Healing Relations Through the Land - Diane Brown - Prologue - Gap of Understanding

Oct 15, 2026

An undergraduate scholarship prologue explores how misunderstandings between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada are sustained by media stereotypes, family influence, and assumptions that go unchallenged. It presents healing through the land by describing Indigenous relationality with animals, plants, rocks, water, and spirits, emphasizing reciprocal rights and responsibilities. Drawing on examples and sources, it explains why relocation and colonial practices cause deep physical, spiritual, and psychological trauma and hinders holistic health and wellness.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

Prologue: Gap of Understanding

Healing Relations Through the Land

Indelible Connection

SPOTLIGHT ON UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP Healing Relations Through the Land Diane Brown Prologue: Gap of Understanding Almost a year ago, I was pondering the task of bridging the rift of understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. The media is rife with many negative stereotypes of Indigenous people that seem not only to permeate Canadian culture but also to seep into the conscious and unconscious minds of young people. Sometimes these derogatory ideas are reinforced by family members or other important adults in their lives. In the hallways atthe school where I worked as an educational assistant I would overhear comments such as“Most Indians have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome” or “Indians have lots of kids so they can collect more welfare money.”One student even tried to convince me that the bid of Peguis First Nation to buy the abandoned Kapyong Barracks for an urban reserve was merely a land grab. He truly believed that an urban reserve would ruin Winnipeg by providing an opening for all manner of immoral and criminal behaviour. If he had done a little research, he would have understood that the claim by Peguis First Nation is legal under the treaty land entitlement process and that urban reserves bring increased economic health to a city, not more crime (“Meeting,” 2015). But what shocked me the most is that he did not feel compelled to back up his opinions; he just assumed he was correct. His stereotypical view of Indigenous people was influencing not only his identity but also that of the Indigenous individuals around him. This distressing conversation made me realize how wide the chasm of misunderstanding can be between the two people groups, in addition to the absolute need to find a way to breakdown the continuing effects of colonialism on Indigenous youth. I strive to find a means by which to close the national, and personal, relationship divide. I realize that a factor of commonality could be found in the natural world. As a young girl, I would lie for hours in the tall grass outside my home, listening to the wind as it blew the stalks around me like ocean waves. I would watch the ants busily hauling food back to the hill or thrill to discover a nest of squirming, bald, baby field mice. If I, as a non-Indigenous person, have these wonderful interactions with nature, maybe everyone else has them at some point too. The idea is also timely because growing environmental issues are concerning people of all cultures. If Indigenous beliefs about nature and the Earth could be understood by non-Indigenous people, perhaps some healing can begin. Indigenous culture has an enduring relationship with the land and everything above, below, and on it. This is why living in a certain place is so important. Indigenous belief systems include the concept of relationality, not only with other humans but with non-human entities as well. These beings include animals, plants, rocks, water, and spirits. There is no hierarchy of power within these relationships. Humans are not the “top of the food chain” who can utilize the Earth’s resources at will. As with any relationship, there are rights and responsibilities involved. It is necessary to show respect for all entities. This explains why Indigenous leaders did not understand the concept of possessing land when the settlers came. They could no more imagine owning a piece of the Earth than owning another human being. Over-fishing or hunting to extinction would have been extremely disrespectful and thus not done. Author and botanist Kimmerer (2013) explained this concept simply and beautifully by relating the example of a bowl, a spoon, and some berries to represent the generosity of the Earth in providing sustenance for humans and other living things. The bowl is not bottomless – there is a finite amount. Kimmerer explained that the “gifts multiply by our care for them and dwindle from our neglect. We are bound in a covenant of reciprocity, a pact of mutual res

FAQs

What misunderstanding does the author focus on between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people?

The author focuses on the gap in understanding created by negative media stereotypes and reinforcement from adults, leading people to hold harmful assumptions without researching or substantiating claims.

How does Indigenous belief connect healing to the land?

Indigenous belief systems emphasize relationality with all beings connected to the land, with no hierarchy of power, and require respect, rights, and responsibilities—supporting healing through specific places and practices.

Why does the author argue that forced relocation causes serious harm?

Forced relocation severs ties to significant mountains, life forms, sacred places, and the way of life, causing multifaceted damage including physical, spiritual, and psychological trauma and disrupting community healing.

Oct 15, 2026

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