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.
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(L-R) Sneha Lakhotia, Cate
Mentink, Chelsie Parayko, Tanya Allport and Haze White
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[1] Parayko, C. (2019). Ekosani for being
kiwicéwákan. Retrieved from https://www.waipareira.com/wai-atamai/
