsibility to shape a healthy future for generations to come.

Connection to culture and community healing is the way through. At 17 years old Sydney had her mind and heart set on language revitalization. A cultural steward. An artist. A survivor or intergenerational trauma. A highly intelegent, thoughtful and present lady.



Today Sydney turned 29 years old. We have known each other for 11 years now. We were friends for the first 5 years. attached by the hip. If she needed anything I was there in a heart beat and she was there for me. In 2019 we experienced a riff in our friendship. I was an immigrant finding my footing and grasping stability. My attention was moving away from many frienships as I navigrated finding purposeful work. I worked long hours and multiple jobs at a time while she graduated Cum Laude at UBC.

a pathway to reconciliation
chief robert joseph

I had high hopes our friendship would find it's way back to us. In 2024 we bumped into each other while crossing the street. Since then we have been repairing our frienship. I continue to learn from her and feel inspired by her dedication to language and her community and last month I went to visit her and her new born baby girl on the island.

I remind myself that in order to be present for others, I must come to learn my own story. I must learn the teachings of my lineage and share that with others.

I am reminded that all of our stories matter and that world history is layered and it is vital that we read between the lines in these times. "Two eyed" seeing is an important practise to cultivate. There is no black and white. We must learn to see in grey and take the steps we know how to, to raise the next generation in a good way.

I want all children who cross my path to feel this way. I strive to be the village of Gwa'yasdams for the children in my life. It takes continuous reflection and presence.

Many cultures celebrate children. I want to be that force of nature To think critically about what I know to be true and to unlearn what does not serve me and the children I am present with.

I am learning day by day and am inspired by the reflections and insights nature has whispered into my ear. I will continue to foster this relationship with her, with the relatives, with the ancestors. The plants and animals have been here much longer than we have and they have a lot to share.

"Land is a source of belonging not a source of belongings." Service Berry (Ch.3)









“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious, it is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and science.” Albert Einstein






“A sense of wonder so indestructible it would last through out life. A unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years. The sterile preoccupation of things that are artificial. The alienation from the sources of our strengths.” Rachel Carson









“Wild Awe how nature becomes spiritual and heals bodies and minds.” Dacher Keltner








“Unseen power of the great mystery.” Gregory Cajete Look to the Mountain









“Vastness, inexhaustible, mystery, the universe, dissolving of boundaries between self and other sentient beings.” Ch 6 Awe- Wild Awe – How Nature Becomes Spiritual + Heals Bodies and Minds

AWE

Robin Wall Kimmerer has opened my eyes to indigenous science. I was inspired by the creation story, Skywoman falling" shared in her book Braiding Sweetgrass. To connect with this Anishinaabe story, I went for a walk in the forest. On my way I set the intention to connect to land as a place of belonging. I collected native and non-native leaves. Reflecting on biodiversity and newcomer plants. Migration has been a slow process in the past, as seen reflected in language evolution. Languages branch off like slow growing trees and eventually for new language families. With the industrial revolution came rapid transport, by ship, by car, by plane and with it came rapid cultural exchange.. We are hyper connected and urban spaces are constantley in search of sustainable ecosystems.

On my walk I decided to make Earth Art to connect with land and my sense of belonging. All leaves I had used had already fallen. I used oak, maple, cedar and gingko and asked permission to the trees giving prayer in return. I then created turtle island under the seven sisters in X̱wáýx̱way, also known as Stanley Park. I sat on my hands and knees and began tilling the soil. I put love into my offering.

the new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life
Dacher keltner

The night after I made my turtle offering I was reflecting on the story of skywoman and how her animal relatives helped her sew her first seeds. My imagination took me to a place in my dreams. I saw a dragon and a hatching dragon egg. I very rarely have dreams that I can remember. I attribute this dream to the inspiration and spark in imagination I have been experiencing in Vicki Kelly's indigenous educations masters course. I woke up with a sense of wonder. Does turtle earth altar hold magic? Do the trees and the animals in its' surroundings feel a sense of ancient knowing. Do they feel a sense of kinship to this human made art piece. While making the Earth Art I surely felt cradeled by the the living, breathing forest. 

