Political Concepts: Leanne Betasamosake Simpson • Resurgence

Summary

The speaker, an Anishinaabek or Ojibwe, discusses the concept of resurgence from an indigenous perspective, rooted in deep relationality with the land and its inhabitants. They emphasize the importance of ancestral knowledge, self-determination, and the creative act of living as a means of resistance against colonialism. Through stories, like that of Bidaban and Bedobbin, the speaker illustrates the interconnectedness of life and the significance of maintaining traditional practices for future generations.

Takeaways

• 🌿 The concept of resurgence is deeply rooted in the Anishinaabek or Ojibwe culture and is connected to the land, waters, and all living beings in their territory.
• 🔄 Resurgence is described as a continual, reciprocal, and reflective interaction with ancestors, future generations, and the natural world, emphasizing a world-building process despite colonial pressures.
• 🌱 The speaker's understanding of resurgence is not merely academic but is an indigenous practice that predates colonialism and is integral to their way of life.
• 🏞️ The land and its elements, such as the Great Lakes and maple sugar bushes, play a significant role in teaching the principles of resurgence and maintaining a connection with nature.
• 🐾 The story of the black bear illustrates the importance of respecting the natural cycles and rhythms of life, including periods of rest and rejuvenation.
• 🛶 The hypothetical journey to a conference by canoe represents the deep connections and relationships with the land, other nations, and the process of international diplomacy.
• 🌳 The process of building a canoe and the challenges faced reflect the importance of learning, adapting, and relying on community and ancestral knowledge.
• 👪 The story of Bidaban (dawn) and Bedobbin (spring) demonstrates the interconnectedness of life, the value of observation, and the sharing of knowledge across different beings.
• 🍁 The making of maple sugar in the story symbolizes resurgence as a creative and communal act that honors the land and its resources, and the role of innovation in sustaining culture.
• 🌅 The concept of 'presencing' captures the essence of being fully present and connected to the past and future, highlighting the importance of daily practices in maintaining cultural ties.
• 🌍 The script calls for a collective effort to recreate circumstances that support the resurgence of indigenous cultures and practices, despite the challenges posed by colonialism and environmental threats.

Q & A

What is the speaker's cultural background and how does it influence their understanding of resurgence?

The speaker identifies as Anishinaabek or Ojibwe, from the north shore of Lake Ontario. Their understanding of resurgence is deeply rooted in the Anishinaabek's practice of living in deep relationality with the land, waters, plants, animals, and peoples, emphasizing a continual, reciprocal, and reflective interaction with their environment and ancestral knowledge.

What does the speaker mean by 'resurgence' in the context of their culture?

Resurgence, in the speaker's cultural context, is not a response to colonialism but a procedure for indigenous life that predates colonial encounters. It represents a persistent, stubborn, and beautiful world-building process that occurs despite the imposition of colonial machinery, focusing on the creation and maintenance of life and relationships within the indigenous community.

How does the speaker describe the relationship between the Anishinaabek people and their environment?

The Anishinaabek people have an intimate, spiritual, emotional, and physical relationship with the land. Their life and infrastructure are relational rather than institutional, and they engage in a creative act of self-determination and consent that is central to their existence.

What is the significance of the story about Bidaban in the speaker's narrative?

Bidaban, meaning dawn, represents the moment of presencing where the future meets the past. The story illustrates the concept of resurgence through the character's discovery of maple sugar, showing how knowledge, innovation, and community support are integral to indigenous life and culture.

How does the speaker use the story of Bedobbin to exemplify the concept of resurgence?

The story of Bedobbin demonstrates resurgence through the character's interaction with nature, learning from a squirrel to make maple sugar. It highlights the importance of observation, innovation, community support, and the passing of knowledge as part of the indigenous way of life.

What challenges does the speaker identify that could impede the process of resurgence?

The speaker identifies challenges such as land theft, environmental contamination, the legacy of residential schools, state-run education, colonial gender violence, and the erasure of indigenous peoples from society as barriers to the process of resurgence.

How does the speaker relate the concept of resurgence to the broader struggle against colonialism?

The speaker relates resurgence to the struggle against colonialism by emphasizing the need to not only dream of alternative realities but to actively create them in the physical world, despite the presence of colonial occupation and its effects on indigenous communities.

What role do relationships and consent play in the speaker's description of resurgence?

