Cultural Protection Policy
Viewers of this site are hearby not given permission to save, copy, edit or quote cultural teachings that I have learned from Songhees Nation knowledge keepers as revealed on this site.
I have earned this knowledge in the specific context in my role as a teacher, so that I may share it with my students, who include members of the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations. However, it is not my intellectual property, nor is it yours, simply by viewing it. You do not have the right to take it and transfer it to others without the express permission of those who shared it with me, Songhees Elder Clarence (Butch) Dick or Bradley (Yux'wey'lupton) Dick.
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You may try the activities, read the documents, look at the images, think about what you have witnessed, and you may take action in your own life and practice to decolonize your work, but it is not your knowledge to claim or profit from.
Xpey' or XP (Western Red Cedar) "Nurse stumps" nurture the next generation by giving them the nutrients and energy they have accumulated throughout their lives. When we remove old trees from the forest and convert them into paper or lumber, we are stealing their energy and wisdom from their offspring.
First People's Principles of Learning #9:
"Learning involves recognizing that some knowledge is sacred and only shared with permission and/or in certain situations."
In much the same way, if researchers monopolize the time of First Nations Elders to produce research articles in a format that are inaccessible to their grand children, this hurts not just kids but the entire community into the future. Yet I have also witnessed how educational institutions can prevent Indigenous learners from gaining academic credit for their learning from their Elders, and recognize that this practice also does a disservice to First Nations communities. I hope to walk the fine line between maintaining confidentiality and supporting knowledge sharing with my students, their families, and their other teachers in a culturally appropriate way.