East
The Medicine Wheel Could be considered an essential modern tool that provides open-minded and seeking diverse knowledge individuals with numerous opportunities to delve into the peculiarities of a certain issue and conduct its in-depth analysis (“Aboriginal pedagogy,” n.d.). Therefore, it could also be a pedagogical tool for teaching, learning, and understanding of human journeys at different levels. Moreover, it helps to consider the most important questions related to a particular sphere. For instance, applying the Medicine Wheel approach to reconciliation issues, we could benefit from enhanced results because of the methods ability to suggest a particular structure needed for the investigation. The Medicine Wheel pedagogy ascends to indigenous practices that tried to encompass all essential aspects of a certain phenomenon and elaborate the most appropriate approach.
Therefore, the Medicine Wheel pedagogy is closely related to reconciliation. It could be defined as attempts to restore mutual respect between people who have different cultures and mentalities (“Reconciliation,” n.d.). It includes all aspects of these individuals relations: political, cultural, economic, etc. The term could also be used to describe a complex and long term process aimed at the improvement of indigenous peoples position through a specific set of measures. In this regard, the Medicine Wheel pedagogy becomes a critical aspect of reconciliation as it helps to perform a comprehensive investigation of relations between Aboriginal people and other individuals who want to establish trustful relations and engage in beneficial cooperation. In modern society, reconciliation becomes a very important issue that should be cultivated among members of society.
South
Revolving around reconciliation, I could share my personal experience to demonstrate the increased importance of this aspect and outline feelings that appear during the process. As everyone knows, Canada used to be a land inhabited by ingenious people who had their unique culture and traditions. Unfortunately, due to the unwise policy that was used by colonists and cruelty, relations with these people were spoiled, and they were moved from their traditional areas. Nowadays, we could see them only in reservations that are created with the idea to help them to preserve their culture and the way of life. I believe that regarding these facts, reconciliation means cooperation with these people to understand their unique culture and share feelings and emotions related to a certain issue. Moreover, I think we should try to establish trustful relations with them. For this reason, I reached the closest reservation to communicate with aboriginal people and discover their culture.
In general, it was a great success of mine. I visited my new friends many times and obtained important information about their way of living, culture, and mentalities. Moreover, they outlined their claims to people living in Canada.
I should say that this attempt helped me to realize that reconciliation is fundamental nowadays and could be pleasant. I managed to understand people and their problems, which is critical for modern society. This experience feels unusual as it is something new. It provides me with firmness, and I think that reconciliation is possible regarding the current state of society.
West
Therefore, everyone understands reconciliation in his/her own way. For instance, cogitating about the issue, Winona La Duke determines it as a long journey towards the enhanced mutual understanding and redemption (St. Thomas Newsroom, 2001). She is sure that it is a complex and challenging issue which demands a specific approach to consider the most doubtful aspects and make a compromise. At the same time, she thinks that the restoration of relations and improvement of ingenious peoples position is possible if reconciliation has not stopped.
Moreover, indigenous scholars share this point of view as they are confident that it is high time to act and start reconciliation. They outline several crucial points that should be touched upon to attain success and enhance cooperation. For instance, scholars emphasize a need for new relations in which both parties will act as intellectual partners and elaborate common approaches to problem-solving (“Current reconciliation initiatives,” n.d.). Additionally, they outline a need to integrate aboriginal students into the university community for them to participate in the Canadian discourse and acquire a better understanding of current processes (“Current reconciliation initiatives,” n.d.). There is also a significant need for training programs for aboriginal people.
In general, these ideas have a significant impact on my own concept of reconciliation. The thought of the improved and long-term cooperation with ingenious people becomes crucial for the Canadian discourse and attempts to create a unified society. At the moment, I realize that it seizes all spheres of our activity.
North
Having investigated the most important aspects of reconciliation by using the Medicine Wheel pedagogy approach, we could now formulate several steps that should be made to reconcile particular spheres and attain success. First of all, regarding the most important health issues, we should say that ingenious people should be involved in specific education to become active members of all processes that occur in the healthcare sphere (Monkman, 2016). Moreover, responding to aboriginal individuals initiatives, it is critical to ensure that their youth will be able to study at medical schools or universities. First, it will help to reconcile by promoting improved cooperation between representatives of all cultures who live in Canada.
Second, representatives of this category will be able to acquire knowledge, which is important for their communities further development (“Winona Laduke: Reconciling our relationship,” n.d.). Moreover, the improved reconciliation could be attained due to the introduction of policies that facilitate access to health services and stimulate people to participate in healthcare activities introduced by authorities to attain enhanced outcomes and improve the health of the nation (Monkman, 2016). Finally, the reconciliation strategy might also include current health problems assessment procedures to acquire an improved understanding of various communities states and actions that should be performed to guarantee gradual alteration of the situation.
Altogether, reconciliation is one of the most important tasks the modern society faces today. It will help to attain improved understanding between individuals and create a homogeneous society characterized by enhanced cooperation.
References
Aboriginal pedagogy and the Medicine Wheel approach. (n.d.). Web.
Current reconciliation initiatives. (n.d.). Web.
Monkman, L. (2016). What does reconciliation mean to you?CBC News. Web.
St. Thomas Newsroom. (2001). Winona LaDuke to speak on ‘Journey Into Reconciliation’. Web.
Reconciliation.(n.d.). Web.
Winona Laduke: Reconciling our relationship with all our relatives. (n.d.). Web.