Relationships and consent are central to resurgence. The speaker describes a world-building process that is based on healthy reciprocal relationships with other beings, including plants, animals, and human communities, and the importance of obtaining consent from these entities in their practices.

How does the speaker's recounting of the process of building a canoe reflect the principles of resurgence?

The process of building a canoe reflects the principles of resurgence through the need for international diplomacy, the gathering of materials with consent, and the reliance on community and ancestral knowledge. It shows the interconnectedness of life and the importance of relationships in creating something meaningful.

What is the significance of the phrase 'an algorithm of living' as used by the speaker?

The phrase 'an algorithm of living' signifies the intertwined and relationally responsive theory and praxis of the Anishinaabek people. It represents the systematic way in which they engage with their environment and community to sustain and propagate their way of life.

How does the speaker's narrative challenge common perceptions of work and productivity?

The speaker challenges common perceptions by presenting work as a creative act that values the way one lives, rather than a means to an end or a commodity to be exchanged. The work of the Anishinaabek people is about building life and relationships, which is inherently valuable and not defined by colonial standards of productivity.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Indigenous Resurgence and Deep Relationality

The speaker, an Anishinaabek or Ojibwe, introduces the concept of resurgence from their perspective, rooted in the north shore of Lake Ontario. Resurgence is described as a reciprocal and reflective interaction with the land, waters, plants, animals, and peoples. It is a process of world-building that persists despite colonial pressures. The speaker emphasizes that resurgence is not a response to colonialism but an inherent part of indigenous life, predating colonial encounters. The narrative includes the importance of ancestral knowledge, the interconnectedness of life, and the continuous struggle against oppressive systems.

05:01

🛶 Ancestral Wisdom and International Diplomacy

The speaker reflects on the hypothetical journey to a conference, imagining the process as their ancestors would have undertaken it, involving the construction of a canoe and reliance on international diplomacy with other indigenous nations. This journey would have necessitated learning, building relationships, and obtaining materials with consent from the natural world. The narrative highlights the importance of ancestral skills, the interconnectedness of life, and the challenges posed by modern obstacles such as environmental degradation and cultural erasure.

10:02

🌅 The Significance of Presence and Storytelling

The speaker discusses the importance of presence and storytelling in the context of their indigenous culture. They recount a conversation with an ancestral figure, Mindemoya, who encourages the speaker to share a story from their culture. The speaker is reminded of the ethical responsibility to learn from and connect with other anti-colonial peoples. The narrative underscores the value of re-enactment, the power of storytelling, and the continuous process of learning and sharing indigenous knowledge.

15:03

🌱 The Bedobbin Story: Discovery and Community

The speaker shares a story about Bidaban, which signifies dawn, and the concept of 'presencing' at the intersection of past and future. The story transitions into the tale of Bedobbin, who discovers the sweetness of maple sap and shares this knowledge with their community. The narrative illustrates the process of consensus, self-determination, and the sharing of knowledge, emphasizing the joy and connection that result from these interactions.

20:03

🌳 Resurgence in Practice: Bedobbin's Legacy

The speaker delves into the philosophy of Bedobbin, a daily practice and a yearly event in the Anishinaabe culture, symbolizing the beginning of life's sustenance. The story highlights the importance of presence, humility, and the interconnectedness of all beings. It also addresses the potential disruptions to this practice due to colonialism and environmental challenges, urging for collective efforts to recreate the conditions that support such traditional practices.

25:03

🌩️ Challenging the Colonial Narrative for Bedobbin

The speaker contemplates the hypothetical challenges Bedobbin might face in a world affected by colonialism, industrial contamination, and societal erasure. They explore the impact of these issues on the individual and communal levels, questioning the potential loss of cultural practices and the support systems that nurture them. The narrative calls for a collective effort to create conditions that empower and support individuals like Bedobbin, emphasizing the importance of resistance and the creation of alternative realities.

Keywords

💡Resurgence

Resurgence, in the context of this video, refers to the revitalization and re-emergence of indigenous cultures, practices, and lifeways. It is deeply tied to the theme of the video, illustrating the continuous, reciprocal relationship with the land, ancestral knowledge, and the ongoing process of decolonization. The speaker describes resurgence as not merely a response to colonialism but as an inherent part of indigenous life that existed long before colonial encounters, emphasizing the importance of maintaining and adapting traditional ways of living.

