Embodying a teaching: “In Motion”
“In motion” reflects a shared belief system across many Indigenous nations around the idea of flux and our interconnectedness to all things. Our storytelling, legends and practices connect us to seasonal teachings, grounding us in the philosophy of reciprocity, sustainability, and caretaking. These stories guide our principles and invite us to be more connected to our innate sense of timing and morality through our earth-based calendar systems.
“In motion” is about relationality and movement of change in that we consider “all our relations” and the moving pieces of the relationships we hold with all living things. We tend to all that surrounds us, with care, love and understanding and we learn to see each other and all living things as having a story — one that is deeper and connects to a web of ancestral histories and future paths. To be “in motion” is to understand that our actions influence the world around us, seven generations back and seven generations forward.
Our in-motion programs aim to reflect these teachings by showing us a way forward through generative and inspiring workshops and (seasonal) storytelling that reminds us of who we are.
Words in Motion
The Words in Motion program provides spaces for youth between 16-29 to reconnect to their traditional languages in an online virtual format. Young language speakers have the opportunity to facilitate an introduction in their Indigenous language to youth peers, creating leadership skills, community building and interaction, and developing their capacity for peer mentorship.
Language revitalization nurtures innate, deep Indigenous ways of knowing, embedded in the language itself. It leads us towards wellness and healthier, culturally connected communities. Learners draw associations in the language to worldview and land-based teachings from their environment. Participants come out of these workshops with the ability to introduce themselves in the language, say where they are from, where they currently live and where their parents come from. Youth may also learn simple word associations to animals, colours and numbers.
For more information, contact:
Brooke Rice
Culture & Wellness Coordinator
Email: brooke@canadianroots.ca
