Connection to Place
Aboriginal cultures have a connection to place unfathomable to outsiders. This connection gives land itself the power to hold history and culture (Nicol et al, 2012). Events, memories, and learning, do not only occur in a place, but that place is primary, not secondary, to the understanding, internalization, and utilization of that knowledge. Since the land itself is the gatekeeper to knowledge, the act of leaving or being removed from this land can be likened to a book burning; a cultural genocide (Marker, 2015).
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This film speaks to Aboriginal knowledge, ways of knowing, and “placeness”. It speaks to the value of ancestral knowledge and the ways in which that knowledge has changed over time. All of this is linked back to climate change. A great watch!
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Connection to place impacts the education system in two immediately apparent ways. First, physical school buildings and location have no context, history, or value (Marker, 2006). The lack of meaningful connection to place creates an environment where learning is separated from experience; reducing the relevance, permanency, and value of knowledge gained. Second, the connection to place also makes the concept of leaving one’s land uncomfortable. The expectation that one finishes school and then embarks on a journey for something bigger and better, rather than remaining and contributing to one’s community, is at odds with this connection to place (Marker, 2006). The value of place is one that cannot be ignored in grounding curricula and pedagogy for Aboriginal learners. In fact, it can be leveraged to encourage civic and environmental responsibility for all learners (Barnhardt & Kawagley, 2005).