Reflection Paper- Culture, Spirituality, and Institutions

Ashley Hoisington
EDUC 4950: Kiipaitapisinnoni I & II

After I finished the last lecture in this section, I sat for a moment to pause and take it all
in; to reflect on all of the powerful, and "mind-boggling" information that I had just heard. A lot
was going through my mind as I sat and wondered about the healers, the ceremonies, the spirits,
and the whole culture. It made me feel angry when I thought about the past and how the
government painted Indigenous culture in such a negative light- in such a light that they wanted
to believe there was no culture at all; how those thoughts and ideas still permeate through the
belief systems of so many old white people today. The stark reality is that Indigenous cultures
and belief systems are rich and powerful; it was such a privilege to learn about how the
Blackfoot people live their lives and celebrate their lives. I would go so far as to argue that the
Blackfoot culture is more complex and more vibrant than anything I have ever known. Having
such a strong connection with the Creator, with spirits and the natural world, is so moving that I
wish I had something that could even compare. I have revisited this first paragraph a couple of
times over the past couple of days, trying to think of something to make this sound more
"intellectual," but the honest truth is that I am in complete awe over everything I have learned. I
feel like I have been given a tremendous gift from listening to stories and knowledge that has
been transmitted, and I have a newfound appreciation for all of the intricacies that make up this
unique and beautiful culture. I could spend hours staring at my wall, pondering the key points I
am about to bring up below.
The first thing that struck me was about how spirituality and the common belief of, and
connection with, the Creator, aid in social control and order within the community. It seems like
a lot of my time growing up was spent learning about how religion sparks wars and can cause
issues within a community, and on the other hand, I was made to believe that if I did not go to
church twice a week, I could not have it. I have had a complicated relationship with religion and
spirituality, but I do know that I believe in something, and now I know that this connection is the
most important piece; the connection is what will do the guiding, and the connection is where I
find my peace and my place. In my mind, and I could be wrong, but I have come to understand
that religion and spirituality are not synonymous. This section has undoubtedly helped me realize
this- and the idea that spirituality brings the community together in such a positive way is
incredible to me. The connections between spirituality and natural consequences really struck
me; spirituality provides individuals and groups with a road map for navigating life and how to
do so in a positive manner, but spirituality also dictates what is right and what is wrong. I wonder
if this underlying concept could be brought into the classroom to build community and guide
student actions. I think it would be beneficial to develop a common belief into the classroom,
such as a classroom mantra or set of classroom "can do's" (instead of rules and to avoid the use
of "cannot"), to help students make sense of expectations and what is in the best interest of our
classroom community. This connection is loosely based on this principle of natural law and
social control, but I think it would enrich the classroom environment if we could have a
discussion about natural consequences- if you hurt someone, or someone's property then there
will be some sort of reparation to be made whether that is an apology, or whatever might fit that
situation. I think it is vital in the development of character for students to understand that they do
not live in a vacuum, and what they do or say can affect other people.
 It is hard for me to wrap my mind around the aspects of spirituality that were discussed
because, in my mind, they seem so foreign to my western understandings that I have grown up
with. Much of the information came as a surprise because I was never really exposed to those
intricacies, but I feel like I have learned a great deal from this. I mentioned this take away in the
last paper, but I appreciated the discussion about time. I didn’t realize that the days of the week
were brought with the white man coming, and I had no idea that it was an arbitrary difference
between a Tuesday and a Saturday. The natural, internal clock that was mentioned connects back
to that notion of connection to the land. I wonder how different life would be if we weren’t so
attached to the clocks, to the calendar, and to a tight “go, go, go” schedule and way of living. I
was also left wondering how it would look in a classroom if we followed a more natural
movement throughout our day- not marked by bells but marked by natural flow from one activity
or lesson to the next. I wonder if students would have a more meaningful learning experience if
they could explore something until they felt finished, not when the clock says they are. I think
that movement throughout the day in this way would benefit the whole child and enrich the
learning experience for things to happen in a purposeful and meaningful way.