My partner returned a few days later and there was a opal gem placed at the center this time. Interacting with natures catherdal, feeling interconnected and at one with the great mystery of life. I am intrigued to expand this idea... interactive arts in the catherdal of the forest. Can we all feel a sense of profound belonging amoungst the trees. Whether we are in temperate rainforest, jungle, dessert... Can we listen to the space between our breath? Can I share from a place of interconnectedness with earth, universe and all living things? We all belong yet none of it belongs to any of us. We all return to the great mystery and cycle of life.

The story gets better! The day after my dream I told the children at my school about the dragon and it's hatchin egg. I tried to embody "impossible blue" (Wagamese). I then went back to turtle island one week later and saw something shining at the center of the peice. It was a coin. Not just any coin... it had a dragon on it! Somebody had come across this turtle and had placed a dragon coin at it's center (see image below.) I was thrilled and in awe. How could this be? What are the chances of this sequcence of altar making, dragon dreaming and community synchonicity? I attribute this to the magic of the forest and will always hold this story dear to my heart.

Native Life rhythm “strives to understand and apply the knowledge gained from participation in the here and now, and emphasize our role as one of nature’s members rather than as striving to be in control of it.” Teaching Where You Are (p47)




Teachers guide purposeful action “mindfulness, deliberate engagement and deep inquiry.” Teaching Where You Are (p50)




Indigenous Storywork- Joanne Archibald (2008)
“Attentive listening and recursive experiences of stories allow meaning and understanding to build over time. Instantaneous learning is not an expectation.”






Colonial classroom focuses on production. The teacher’s knowledge produces students understanding – Freire (1970)







Indigenous classroom- students learning is facilitated by teachers knowledge= ontology of interconnectedness and relationship” Ingold 2017








Teaching Where You Are- Indigenous and Slow Pedagogy. by Shannon Leddy and Lorrie Miller
 “Deep ethic of care- including sustainability naturally paced experiences that is not clock timed, but where one takes the time to explore and allow for serendipity.” (p17)







Place-conscious teaching... relies on a deep connection to where and when you are.” (p17)




“Relational, social, connectedness, culture learning from others, teaching and sharing with others connecting to one’s inner self." (p18)












"Converts gifts to commodities that enables us to purchase things we do not really need while destroying what we do." Serviceberry Robin Kimmerer Ch. 6)

HERE AND NOW

I made a celtic labyrinth from national geographic magazines to inspire students and teachers to see their quest of learning as a heros jounrey. As I made this labyrinth in multiple shapes I noticed my resistance to the winding road. 

I wondered if I needed to introduce the labyrinth rooted in a story? Could I collect legends and heros journeys from around the world like Joseph Campbell did with his book Hero with a Thousand faces? As Joanne Archibald notes, instantaneous learning is not an expectation. I reach for my storytelling to ripen over time. I reach for soundscape and puppetry to accompany these heroes journey stories..

Prof Vicki Kelly has inspired me to work from a place of awe and inspiration. How can I spark awe in my students and teach from a place of present moment discovery? I work with ages 2-4 at a forest school and at this age they are seeking rhythm and predictability. Can I allow for ample freedom within the structure of the day? Does our day need structure at all or will tasks take as long as they take? How can I engage my students with purposeful tasks connected to the cycles of the season and community sustenance?

How can I allow my students to discover the interconnectedness of nature? How can I transport my students in place and time? How can I allow for us to synchronize our rhythm of give and take.  All discoveries are new discoveries for infants. How can I engage my students with purposeful tasks while allowing each student the time they need to engage and grow through repetition? Language is critical for shaping children's' breadth of reality but English is an objectifying language with 32% nouns. Indigenous languages are known to be verb-based or polysynthetic, meaning the verb is the central element of the sentence. Through adjective heavy syntax, Indigenous languages evoke ~ Life in Motion 

Children are present. Their nature is to work in their own time. They follow the wind, they sway with the willow trees. They thrive in company of others. The recipe to supporting their growth is presence, being predictable and consistent with their world of play. Co-regulation happens between care-giver and child. As a teacher in the forest, I co-regulate with the relatives. I am attune to their teachings daily and I continue to learn with time and experience amoung the changing seasons.

I am inspired by the work of Shannon Leddy and Lorrie Miller. From my mythopoetic landscape and two eyed seeing I see many cross-overs between Buddhist philosophy, indigenous education and slow pedagogy.

