This course will remind us that we on the Sunshine Coast reside on the unceded ancestral land of the shishalh or Skwxwú7mesh people. We will use The Kairos Blanket Exercise to foster understanding of how colonization of the land we now know as British Columbia and Canada has impacted the Indigenous People who lived here long before Settlers arrived. The exercise explores the nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. Because it is participatory and interactive this exercise engages participants emotionally and intellectually. Knowledge of our shared history encourages us to work together with deeper respect and understanding of one another. The presenters will be accompanied by an Indigenous witness from the shishalh Nation who will provide an Indigenous perspective to participants.
The course will examine the rights Indigenous people have over their traditional territory, established by court decisions and subsequent legislation. We will briefly reference the “United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People” (UNDRIP) and the “Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act” (DRIPA) by the BC Legislature, both of which led to the “shishalh Nation / British Columbia Foundation Agreement” between the Sechelt Indian Band and the Province of British Columbia which has direct impact on governance on the Sunshine Coast.
Presenters: Nancy and John Denham
Dates: Fri. Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22
Times: 1pm to 3pm
Venue: Capilano University, Sechelt Campus
