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Etuaptmumk as Reciprocity in Mi’kmaw

By: Dr. Carmen Rodriguez de France

Dr. Carmen Rodriguez de France

Education Collaborator

 As an immigrant of Indigenous heritage from the Kickapoo Nation, Carmen acknowledges the privilege and responsibility that she holds to live and work on the land of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, and on the land of the W̱SÁNEĆ and the lək̓ʷəŋən people in British Columbia. Her work is always situated at the intersection of social justice, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the experiences of in-service and pre-service teachers. She currently facilitates courses on Indigenous worldviews, Epistemologies, and Education in the Department of Indigenous Education at the University of Victoria. Her research is always motivated by her own interest to be a life-long learner and promote diversity and social justice. 

As a former school teacher in México, Carmen understands the importance of developing and exploring approaches to teaching and learning as a tool to advance critical thinking. Through her participation in a variety of community-based initiatives in schools, recreational centres, art galleries, libraries, and other spaces for learning, her work focuses on creating awareness to better understand, appreciate, and learn from the histories and stories of the Indigenous people of Canada and other parts of the World. She is committed to strengthening collaborations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada aiming to create a better shared future.

 

Etuaptmumk na Apaji-wla’luemk

Pikweli-kjijiteketPotawatomi L’nu Robin Wall Kimmerer kis-wi’kikl aknutmaqnn wtui’katikn teluisik Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, (Elisknuatmumk Swite’: L’nuikjijitaqn, Kina’matnewey Kejitekemkewey aqq Kinamatnewey Wjit Sqaliaqnn ) mikwimuksi’k  wjit eknmatimkewey wjit Apaji-wla’luemk. L’nuikjijitaqn wjit maqamikew, telui’tmumk Telo’ltimkewey Wksitqamuey Kjijitaqnn (TEK), L’nuey Kejitekemkewey, aqq suel newte’ kis-tl-wisikl, wejiaq kjijitaqn wesko’tmi’tij wejkwa’taqnik amskwesewe’k etlqatmu’tijik ula Wksitqamu’k. Weli-anko’tmumk wksitqamuey telo’ltimkip – aqq me’ ne’kaw telo’ltimk- keknue’k wjit tel-sapawsimk aqq tel-mimajultimk. Jiksitmumk wju’sn, jikeyut tel-pilua’sit tepknuset, jikeyujik teli-milteskawuti’tij jipji’jk aqq pilue’k waisisk apoqnmakwi’tip kikmanaq kina’masultinew  menaqaj mawo’ltimk, mu o’pla’tun wksitqamuey aqq wessua’tumk pasik tepiaq wjit ta’n tel-nuta’mk.

Kisikuaq Dave Elliott Sr.o’q tleyawitaq W̱SÁNEĆ,  British Columbia,   weskumapn PEN’AWENewe’l tepknusetl – ta’n tujiw mena’taqumk- skwijinu’k naji-mawo’tu’titl kloqntiejue’l wa’wl, atki’kl jel mu kikli’kuejue’l wa’wl. Wessuo’tu’titl wa’wl ta’n elakwekl newkl wa’wl wtisi  kisna ajitkle’jkl katu mu tala’tu’tikl wtisi’l tan pasik etek newte’jk wa’w. “Elmiaq pasik newte’jk wa’w etek na ma’ tala’tu’tik, mita kloqntiej nqattew wtisi. Etek tapu’kl,  newte’jk wsuattaq;  etek ne’siskl, tapu’kl wsuattaq. Ma wsua’tu’tik newtittek wa’w, aqq ma’tala’tu’tikl wa’wl ta’n newkl etekl mita kloqntiej ki’s na nuku’ etnesit.  (p.47)

Ula na kijka’ kina’matnewe’l etekl wjit tepknusetk, telipunqekl, aqq tele’k mena’taqumk aqq we’kaw kina’matnewe’l wjit kepmite’tekemk, keknuite’tasik, Apaji-wla’luemk aqq tela’matultimk. Ula “newkl kina’matnewe’l” (Barnhardt & Kirkness, 1991) keknue’kl wjit koqoey nepukuite’tmi’tij aqq ketlamsitasulti’tij L’nu’k, Me’ti’aq aqq Inuitaq. Ula “newkl kina’matnewe’l” wije’wasikl ke’sk L’nu’k pem-kina’masulti’tij espi-kina’matnewo’kuo’ml  , etek ta’n tel-wiaqa’tumkl ula keknuite’tasikl kina’matnewe’l Qame’kewey kina’masuti aqq etl-kina’muemkl.

