Introduction
Indigenous heritage and knowledge have a significant impact on the culture and customs of society worldwide. It is responsible for cultural identity, diversity, languages, diets, spirituality, and political governance. However, Indigenous people and their heritage have faced challenges and threats of extinction and degradation since colonization. Indigenous populations are losing their customary rights, land, language, and traditions that identify and represent their beliefs. Canada is among the countries facing challenges and threats to their indigenous culture. The country risks losing its cultural identity and traditional practices due to a great diversity of cultures across the land. Although embracing cultural diversity is harmless, the vast differences may weaken the nation and the traditions of local communities. Thus, the people are finding ways of reclaiming, maintaining, and regarding their indigenous cultures and traditions through indigenous resurgence.
Indigenous resurgence in Canada started in the late 20th century, mainly in the Northern part. The resurgence has been influenced by many factors, such as the need for cultural identity, recovering traditional languages, and keeping the people’s history. The changes involve reclaiming and rejuvenating cultural practices, traditional governance, traditional diets, and education system, and fighting assimilation. Colonial reforms and culture play the most significant role in creating new cultures, diminishing indigenous cultures, and degrading the existing cultural practices leading to a loss of cultural identity in the community. Therefore, it is essential to find ways of indigenous resurgence and decolonization to succeed in reclaiming the indigenous way of life and maintaining the people’s heritage. This paper discusses the daily activities that indigenous people in Canada practice for the resurgence of indigenous culture, knowledge, and traditions.
Indigenous Resurgence
Indigenous resurgence is a cultural and intellectual movement from post-colonial influences that affect local people’s culture and heritage. Resurgence is an approach to decolonization and creating the meaning of traditional culture and practices in modern society (Borrows, 2019). The method involves embracing the history of one culture and using it to regenerate practices that embrace the conventional way of life for generations to come. Resurgence ensures future generations have a cultural identity and take pride in their traditions and way of life. It is the responsibility of indigenous populations to act daily on reclaiming traditions and customs through practicing activities that offer possibilities for a resurgence. By focusing on the practices, indigenous Canadians can restore their culture and save the nation from losing its cultural heritage. To accomplish resurgence, common practices of the renaissance entail simple acts that can alter, inspire, and enlighten society on local knowledge (Borrows, 2019). The activities may be individual or in groups or movements with a common goal of reclaiming and regenerating particular customs and cultures.
The Daily Activities Towards an Indigenous Resurgence
Storytelling
Storytelling is significant in maintaining and remembering traditions and culture, just like holding memorial ceremonies to mark particular events. The stories ensure the continuity of beliefs and attitudes towards specific subjects, creating balance and social etiquette in the community. Natives and the young generation need to be retold the community’s way of life to avoid the influence of other cultures and the colonial degradation of some cultures. The Cherokee people still believe in their traditional tale about the first man and woman, which defines specific parts of gender roles. History has it that the first man was called Kanati, which means “hunter,” while the name of the first woman was Selu, which means “Corn Woman” (Chapman & Withers, 2019). Therefore, men’s duties involve activities like hunting while women stay at home and tend to the farm and domestic work. Through this legend, the Cherokee maintains its culture of men being the head of the family and providing while women perform household chores and take care of children. Practicing daily activities like reminding men of their role brings significant potential for resurgence through sharing parts and being able to fit in the modern world.
In Canada, indigenous people engage in storytelling through traditional and contemporary means. Traditional forms include telling cultural and historical stories in families and communal gatherings. The gatherings are usually open for all individuals since culture and traditions involve everyone’s relationship and identity to a particular geographical area. To disseminate indigenous knowledge in the modern day, indigenous peoples use the media, social networks, literature, and graphic novels. Individuals who employ modern methods are usually indigenous youth and urban advocates for indigenous revival who take pleasure in their ancestors’ knowledge and wisdom (Borrows, 2019). An example of contemporary work on indigenous resurgence is Leanne Simpson’s book, ‘Dancing on our turtle backs (Borrows, 2019). The book is written in a traditional language reminding society of native languages and the significance of cultural value in the 21st century through the stories. Simpson’s stories give historical knowledge and demonstrate how particular communities relate to their land traditionally, which offers a possibility for indigenous resurgence through reflection and daily practices of the customs.
