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>> Okay, so one of the things that I'm finding a little bit challenging with this
course and this format is usually I talk about medicine wheel as an organizing
principle, as a concept that helps us to teach aboriginal education I, in a circle
setting. And it's usually you know, a small
intimate group somewhere Between 14 and 20 students.
So it was very difficult to find a space we could invite in thousands of people to,
to do a real quick go around and just tell us you know, who you are and why you're
interested in the course. So I, I assume that the forum will help us
sort that out. And I'll try and talk a little bit about
the medicine wheel as an organizing principle and give some resources that you
can look at to understand the, the different ways that this concept is talked
about and used. So one of the resources I've made
available Global on the site. Is a short piece produced by the
aboriginal people's television network on the medicine wheels that are located
across the plains area of North America. And thi, this medicine wheel is really
the, the physical representation of the relationship between different first
nations and the cosmos. And so The star world is represented the
connection with sun, moon, stars, and, and the Earth.
In these In these physical collections of stones that are brought into specific
sites that become sacred and ceremonial sites for the people.
So if we watch this video you can see an example of a medicine wheel and the
importance of understanding this notion of medicine wheel Is to get a sense of the
way in which different first nations have conceived of the self in relation to the
cosmos. And so standing in a certain place we can
turn and face the east direction. Turn another 90 degrees and we're facing
the south direction. Turn again and we're facing the west.
And turn again and we're facing North. So we are certainly wherever we stand, we
are in relation to these four cardinal directions.
And they become the four directions that are referenced in say four directions
teachings and so forth. And I also have a link to
fourdirectionsteaching.com where we can hear some of these medicine wheel stories
in greater depth. I really encourage you to look at it and
get a sense of the different stories about our relationship to the cosmos.
So, taking these four cardinal directions as a starting point, we can also situation
ourselves by looking down and realizing how we're connected to the earth.
And so there's, there's an earth connection.
And then looking up or skyward, we have our sky connection.
So in essence there are six different ways in which we are connected.
To the cosmos. Now finally, there's also talk about a
seventh direction which is the inward looking place and so we can stand and face
each of these four carnal directions. We can, we can notice the way that we are
situated with the earth and we can notice our place in the, in relation to the sky.
But then to also know that within us, just as Infinite as are the possibiliteis of
looking outward. When we look inward we have a universe
within ourselves that is just as deep and complex.
And from which learning can come. We can learn from those four and six
directions. But we can also look inward and learn from
that. And so many of our ceremonies much of the
work that we do spiritually is a way of tapping into that knowledge that's always
been within us. And that's part of our, our spirit being.
Many of our elders talked about how we are We are spirits.
But we are inhabiting physical bodies for a short time.
And learning about this experience through these bodies.
And so this is an important thing to realize.
As we go through this course. This, this fundamental piece of the world
view. Which is that we are spirit and body, at
the same time. That these, these, aspects of being
coexist.
Jean-Paul RestouleAssociate Professor
