It’s all relational

By Chelsie Parayko, 2nd year MDP student

As my time in Aotearoa came to an end, I reflected on the experiences I’ve had over the two field placements that we are required to complete. Some of the most valuable lessons and knowledge came from those experiences, however the relationships I have formed are ones that will last beyond the walls of academia. Below is the post:

“Last summer I learned a Cree word – Kiwícéwákan, it roughly translates to “the one you walk with.” Beyond the simple English translation, in Cree this word means more than to simply walk but to journey, to connect, to have meaningful relations with another person or persons. I learned this word while completing my domestic field placement for my master’s in Development Practice: Indigenous Development program, from a beautiful Cree woman who seemingly understood what was happening in my life before I knew it myself. The word rings true in certain spaces I have occupied and is something that has been dancing through my mind in recent.

As a child I wanted to sink into the masses. At the time, this meant lathering my body with sunscreen and restricting the hours I spent outside in the sun to avoid being “too brown.” I was terrified of having the conversation around who my ancestors are, and what that meant among my peers. I knew that, at that time, being identified as Indigenous or as Cree that I would be treated differently, perhaps treated like a second-class citizen. It has taken a lot of uncomfortable moments to shift my own perspective and my journey of unlearning is only at the beginning. Surrounding myself with other Indigenous peoples who celebrate their ways of knowing is critical to my own wellbeing and is why I was attracted to Aotearoa.

These pivotal moments are one of the most spirit awakening, however they are often the path-less-taken, and rather lonely within western academic walls. Carved by our strongest ancestors, these journeys today are what I believe to be my greatest responsibility. There are movements that have been radical in shaping the atmosphere that Indigenous peoples in Canada, however from a smaller scale we more often see individuals taking the lead in resurging our ways of knowing and being, unsupported. My own experiences have held true to this fact.

It has been one of the most refreshing and awe-inspiring things to be among the whānau at Waipareira who, for lack of better words, just get it. Making space for Indigenous ways of knowing and being is embedded in the everyday practices and is certainly something that I will take home as one of the most profoundly key elements of success for the iwi.

Reflecting on my experience in Aotearoa, within the MDP program and beyond I cannot help but be incredibly proud at the people I have met along the way and for those who have launched down this journey with me. People like my sister who have, unapologetically taken on roles not traditionally held by women to ensure that our traditions are not lost. Teams like those at Waipareira who make space for Indigenous ways of knowing regardless of the dominant western systems and structures. I am so grateful to call these people my whānau. There are not enough words to begin to extend the gratitude I have for this opportunity. Ekosani for being Kiwícéwákan!” 

Connections and relationships are everything. As an Indigenous person it has been taught to me that everything is relational, and through these two placements the lesson has been incredibly solidified. These relationships span across oceans and land, to the animals and the plants, to the stars and back. So much to be thankful for.

(L-R) Sneha Lakhotia, Cate Mentink, Chelsie Parayko, Tanya Allport and Haze White

[1] Parayko, C. (2019). Ekosani for being kiwicéwákan. Retrieved from https://www.waipareira.com/wai-atamai/