On that note, I have always been passionate about teaching from a whole child approach-
the body, mind, heart and soul. It is hard to get through to students with academics before their
heart, body and soul are taken care of. This reminds me of the quote I heard in one of my other
classes, you have to “Maslow before you Bloom,” meaning you must take care of the body
before you can reach the mind. This was not explicitly mentioned in our lectures, but I think it is
connected with Blackfoot beliefs about the person and learning- inclusion and mastery learning
play into this pedagogical practice. When students feel like they can be successful and work at
their own pace depending on their individual needs, they have hit the so-called sweet spot of
learning. Students should be able to learn and thrive within a real-world context, and that means
involving the community within the classroom; as the teacher, you cannot be an expert at
everything, and it is meaningful to include the people who can speak with wisdom in particular
areas that you cannot. Learning from people outside of the classroom in integral. Education, as
mentioned in the lecture, is something that should involve the community and elders. I really
appreciated the section on institutions of the culture, particularly this section on education. I feel
like we could have an entire semester spent on Blackfoot teaching practices.
I was quite taken by the deep connections to the animal spirits and the land, it made me
think about how backwards the western beliefs about animals and the land are. The Blackfoot
understanding of the hierarchy of the natural world makes so much more sense to me. As
humans, we are so dependent on our environment- the land and animals we coexist with on a day
to day basis affects who we are and what we believe. The inverted hierarchy of life seems much
more realistic- how can western scientists place us at the top of the hierarchy when there is so
much we cannot control. Learning about this way of thinking has profoundly impacted my
understanding and interaction with the natural world. Animals have so much to give to us, and
the knowledge that animals and spirits all have "gifts" to give reframes and disrupts my thinking
in a significant way. Western interactions with the natural world are mostly one-sided when you
think about it- we take and take and take, but never properly thank for the things that we take. I
feel like we spend so much time disrupting the natural world without considering the
consequences. Blackfoot understandings of this seem to make sense to me.
We must ask before we take, and then thank profusely for the gifts we were given. It is so
amazing to think of how individualists can have such a strong connection with the natural world
and spirits and have the ability to listen to those things to better themselves and the people
around them. I would love to further explore the importance and symbolism behind the various
animal spirits, to fully understand what the gifts they have for us are representative of, and how
they connect with the spiritual beliefs of the Blackfoot people. I wonder how these animal spirits
compare with the totem animals of the Anishinaabe tradition, and if Blackfoot tradition has
similar beliefs or understandings. I have seen many teachers use the book called Sometimes I
Feel Like a Fox by Danielle Daniel, which explores the Anishinaabe totem animals to help
students understand how they could connect with different animals, and why they may feel that
connection. I think it is essential to connect with the natural world into the classroom to enrich
student experience and help positively ground our Indigenous students. Even interacting with
nature and animals is something students would benefit from, but they would also benefit from
knowing how much animals and their spirits have to offer us.
The section on Individualists was so interesting. The dedication and commitment to a
lifelong calling to heal is so inspiring. I was so taken back and shocked by the amount of self-
sacrifice that these individuals give to better their community. Individualists play such a critical
role, and the work they do is so important. I was amazed to learn about the differences between
the Medicine Men, the Herbalists and the Sewers; I had never heard of Herbalists or Sewers
before this, and I had no idea about the intricacies involved in healing practices. It was so
impactful to see how spirituality and healing come together to produce this system. The fact that
individualists must complete quests, alone and without food or water, to reach the spirits is
compelling. If I had just heard about this practice from someone, I would have never thought it
accurate, but hearing it in this class and seeing how these practices fit into the spiritual beliefs of
the Blackfoot people and connection with the Creator is incredible. There is so much power that
comes from this sort of knowledge and understanding, and I can definitely understand why the
Creator has checks in place to deal with those who turn to bad medicine for their own personal
gains. As an individualist, these people must be so dedicated to this; they become lifelong
learners and dedicate their lives to bettering the collective and improving the community. This
sort of dedication is something I would love to teach my students, that quality is one that will
benefit so many people, not just yourself. In today's world, children need to find something that
drives them to become better and learn more than what is given in traditional schools. The levels
of fulfillment would stretch far beyond a good grade.