Kis-tluenes tel-toqwa’tumkl ula kina’matnewe’l na iloqaptmumk Kisiku Albert Marshall kisite’tkip 2004ek Etuaptmumk mita ketu’kina’muapnik L’nu’k kisi-pmawsultimk “tapu’kl wksitqamu’l” aqq wji-kina’masultinew kitk L’nu’k aqq Qame’kewaq teli-ankptasik mimajuaqn aqq mimajimk. Tli’aj na Etuaptmumk kina’matnewey  kisite’tasikip wjit tel-toqwa’tumk L’nuey kejitekemkewey aqq Qame’kewey kejitekemkewey, kisi-ila’tumk wla’siktn aqq kis-we’wasiktn pilue’l kina’matnewe’l aqq tel-kina’muemk ne’siskl tel-kina’muemkl: telkina’muemk kina’matnewo’kuo’ml, weji-kina’masimk koqoey nemitu’n aqq weji-kina’masimk kina’matnewo’kuo’ml aqq wksitqamu’k.

Telkina’muemk kina’matnewo’kuo’ml, Etuaptmumk kina’matnewey wesku’tk kisi-toqwa’tumkl Kejitekemkewe’l wejiaql kitk teli-nmitu’tij wksitqamuey. Nkutey ewe’wasikl  enkatekemkewe’l enkatmumk jikwapan kisna ewe’wasik paktukewa’qewey kulaman ma’ petteskawemnt aqq lamamk kisi-napwikasitew. L’nuikjijitaqn ewe’wasik milamu’k kjijitaqn jiko’tmumk  jikwapn aqq nikani-ntate’mamk ta’n teliknattew: ewe’wmi’tij kjijitaqn wejiaq ta’n wettik, telipunqek, teli-pilua’sit tepknuset,  telikk pemjajika’sik aqq me’ piluey koqoey. E’tasiw ula kjijitaqnn wela’sikl ewe’wmumk, aqq apoqnmuksi’k weji-nsitmumk jikwapan.

App ta’n kis-tl-we’wmumk Etuaptmumk na iloqaptmumk teli-ktantaqati’tij L’nu’k  wejkwataqnik aqq kiskuk. 1999ek Makah-aq wikultijik Washington mawa’majik mimajuinu’k apaji-msnmi’tip koqqwaja’taqn ktananew putupk, pikwelkik wenik mawkwasnik aluamanew teli-ktantaqati’tij,  telua’tijik mu wije’wmi’tikl telo’ltimkewe’l. Ktantekewinu’k wasoqatesmusnik tepultijik alte’maql walipotl ketantaqatijik ewe’wmi’titl pskwe’wl . Kis-tluenes kitk Qame’kewey tel-kwitamemk aqq L’nuey telkwitamemk toqwa’tu’titl ta’n tel-lukuti’tij. Tluenes ta’n tujiw wesku’tasik Etuaptmumk, wjiatew etlewistu’timk, mu welo’tekemnt aqq e’tmatultimk. Na tujiw nuta’tew ewe’wasiktn menaqaj nikana’tumk etlewistu’timk kulaman mikwite’ten L’nu’k ktu’sapawsultitaq “Aklasie’wey wksitqamu ” miamuj  wije’wtaq ta’n tela’taqati’tij Qame’kewaq. Ojibwayo’q nuji-wi’kiketaq Richard Wagameseo’q mikwimuksi’k ula ta’n tujiw teluejek te’sipowk (pekisula’tipnik Qame’kewaq) na nkutey kina’matnewey:

“Kulaman menaqaj kis-matnaqatitaq, matnakewinu’k miamuj kemutala’tisnik te’sipowk. Kemutmj wte’sipowml wen, na kemutmuj ta’n teli-ala’sit. Aqq ki’l mesnmn ta’n tli-ala’sitesk ikatmn ki’k, kmitki aqq kikmaq.

Na nuji-kmuta’ti’kisnik te’sipowk.