Lisa Jackson, a known filmmaker, also uses videos, music, and documentaries to pass on indigenous knowledge. In her film, ‘Biidaaban, Jackson explores how nativity can create a better future socially and environmentally. The film has visual sensations of natural landscapes occupying the city (Borrows, 2019). It uses a native language, which creates a possibility for a resurgence if people envision the future as drawn from the film. Although indigenous languages vary, using the native language is symbolic and encourages others to follow the same in creating media content regarding indigenous resurgence. Most indigenous schools also train and educate students on their culture through stories, songs, and dances. According to the teachers, traditional knowledge is the foundation of all generations and a part of the community’s origin. Thus, it is essential to instill knowledge in children to ensure it stays firm in their minds and avoid foreign influence in the future.
Sharing a people’s culture and traditions is an essential move towards a resurgence of indigenous knowledge and skills. Every community has a unique feature that identifies and separates them from others. For instance, communities have different ways of social life, diet, attitudes, and beliefs towards particular things worldwide. Sharing these attributes with the rest of the world shows the uniqueness and diversity of culture that can be emulated. Local people have made storytelling a daily activity for a resurgence of indigenous knowledge and traditions. Through storytelling, communities embrace their cultural heritage, which brings insurgence by educating community members about their culture, staple foods, spices, and long-forgotten traditions.
Learning Historical Knowledge and Wisdom
People’s history is an essential aspect of their life as it defines one’s origin and identity. Understanding a community’s history may help one comprehend its culture, problems, and significant events that lead to its current existence. Knowing one’s past allows one to appreciate their cultural identity while integrating into current society (Chapman & Withers, 2019). Past events are the foundation of the present world, which can help practice cultural traditions while living harmoniously with the evolving world. In Canada, indigenous people can have a cultural and traditional resurgence by educating the young generation and interested natives about their history (Borrows, 2019). Sharing history involves knowledge and wisdom regarding spirituality, traditional medicines, recipes, and foods. Introducing cultural education in modern classrooms also has a potential resurgence of culture through historical teachings and teaching on the importance of culture in a particular community. Instead of sending Indigenous children to modern schools, integrating culture with modernity offers a better alternative that can bring a resurgence.
Embracing Cultural and Traditional Ceremonies
Embracing one’s culture and traditional practices is another form of establishing indigenous resurgence. During the colonial era, many customary events and routines were disrupted and are almost forgotten in society today. People worldwide embrace their culture by celebrating local events and cultures with family and friends. The celebrations may have particular attributes that promote cultures, such as the food served, drinks, or specific clothing. For instance, the Cherokee clan’s practice of honoring their god was disrupted during the colonial period. The community accepted the privilege of going significant distances to construct the gigantic mound of ashes, symbolizing a unique worship location (Borrows, 2019). However, colonialism and modernization led to a temporary halt of the practice for a long time leading to the crumbling and destruction of the religious mound. However, the need for an indigenous resurgence of culture and traditions has led the tribe to revisit their practice as an everyday activity towards reclaiming their lost heritage. Nowadays, the Cherokee clan members bring dirt and ashes to rebuild their place of worship, which shows their unique religion and belief.
Holding cultural ceremonies in modern society helps avoid the distraction and influence of foreign cultures. Cultural diversions hinder indigenous resurgence by making people forget or shift to a new culture. Canada’s vast diversity of culture is proof of foreign influence and distraction, which shows the fragility of becoming one people and embracing indigenous cultures. People have short memories that are easy to manipulate, and the only way to resurgence is by holding cyclic celebrations to remind people of their heritage.
Reclaiming Traditional Boundaries and Resources
Indigenous resurgence also involves reclaiming traditional boundaries, the community’s natural resources, and land use resources. A community’s pride consists of accessing what is rightfully theirs, which means open access to private areas that may contain a traditional site or natural resource. Colonialism is the main factor influencing the creation of boundaries that separate people from their homelands and culture (Muller, 2018). When the administration and policy-making change in a community, it strains the indigenous dynamics such as land use resources and conservation of cultural traditions. Colonial policies such as privatizing property and administrative boundaries hinder some community members from accessing their staple food since they can grow in particular regions only. The best way to reclaim the resource is by using force or coercion to gain access. Therefore, indigenous Canadians must have the courage to go beyond borders in reclaiming lost resources and make it a daily activity towards resurgence.