As we enter Winter season I am here surrounded by trees in hibernation. How can I move slow? How can I nourish myself? How can I be present and spark awe of the natural world, through play? Making fairy houses, bear caves, sandy crab forts.

Stay present with emotional worlds... engage with purpose. Planting seeds, making gifts, fostering sensory mastrey through the arts. The human body is a vessle seeking sensory pleasure after all. The beauty of an old oak tree, the hues of the setting sun, the lull of waves hitting the muscle shell beach, the sent of fresh forest humus. I am beginning to realize that mastering our senses, the ability to percive these gifts from earth are as important to a curriculum as learning literacy and numeracy. The building of relationship to earth happens over time, it happens in the paradigm of slow pedegogy and this relationship is what gives meaning to our existance. I would go as far as to say the relationship of humans to relatives (plants and animals) can be the antidote to rising numbers of anxiety, depression and existencial dream that lurks in our current society that is consumed with commodification of the natural world.

The UNSEEN

“Through slow ways we challenge colonizing notion of time and reconnect with our embodied selves- story telling, map-making, poetry, visual art, traditional craft"- Teaching Where you Are- Lorrie Miller and Shannon Leedy 







“Decrease rates of anxiety” -Pedagogy of Hope- Lorrie Miller and Shannon Leedy









The following quotes are from
Lil’wat Educator Lora Williams and Kathy Stanford (2012)- page 23
Kamu’cwkalha- acknowledging felt energy and group attunement, emergence of common group purpose









Celhcelh- each person being responsible for their own and others learnings- always seeking learning opportunities. (p23)






A7xekcal- valuing our own expertise and considering how it helps the entire community beyond ourselves (p23)









"The earth presses against the arch of my foot." Robin Kimmerer Gathering Moss

These are all practices that take the human spirit to “impossible blue” horizons. (Wagamese) The mind and body body synchronize and the student/teacher becomes receptive to introspective revelations, some may call it synchronicity. Introspection allows us to track our thoughts and reflect on our state of being. I am interested in the relationship between art making and teacher well-being. When a teacher is well, they are present. When a teacher is present their classroom is well.

I experience high levels of stress that effected my learning in my teenage years. In my early years I was blessed to be surrounded by present teachers. Growing up in a competative Asian academic environment the focus became increasingly about metrics as opposed to the joy or learning. I strive to bring presence to spaces that are disconnected from the natural rhythm of human development. This Indigenous Education Masters course taught by Vicki Kelly is the first time I have felt the joy of reading and learning in over 20 years. This experience has brought me immense hope.

Facilitating attunement is an unseen craft. I observed Prof. Vicky Kelly as she taught through her heart and with presence for each student. We were all on a journey with common purpose... to know ourselves, to know the land where we walk this journey and to be open to the land becoming our teacher. Vicky Kelly reminded us that our relatives are the teacher and she is the conduit. In the forest, with the children, I strive to be a conduit for their presence with nature yet if I am being truthful, the children are the conduit for my connection with land. At ages 2-4 they are present and one with the relatives. They make art (see below) that touches "impossible blue"in ways adults have forgotten.

I don't see myself as having "expertise" yet I do have 8 years of experience teaching. Instead of calling myself an expert at something I like to think of how I most like to serve community. This has changed though out the years. Between working as a Education Assistant working with Autistic children, hosting women's gatherings, guiding sound meditations and teaching in the outdoors, I have made my passion my living yet I sometimes lose the plot and focus... why do I do what I do? How do I reveal the unseen growth to myself?

I have been laser focused on my own learning journey. I am reminded that I am also a part of my peers' learning. In the next course of my Masters program I intend be more aware of this. I intend to look up... instead of swimming in my own lane, I wish to treading water from a place of stillness. I am hyper aware of where I learn from others'. Perhaps others' have also learn from me. How can I be open to this idea and welcome this symbiosis?

