Let’s start our next step on this journey with a traditional teaching, one that truly reflects an Indigenous worldview. Understanding these teachings or comments and having them help guide you in your decision-making process alongside the Western Knowledge you bring is critical.
Spotlight
Minaajim: Good Stories from Curve Lake First Nation, Sabkeshiinh (The Spider)
As told by Doug Williams to Julie Kapyrka
Basically, the spider is the one who tells us that whatever happens to one thing will happen to another thing. You cannot get away from eliminating one thing without eliminating another.
Spider was created to weave the web of life. Every strand in the web of life is connected. And every connection is essential. Without that connection, life will not carry on.
This story is an old story and told to us for a reason. To respect all of life. Everything has a purpose – even the lowly mosquito, the house fly, poison ivy…
This story reminds me of what I hear is happening to wild rice on Pigeon Lake. I hear people want to get rid of this sacred plant that was given to us by Creator.
You cannot get rid of wild rice without getting rid of something else. There is a connection between wild rice being healthy and the health of the lake itself.
Wild rice has had trouble growing over the past 100 Years because all of the boating, the development of cottages, and the altering of shorelines that resulted in the poisoning of the lake. This in itself also affected the other plants and animals in the lake. We do not have a good situation for that lake.
We must learn from Spider. What we are doing to that lake is affecting all life. And that if we don’t take care of it we will lose it and that….
The point is that once again we have to turn to the spider to remind us that we must look after life – we must promote the wild rice, we must let it grow. And people have to learn to appreciate this beautiful creation and the connection it has to other life forms.
If we lose one strand of that web of life, it affects all other things, everything, including yourself. We thank the spider Sabkeshiinh for his teachings: “Miigwech.”
Everything is related so whatever you do to the water, and whatever you do to the land will consequently affect the wind and vice versa – and all of this impacts the earth herself and thus all living things.
People have pulled out, cut, and poisoned the beautiful plant manoomin (wild rice) and it has been portrayed publicly as a bad aquatic weed. To me, this is like saying let’s stop the wind, let’s stop life.
All life is connected, and we must honour and respect that. It concerns me that we are selling water and soon we’ll be having to buy clean air…
but that is another story.
One way to understand this story, is to acknowledge the focus on the teachings of Spider (Sabkeshiinh), who was created to weave the web of life. The web represents the interconnectedness of all living beings and elements in the natural world.
From a Michi Saagiig perspective, spirituality is intricately tied to the land and all its inhabitants. This story emphasizes that every strand in the web of life is vital and essential for the continuation of life. The teachings of Sabkeshiinh remind the listeners of the sacredness of all life forms, even the ones often taken for granted, like mosquitoes or poison ivy.
The teaching's message extends to the relationship between human actions and the well-being of the land and its resources. The concerns expressed about the decline of wild rice on Pigeon Lake due to human activities, such as boating, shoreline development, and pollution, illustrate the spiritual connection Indigenous peoples have with their environment, and the ability of Indigenous Knowledge Systems to identify the interconnected pressures of colonialism to social, cultural, and environmental health.
Indigenous spirituality emphasizes a deep respect for nature, recognizing that the well-being of the land, water, and air directly affects all living beings, including humans. The loss of one aspect of the interconnected web of life can have far-reaching consequences for all other elements.
The story calls for a return to the teachings of Spider (Sabkeshiinh), urging people to care for and protect the sacredness of nature and the balance of life. It emphasizes the responsibility of humans to be stewards of the land, ensuring the preservation of natural resources for present and future generations.
The story also highlights the importance of reciprocity in Indigenous spirituality – acknowledging that what is taken from the land should be done with good intention, gratitude and understanding of its impact on the greater web of life.
This story carries profound teachings about the interdependence of all life and the need to protect and cherish the land and its resources for the sake of all living beings. It serves as a reminder to honor and respect the intricate connections in the web of life and to embrace Indigenous knowledge and wisdom in preserving the sacredness of the environment.
Spirituality and Connectedness
Everything is connected. Much Indigenous spirituality is rooted in the belief that all objects are living and that we all have a right to exist and occupy the earth. Use the resource in the Explore Further below to gain further insight.
Looking Closer
Watch Spirituality and All our Relations. This video will introduce you to tradition teachings on the connectedness of life.
Connectivity and the Landscape
In general, being connected to the landscape from, some Indigenous perspectives, means having a deep and holistic relationship with the natural world that goes beyond mere physical presence or resource extraction. This connection is rooted in spiritual, cultural, and temporal ties that have been passed down through generations, shaping Indigenous peoples' worldviews and ways of living and being.
Key aspects of Indigenous land relations include:
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Spiritual Significance: The land is seen as sacred, inhabited by spiritual beings, and imbued with life force. Indigenous spirituality is intertwined with the natural world, with sacred sites, rituals, and ceremonies conducted to honor and connect with the land.
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Interconnectedness: Indigenous peoples view themselves as an integral part of the ecosystem, recognizing the interdependence of all living beings and elements in the landscape. The well-being of humans is intricately tied to the health of the land, water, air, and all living creatures.
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Stewardship: Indigenous cultures often emphasize the role of humans as caretakers and protectors of the land. This stewardship involves using natural resources sustainably, preserving biodiversity, and ensuring the continued health of the environment for future generations.
