Reconciliation retreat
It has been wonderful to hear the curiosity and questions from parents about the process we engaged with in Lillooet last week. Our experience in Lillooet was beyond our expectations and will continue to grow in us as we work with each other and the children we teach. My first impression was how much the principles that Darrell Bob brought forward resonated with how we work as Waldorf educators, and brought us an opportunity to deepen our teaching practice.
While I have read books and articles on cultural awareness and the impact of residential schools, experiencing these ideas directly through Darrell’s personal stories had a more profound impact. We were able to bring our whole selves to the process and were nurtured through the sweat lodge ceremony, sharing circles and the process of making tobacco ties. I recognized again that our learning is contingent on our personal wellness and the health of our communities. So much of our role as human beings is to hold each other up as we each experience what life presents us as individuals. The land nurtured us as we looked up into the stars at night and felt the deep wisdom that was present from generations of people living in relation with the healing earth. There was too much for any one individual to absorb, but we all took away what we needed.
In faculty meeting this week, we will review what resonated for us and how we can continue to nurture what we learned. I wish to express my sincere thanks to Sussan Yanez and Matt Bishop for volunteering to support the workshop.
– Gabriel
The First Peoples Principles of Learning: