Taking an Indigenist Approach to Research: Engaging Wise Ways of Knowing toward a Vision of Stl’atl’imicw Education

Abstract

She was only ten years old but she already knew much about the world. She knew she was loved, safe, that there was a place for her, and that she had much to contribute. All the wisdom of her ancestors was being passed on to her through stories, dreams, and traditions that engaged her mind, body, and spirit. She spent her winter days listening to the stories of her Ucwalmicw people, and with each telling she understood more of what they had to impart. Many hours of the day were spent watching her skícza7 and sta7 do the work she herself would practice through play, and she had responsibilities that were fitting for a ten-year-old, for example, returning to the river the buckets of zúmak insides collected by the women who so expertly cleaned this main source of life. She took pride in knowing what was expected of her and why it was important that she fulfill those responsibilities. She enjoyed the singing, drumming, and dancing that taught her about the connections between the clans—about honor, respect, and sharing, as well as the importance of laughter and enjoying the company of others. She participated in the rituals that built discipline and gratitude, routines like rising on each new day to give thanks to the four directions for another day of life and then proceeding to honor that gift through the entire day.

The number 7 is used when recording the Ucwalmicw languages of the Stl’atl’imx people in written format. The 7 represents a catch in the pronunciation of the word—for example the catch one uses in saying the word “uh-oh.”