Apart from reinstating traditional food, community members must also ensure the removal of weeds and alien species from their lands regardless of aesthetic beauty. Some plants are considered harmful to particular cultures, yet they survive because of foreign influence, such as bringing aesthetic value to private properties. In the Okinawa region, farmers harvest their staple food, known as Kwetlal, from different jurisdictions despite administrative challenges (Muller, 2018). The farmers have groups that come together to harvest and tell the history of the staple food to the youth, ensuring the continuity of the culture.
Canadians also have community resurgence groups that focus on creating awareness of threats to natural environments, such as land and water population. An example of a community group is the ‘Water Walkers’ group from Ontario, which has a mission of protecting traditional waters, land, and natural lakes (Borrows, 2019). The group creates awareness by educating the community about their social responsibilities according to culture and tradition. Group members hold meetings to discuss everyday activities for indigenous resurgences, such as practicing gender roles and responsibilities traditionally. Apart from gender roles, the movement educates women on the gender significance and beauty of respecting their bodies because they are producers of life (Muller, 2018). Members also hold and celebrate traditional and cultural ceremonies to remind indigenous people of their heritage and the importance of passing it to future generations. The group’s efforts to conserve and reclaim natural waters include taking spiritual walks around a particular lake with buckets of water to show the essence of protecting the lakes.
Indigenous Parenting
Parenting plays a significant role in shaping the community and passing on traditions and responsibilities. Parents must share a community’s literature, history, and culture with their children. Consequently, the children and youth imitate their parents’ way of life and pass the indigenous information to future generations. Muller (2018) asserts that parents may contribute to indigenous revival by engaging in everyday activities such as raising their children in nuclear households and emphasizing the significance of gender roles and responsibilities in accordance with tradition. The structure and organization of families have changed since colonization, and parents need to remember and practice traditional beliefs and customs regarding family for an indigenous resurgence.
Colonialism and modernity disregard gender roles where men are the head and provider of a family, influencing future generations. Fathers need to impart knowledge on the duties and responsibilities in the community to prevent diminishing the culture. Parents can also ensure children attend communal activities such as farming, which helps explore staple foods, medicinal plants, and traditional spices in particular societies (Muller, 2018). Daily activities on the farm create possibilities for resurgence through continuous practice of the same tradition until it becomes a way of life and identity of the people.
Conclusion
Indigenous resurgence involves culturally, socially, and politically reclaiming and regenerating a particular community’s heritage. The indigenous community in Canada has daily activities which have the potential to bring a resurgence to indigenous knowledge and cultural activities. The daily practices include storytelling, learning the culture and history of a community, sharing cultures, customary parenting, and traditions locally, and reclaiming traditional boundaries from colonial jurisdictions—storytelling involves modern and traditional ways of passing information. Current methods include books, films, videos, and comics. Traditional methods include poetry, songs, and narrating legends and myths regarding the community. The indigenous people share cultures locally and globally, such as staple foods, unique spices, pieces, and dressing. Boundary reclamation involves going beyond the jurisdiction border to obtain cultural resources such as food and medicines. All these activities ensure an indigenous resurgence that is beneficial socially and encourage environmental conservation.
References
Borrows, J. (2019). 2. Earth-Bound: Indigenous resurgence and environmental reconciliation. In M. Asch, J. Borrows & J. Tully (Ed.), Resurgence and reconciliation (pp. 49-82). University of Toronto Press.
Chapman, C., & Withers, A. (2019). A violent history of benevolence: Interlocking oppression in the moral economies of social working. University of Toronto Press.
Muller, M. K. (2018). Promoting or protecting traditional knowledge’s? Tensions in the resurgence of indigenous food practices on Vancouver Island. International Indigenous Policy Journal, 9(4). Web.