Kiskuk, Niskamij telimit, keknue’k siawi-kmutnen te’sipowk. Ktu’-ketlewa’tuan telawsi elmi’knik, aqq klo’tmn teli-l’nui miamuj kemutneyanik te’sipowk. Piley lukwaqney na nkutey te’sipow. Te’s kompu’tl, te’s tel-milikk lukwaqney Aklasie’w kisite’tk, Niskamij telimip, nkutey na te’sipow ali’puluemk. Kisi-kmutneyan piley lukwaqney te’sipow, kisi-ikattes ni’k, nmitki, nikmaq aqq L’nu’k.

Aklasie’wi’simk na nkutey  te’sipow. Kina’masuti, telankuamk, teli-pkwatekemk, lukwaqn, teli-alsutekemk, amalapimkewy, pipukwaqney aqq tel-se’saknutmumk aknutmaqn na msit nkutey tesipowk wejietjik piley lukwaqney. “Kinu’tmasi alipuluen ula te’sipowk,” telkimip, “kinu’tmasi ali’puluen, wiswikneman aqq ewe’wan, katu ne’kaw kepmite’te’n ta’n wetapeksulti’k aqq telo’ltimkewe’l mimaju’nuksi’kl.”

Kemutnemkik te’sipowk. Kejiteketaq ula kisikuaq.

Kinu ta’n ki’s kaqikuti’k aqq nikana’lueyk, amujpa menaqaj telo’lti’k mita napukwaluksitesnu wejkwikutijik. Amujpa kelite’tmu’k nutqo’ltijik nemu’ksi’kik. Ta’n tujiw ewe’wu’kik kiskukewe’k tesipowk aqq me’ kelo’tmu’k ta’n teli-l’nuwulti’k, ekinua’tu’kik ta’n pasik koqoey kis-tla’taqatitaq.”

Ekina’masimk Etuaptekemk wksitqamu elt nuta’q pilue’k wenik  keknuite’tmnew aqq wije’wmnew L’nuikjijitaqn aqq telo’ltimkewey. Weji-kina’masimk kina’matnewo’kuo’ml aqq wksitqamu’k, kejikawey pipanuijkaqn wjit tel-siawa’tumk mimajuaqney aqq menaqajewo’tmumk wksitqamuey ekinua’tekek ta’n Qame’kewey Kejitekemkewey aqq pilue’l kinamasuti’l ne’kaw ewe’mi’tij kina’matnewey wejiaq Lnuikjijitaqn weji-ila’tu’tij wksitqamuey.

Kina’matnewe’l nkutey ika’taqutimk, amalitaqnn, mesua’taqney, maqamikewey aknutmaqn aqq kina’matnewey, ktapekiaqnn aqq me’ pikwelk koqoey kisi-ila’tumkl aqq ewe’wasikl L’nue’l teli-kjijitekemkl aqq L’nue’l napukuite’taqnn kulaman siawa’tumk Ilkwija’taqn aqq elt tetuji-keknue’k, kepmite’tasiktn kjijitaqn wejkwa’taqnik etek mawa’tasik telita’suaqn.

Kespewa’tumk, tetaputesk, Etuaptmumk nemitumk te’sikiskik mimajulti’k ta’n tujiw ewe’wmu’k kiskukewey lukwaqney nasa’simk kompu’tl kwilmumk websites kisna kompu’tl-iktuk ekina’masimkl klusuaqnn aqq telewistumk L’nuiktuk; aqq elt etek ewe’wmumk l’nuinpisun nepitekemk staqa eltumkl aqq essamqwamkl milamu’kl pitewe’l ewe’wmumkl pqa’w, nipi’jk kisna skinaminn aqq elt wessua’tumk aspirin ta’n tujiw kesnukwaq wen wunji.

Etuaptmumk etek ta’n tujiw menaqaj jiksitmn aqq jiko’tmn kjijitaqn wejiaq maqamikeminaq, Kisiku’k, Wenik Kelo’tmi’tij L’nuey Telo’ltimk aqq ta’n wenik wikultijik wutanminal na mawo’lti’kik aqq weji-kina’masulti’kik. Etekl elt kjijitaqn ta’n telua’ti’tij pilue’k wenik eymu’tijik wutank, Kisiku’k, aqq Nuji-kina’mua’tijik ta’n melkuktmi’tij tel-siawa’tumk Ilkwija’taqn, kiwanska’tu’tij ankaptasik wjit tela’taqatimk.