Story 3: Voices of the Land Values

Voices of the Land Values

Summary:

Here we give you an explanation of the 7 Grandfather teachings that were gifted to us by Elder Wilson Bearhead. These values continue to guide us.

Description:

In this video we explain the values that started to guide this project, continue to guide this project, and will guide this project long-term. These 7 values, also known as the Grandfather Teachings, were gifted to us by Elder Wilson Bearhead.

Transcription:

In this section, we are going to talk about the values that continue to underpin this project. These values were gifted to Voices of Amiskwaciy by Elder Wilson Bearhead who is from the Paul First Nation in Treaty 6 Territory. We received permission to continue to utilize them as we expanded Voices of Amiskwaciy to a provincial project, now known as Voices of the Land.
The values that underpin this initiative were formed through several community discussions and consultations, including a pipe ceremony led by Elder Wilson Bearhead that began the Voices of Amiskwaciy project. These values continue to guide Voices of the Land as it expands and grows. The process has been fluid and responsive to community feedback. This includes all development aspects of the website, programming, outreach and communications with Indigenous communities. With this guidance from Indigenous communities, this digital public space provides open access and tells stories that Indigenous people choose to tell.

We have adopted the 7 Sacred Teachings also known as the 7 Grandfather Teachings. These values provide a solid, ethical framework for Voices of the Land. The storytellers also embody the values through sharing of their stories. Described below are the values that support how Voices of the Land strives to be a safe and ethical digital space:

1. Love: Engaging in relationships from a place of kindness, caring and compassion and supporting of self-determination.
2. Respect: Creating a safe space where stories are valued.
3. Courage: Committing to follow through on project goals.
4. Honesty: Being transparent about the process and progress of the project to the public.
5. Wisdom: Seeking out and including Indigenous knowledge throughout the project development.
6. Humility: Working in meaningful partnerships on an equal plane and being open to learning and embracing new ways of understanding, acting and knowing.
7. Truth: Creating an authentic Indigenous space where truths can be shared.

We are grateful to Elder Wilson Bearhead for providing these guiding teachings to us.

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