Fri May 7 detailed schedule

Finding Solid Ground: The Ligʷiłdaxʷ 19th-Century Enlivened World as a Foundation for 21st-Century Indigenous Rights in Decision Making

Abstract

The right to maintain a spiritual connection with what the Western world classifies as a “resource” is confirmed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. For Ligʷiłdaxʷ people this “spiritual connection” is informed by the 19^th-century relational world, a world inhabited by human and non-human sentient beings where notions of reciprocity, care and respect were paramount. Through interviews with Elders, examination of oral texts and exploration of the ceremonial, I consider how the 19^th-century enlivened world was ritually mediated and often codified in myth or legend. I then explore how, along with 21^st-century experience, the 19^th-century enlivened world has ongoing agency in the 21^st century, remains formative of Ligʷiłdaxʷ morals and values, and is articulated through concepts of responsibility and identity. Finally, I argue that the 19^th-century relational world not only informs Indigenous stewardship laws, but also informs Indigenous rights to decision making in the modern context.

Presenter(s)

Deidre Cullon, Adjunct, Master of Community Planning Department, Vancouver Island University

<< Back to Fri May 7 detailed schedule