We know that children come to understand the world through their senses. Most children leave their mother’s care at age 2 or younger in North America. They are placed in indoor daycares where germs manifest in play bins and nature sounds are put on speakers to calm children. My hearts deepest desire is to provide opportunities for children to experience the unfolding and blooming of their senses and in turn of themselves, in sensory rich environments… where ecological diversity reflects neurodiveristy and where diversity is seen as essential. Sharing in abundance and reciprocity. Can you hear the ebb and flow of the soothing waves? Can you smell the fresh sea salt? Can you feel the soft sand between your fingertips?

the disconnected clock

Disconnected from the clock












“Corporate clock thinking” has no place in my school (p32) Teaching Where You Are- Shannon and Leddy









I am reaching to “scaffolded experiential learning” Shannon Leedy and Lorrie Miller pg 52






Not in the paradigm of “time poverty” Berg and Seeber 2017









“The notion of profound pleasure should not be foreign or in opposition to school.” Shannon Leedy and Lorrie Miller p53

I am equal parts Educator and Artist. How do I synthesize the two? Disconnected from the illusion of timelines. I want to continue to dance in time. I want to create immersive experience through sound that transport people to an altered space. I have experienced this through percussion ensembles in University (Gamelan, Ghanaian Drumming and Korean drumming. For the past 2 years I facilitate soundscape meditations that transport you to the space between here and there, now and then. Synchronizing natural rhythms to our nervous system is one of my interests. How can we not rush this experience of life? Why does formal education typically feel rushed? Our relatives are in no rush to bloom or to decay. I want to bring relatives voices to my music. I want to learn ancient and modern technology to give voice to our relatives through soundscape arts. Recorded soundscape and natural rhythms.

The bell in schools is the residue of industrial revolution mechanisation of education. Learning is far from a mechanical act. Learning is layered. Motivation and inspiration ebb and flow through our life journeys. I wish to live with the insight and knowing that all I wish to experience will be experienced in this lifetime as long as I have the courage to envision. I wish for my students to feel the same infinite potential. The clock has no place in my school. In the outdoors I hold rhythm for the children yet each day looks different. The elements, rain, wind, sun direct the course of our discoveries. 

I reach to immerse myself in a male dominated world of percussion. A journey I have been on for 15 years.  Do I need a road map? Do I need to realign my arrow? And to shoot with precision? Thus far I have been navigating the road through intuition. Is it time to make a map as I enter into my 30's? 

I am reminded that there is time for all to fall into place yet I am acutely aware that live flys by and it is vital that we remember our dreams and keep them in eye shot. In this lifetime how will I dance amoungst the stars? How will I radiate in my dharma? Will it take sacrific? Am I willing to part-take in risky play... isn't this what I advocate for my students in the outdoors? Can I really teach this if I am not pushing myself out of my own comfort zone? Will I let me dream of pursuing percussion fall by the way-side? Will I stand up and walk the path to my greatest desire?

How can I make this learning a path of profound pleasure? 
Amoung which teachers and which communities will I find my spirit dancing?

the relatives

Spend time with the relatives- living plant and animals- Gregory Cajete Look at the Mountain










“Through story, ritual and humour, people remember to remember" Gregory Cajete Look at the Mountain







Who they are, where they come from and the spirit they share with ALL creative.” Gregory Cajete Look at the Mountain

After reading Richard Wagamese's The Animal People choose a leader I sit and marvel at the power of ancient stories. They remind us of our close connection to the animal world. There is no space between us. Humans, much like animals need each other to bring something bigger than us to life. I am reminded of this in the story The Animal People Choose a Leader. The honourable Rabbit Wabooz wins the race against the Horse, Buffalo, Cougar and Wolverine but only because rabbit did not perceive the journey as a race. He perceived it as an opportunity to enjoy the windy journey and to help others on his way. He was not bothered by how long it too him, yet he was determined to complete the journey with his fellow competators on his side. 

I have been engaging in ritual, I have been learning ways to remember. In our class with Prof. Vicki Kelly we gathered in circle weekly. We sang around the fire, we told stories and shared poetry. Making the turtle earth altar was inspired by these nights around the fire with Prof. Vicki Kelly. In particular the night she told the story of skywoman falling. She took us to the "impossible blue" (Wagamese)

As I forage for leaves in X̱wáýx̱way (also know as Stanley Park) I ask for permission from the land. I offer prayers in return and make sure I only take what I need. I take a few sprigs of cedar and a few hand fulls of maple, alder and oak leaves. A tree that I came across in 2022 is called Gingko tree. At forest school we sit in it's shade everyday. It is native to China and lived while the dinosaurs roamed the planet. It is over 20 million years old. It is a living fossil much like turtles. I intuitively knew it had to be a part of the altar for Skywoman to land on. With findernails covered in soil and a heart filled with mythical purpose. I felt connected to the story of this land. I wondered what Skywoman would think of these newcomer species like the Gingko on these lands? Have the maple tree and gingko found ways to be in relation? How long it take for our relatives to bond? How long does it take for humans to see each other as ONE.