On the other hand, this same dedication is seen within the groups we talked about. I was
really impacted by the healing powers of the Medicine Pipe Bundles. How community, prayer,
dance, smudge, and spirituality come together in a bundle opening ceremony is surreal. The
power is incredible. I was so taken by hearing the story of the woman who had been diagnosed
with breast cancer, it made me shed a tear thinking about my own grandmother who passed of
neuroendocrine cancer in 2015. I wondered how her life would have turned out if I had this
knowledge of these practices back then. Cancer is so scary, and hearing about how all of these
spiritual practices come together to heal is incredible. It is extraordinary to know how these
bundle owners care for the community they live in by taking care of this bundle, feeding the
people and providing a space where miracles happen. This is an incredibly important role. It was
inspiring to hear all of the stories associated with this type of healing, and I am thankful to have
learned about these practices, and I am grateful for the people who own these bundles and
dedicate their time to this ceremony.
Along with this, learning about the sweat and the practices involved with this was
definitely beneficial. You hear a lot about the sweat lodge, and I feel like there is a lot of
discussion about this practice in literature or referenced in talk, but I have never truly understood
what it means. I was in awe when I found out that the spirits give instructions to the
individualists, down to how many rocks they will use. I had no idea what actually happens in a
sweat, but now knowing makes me understand their sacred place in the culture. The need to
cleanse all aspects of the person is of utmost importance if any healing happens; just as we clean
our bodies, we must also clean our minds, hearts, and souls. I wonder how this practice relates to
the newfound western obsession with mindfulness and related practices, is this just the western
way of finding something to cleanse our mind? I would be interested to see if there is any
connection here. I remember after this section of the lecture, when we were told about how the
spirits come into the sweat, you can hear and feel them, I sat just thinking about how this
happens. The beauty of Blackfoot spirituality is incredible, and I wish I could experience this
powerful connection in my own life. This brings me to my next point, the power of medicine. I
find it hard to wrap my mind around how herbs and roots can heal ailments as detrimental as
cancers. I won't sugarcoat it, but I felt angry with western medicine practices after learning about
Blackfoot medicine. Some so many western doctors are quick to push pharmaceuticals and
completely disregard the power of natural or herbal medicines. I have always believed in the
westernized ways of natural medicine, but I have never heard of such success as Blackfoot
medicine and healing has. Spirituality, connection with the spirits and the Creator, are essential
for Blackfoot culture, and I couldn't imagine the immense losses that were felt when the
government tried to strip that spirituality away. I have read many accounts and heard people
speak, but I had no idea of the sheer magnitude of this loss until this learning happened. Loss of
spirituality means loss of healing, and for a culture whose biggest fears are of sickness and death,
that was detrimental. I appreciate learning about this because it has placed much of my previous
learning in a new context and can form new understandings to push my learning forward.
Lastly, the section on Tipis and design was really engaging for me. I have always thought
the designs were beautiful, but I had no idea how much meaning was behind those images and
patterns. I love that your tipi designs are passed down from your ancestors, connecting you to the
people of your past, and creating a deeper connection with culture. This adds so much more
meaning to an already sacred thing. Tipis were once used as a home for people during the Dog
Days, and now they are used for ceremonial purposes, but I think about how special it must be to
be surrounded by patterns and animals that connect to the people who came before you. I am
quite interested in the patterning that we talked about, and I would like to learn more about these
and how they serve to represent the land. This would make a fantastic hook to get students
thinking about patterns and design- I wonder how I could incorporate teachings about tipis into
my curriculum; I envisioned connections with social studies, math and art. Providing students
with the tools and appreciation for making meaning out of patterns or images is a skill that they
will use throughout their lives and serves as a beautiful way to connect with the Blackfoot
culture.
Although I felt so many moments of connection and had so many takeaways, I feel like
these were the most impactful for my own personal and professional life. I am looking forward
to learning more about the values that guide Blackfoot culture.