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Cultural Identity: The landscape holds cultural significance as it is often tied to Indigenous communities' origin stories, histories, traditions, and ways of knowing and being. The land provides a sense of belonging and cultural continuity, fostering a strong connection to all relations.
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Indigenous Knowledge: Indigenous peoples possess a wealth of ecological knowledge, which has grown, is continually refined, and adapted over centuries of living in harmony with the landscape. This knowledge is rooted in rigorous place-based understandings. Such knowledge systems continue to adapt to novel systems and circumstances (e.g., due to colonialism) in novel ways. In this way, Indigenous Knowledge is not a noun, or an object that can be possessed or given, but is rather a verb – a way of knowing and being that reflects a living history of Indigenous resistance, resurgence, and adaptivity (Hatcher, Bartlett, Marshall & Marshall, 2009).
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Respect and Reciprocity: Indigenous peoples approach the land and its relations with respect and gratitude, recognizing that what is taken from the land should be done with care and reciprocity. Offerings, ceremonies, and expressions of gratitude are common practices to maintain respectful, responsible, and reciprocal relationships with lands and waters.
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Sense of Place: Indigenous communities often have deep attachments to specific territories, where stories, histories, and cultural practices are rooted. This sense of place strengthens the connection to the landscape and fosters a sense of responsibility for its well-being.
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Indigenous Cultural Landscapes: “the physical expression of the complex and dynamic sets of relationships, processes and linkages between societies and environments. Cultural landscapes are an expression of societies writing their history upon the land […]. Cultural landscapes have a biogeophysical endowment. The cultural perceptions, values and political interests will change how a society perceives things as resources that can provide for a secure and meaningful life. The cultural landscape of one society is not always visible to members of another society due to differing perceptions, values and political interests. Perceptually, cultural landscape only becomes visible as you move with the landscape under the guidance of people who are intimately aware of the forms, functions and processes of a specific landscape.” (Davidson-Hunt, 2003, p. 22).
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Environmental Advocacy: Many Indigenous peoples are advocates for environmental protection, standing as guardians of the land against threats like pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change. They seek to preserve the landscape for the benefit of all life.
To help you better develop your understanding of what it means to be connected to the landscape, read the story of The Four Seasons of the Anishinabe.
Spotlight
The Four Seasons of the Anishinabe.
Long ago, life for the Anishinabe would follow the circle of seasons. There was a pattern in their movements which could be plotted on a map. Anishinabe people moved from place to place with a purpose and moved in a way that could be predicted. Everything was done in the proper place and at the proper season within the circle.
Dagwaagin—In early fall, families would travel by canoe to rice lakes and marshes and worked together to harvest wild rice. There were late chokecherries and early cranberries to pick, dry and store away. The men spent a great deal of time hunting. Fall was the season to shoot ducks and geese. As much food as possible needed to be gathered and stored away for the long winter. The men began to prepare for the trapping of fur bearing animals. The women set out nets to bring in a winter supply of fish.
Biboon—In the winter the village would break up into small family groups and move to their winter camps in the forest. This custom arose because there was not enough game in any one place to feed more than a small number. Men went out each day to hunt deer and other large animals. While the men were out hunting, the women preserved deer meat by drying it over low open fires. At night the women made and repaired clothing/moccasins and worked on beadwork designs. Grandmothers wove fish nets and hunting bags, made cordage, helped with the cooking, brought in fire wood, and took care of the young children. The men made snowshoes and repaired their hunting gear. Winter was also the time for telling traditional stories. Stories were told to children to entertain but also to teach them. When boys and girls were not helping their elders, they had many ways of having fun. They slid down hills on toboggans or large pieces of bark, held snowshoe races and snowball battles. A favorite winter pastime was snow snake. In this game, players slid smooth, flattened poles over the snow to see whose pole would slide the farthest. This game was also played by grownups.
Ziigwan—As spring approached, Anishinabe families moved to sugar bush. This was an area where many sugar maple trees could be found. They would meet up with friends and relatives that they had not seen since their move to winter camp. This was a time of greeting and catching up on all the news. Each family had their own part of the sugar bush, tapping the trees for sap and boiling it down to make maple sugar. As before, the men went out to get food. This time of the year they spread nets to catch flocks of wild pigeons. Before the ice was off the lakes, the men speared fish through holes in the ice. After the ice melted the men fished with large nets. Early spring was a good time to trap fur bearing animals as their fur was the thickest and glossiest. Spring is also the time birch bark could be taken to make canoes. In every band there were older men and women who were especially skilled in canoe building. They were helped by younger members who learned the craft from them.
Niibin—Summer is a time to think about planting gardens. Anishinabe families would move back to their summer village after sugar making when the leaves of trees were beginning to unfold. The men fished and hunted and the women and children planted corn, pumpkins and squash. This was also a time of gather berries and plants that families used for food, medicine and materials to make utilitarian baskets, mats, etc. Summer was a time for visiting friends and ceremonial feasts and dances. Summer was also a time to play games like lacrosse, foot races, wrestling, jumping, shooting matches and other contests.
Stop and Reflect
Based on The Four Seasons of the Anishinabe, take a moment and think about what means to be connected to the land.
Next, consider what being connected to the land means to you after you read the story.
Has your understanding of connection to the land shifted in any way after reading the story?