HEART BERRY

"Asking plants for guidance." (Ch 6.)  Serviceberry Robin Kimmerer





"Science offers one powerful way to tell (Moss') story... but it's not enough... through spending time... I've come to see the world through moss coloured glasses." Gathering Moss Robin Kimmerer (Ch 3)





"There is an ancient conversatition going on between mosses and rocks... poetry... about light and shadow... the dirt of continents." The Standing Stones - Gathering Moss Robin Kimmerer







Wealth comes from quality of our relationships. Not from the illusion of self sufficiency." Serviceberry Robin Kimmerer (Ch 6.)






Gifts build relationship between bees, birds and service berries... all mutually flourishing." (Ch 7.) Serviceberry Robin Kimmerer

Studies show that infant watch TV for 1.5-2.5 hours daily. I wish for our children to see the world through natures eyes. and with natures rhythm. Overstimulation leads to challenges in healthy nervous system development. I wish to counter this reality and engage children with the outdoors as their primary teacher. 

My most recent career step has been opening an outdoor forest school with my dear friend Lara. I hope to see this project grow and become accessible to many children. I beleive in our vision to foster healthy child development through self discovery in the elements.

To be amoungst the teachers daily has been a transformative experience as a teacher. I can hear the poetry in the air and I wish to spend my career communicating the importance of our relationshio with the outdoors to policy makers and other fellow educators. We are the generation of protectors that are standing for change.

I am walking hand in hand with my friends Lara and David to start this school. We know that together we will go further in bringing this vision to life. I wish to keep these words from Robin Kimmerer in my heart as we navigate the horizons of teaching, creating and sustaining ourselves in this city through our care and passion for childhood development in the outdoors through the arts.

look to the mountain

“Seven direction intimately define their place in the universe.” Gregory Cajete Look at the Mountain







“Life nature and spirit moves us” Gregory Cajete Look at the Mountain







“Breath is manifested in language, song, prayer and thought…wind guides thought” Gregory Cajete Look at the Mountain





“Community- where people share in the breath of life” Gregory Cajete Look at the Mountain





“How long will it take for us to awaken to the teachings of the ancestors.” Gregory Cajete Look at the Mountain






“Medicine circle – Being born, Living, Dying” Gregory Cajete Look at the Mountain




“Following the desire to obtain something of which one cares deeply, down to the bone, with one’s whole heart and soul.”
Gregory Cajete Look at the Mountain

I have spent the last 11 years of my life in Vancouver, on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) people. I have felt connected to land in a new way since taking the course with Prof. Vicki Kelly. Our weekly drumming acknowledging the 7 directions has been an experiential reminder that I exist in space and time. My body feels it's place in a greater context and I wish to explore this further.

Over the past 3 months I have been moved by nature and spirit. I took up a new art form grounded in earth. I started to learn wheel throwing. Clay meeting gravity. Earth in movement. I began to see parallels in teaching and clay throwing. A practice of being gentle yet firm, a practise of fine attunement yet flexibility. The clay will become what it is meant to become. My job is to attune, to listen and to gently guide. Much like my time with chidlren. 

How can I speak with clarity, with soft direction. How can I trust the lesson is understood by my students? I am reminded that relationships take time to build and my own practise of rooting in the purpose of the activity will allow for growth of children in my presence.

I spent 6 weeks in a clay studio community. We all learned how to throw on the wheel for the first time. I brought a beginners mindset yet I was challenged to trust the process of my learning. It was interesting to observe my own unfolding. My final peice ended up reminding me of an uprooted tree I came across in Stanley Park.

What does this tree mean? How long will it take for me to grow roots that feel stable in Canada. It has taken me 11 years to come to where I am today. Maybe I am on the right path of befriending the relatives. Maybe I must begin to focus more vividly on the tree trunk? What do I stand for? And who am I standing with?

Life is precious and I appreciate this time to reflect on what is important to me? Who and what has shaped me and what I wish to share with this world before I too join the medicine wheel cycle of birth, life and death.