💡Anishinaabek

Anishinaabek, also known as Ojibwe, is a term used to refer to an indigenous group native to the north shore of Lake Ontario and surrounding areas. The video emphasizes the Anishinaabek's deep connection to their territory and their practices of living in harmony with the land, waters, plants, and animals. The Anishinaabek's approach to life is presented as a model of resurgence, highlighting their historical and ongoing contributions to the concept of living in deep relationality with the natural world.

💡Relationality

Relationality is a key concept in the video, denoting the interconnectedness and interdependence among all living beings, including humans, plants, animals, and the land itself. The speaker discusses how this concept is foundational to the Anishinaabek worldview and is integral to the process of resurgence, as it fosters a sense of responsibility and respect for all components of the ecosystem. Relationality is exemplified through practices like maple sugaring, which is not just a means of sustenance but a ritual that reinforces the bond between the people and the land.

💡Decolonization

Decolonization, as presented in the video, is the active process of challenging and dismantling the structures and ideologies of colonialism. It is closely linked to the concept of resurgence, as it involves the recovery and reinvigoration of indigenous identities, knowledge, and practices that have been suppressed or marginalized by colonial forces. The speaker argues that resurgence is not just about resisting colonialism but about actively rebuilding indigenous worlds and relationships.

💡Land Stewardship

Land stewardship is the practice of caring for and managing the land in a way that respects its inherent value and the interconnectedness of all life. In the video, the concept is central to the Anishinaabek's approach to life, emphasizing the need for a reciprocal relationship with the land and its resources. The speaker describes how this stewardship is manifested in activities like wild rice harvesting and maple sugaring, which are not only means of survival but also acts of maintaining balance and harmony with nature.

💡Indigenous Knowledge

Indigenous knowledge refers to the accumulated wisdom, practices, and understandings developed by indigenous peoples over generations through their interactions with the natural world. The video underscores the importance of this knowledge in the process of resurgence, as it provides a framework for living in harmony with the environment and maintaining cultural continuity. The speaker illustrates this through examples such as the Anishinaabek's methods of building canoes and making maple sugar, which are deeply rooted in their ancestral traditions.

💡Colonial Machinery

The term 'colonial machinery' in the video represents the systemic structures, policies, and ideologies that perpetuate colonialism and its effects on indigenous peoples. It is used to describe the oppressive forces that indigenous communities must navigate and resist in their pursuit of resurgence. The speaker discusses how resurgence is a stubborn, persistent process that occurs despite the relentless imposition of these colonial forces.

💡Self-Determination

Self-determination, as discussed in the video, is the right of indigenous peoples to freely determine their political status and economic, social, and cultural development. It is a core aspect of resurgence, as it involves the reassertion of indigenous autonomy and the rebuilding of communities based on indigenous values and practices. The speaker highlights the importance of self-determination in creating a world where indigenous life can flourish outside the constraints of colonialism.

💡Cultural Continuity

Cultural continuity refers to the ongoing transmission of cultural practices, beliefs, and values from one generation to the next. In the video, it is depicted as essential for the process of resurgence, as it ensures that indigenous identities and ways of life are preserved and adapted for future generations. The speaker uses the example of the Anishinaabek's daily and seasonal practices, such as the making of maple sugar, to illustrate how cultural continuity is maintained.

💡Internationalism

Internationalism in the video refers to the interconnectedness and mutual support among different indigenous nations and communities. It is presented as a key aspect of the Anishinaabek's approach to life, emphasizing the importance of building relationships and engaging in diplomacy with neighboring nations. The speaker discusses how this internationalist orientation is crucial for the survival and flourishing of indigenous communities in the face of colonial pressures.

💡Consent

Consent, within the context of the video, signifies the ethical practice of seeking permission and establishing relationships with the natural world, including plants and animals. It is a fundamental part of the Anishinaabek's interaction with their environment, reflecting a deep respect for all life forms and their intrinsic value. The speaker illustrates this through the process of obtaining materials for building a canoe, where consent from various trees and plants is sought, embodying the principle of relationality and respect for all beings.

💡Bedobbin

Bedobbin, meaning dawn or the first light of dawn, is used in the video as a metaphor for the beginning of a new day and the potential it holds. It represents the moment when the future meets the present, symbolizing the possibility of resurgence and the opportunity to learn and connect with the natural world. The speaker uses the story of Bedobbin to illustrate the process of discovery and the importance of being present and attentive to the teachings of the environment, as exemplified by the character's interaction with a squirrel and the maple tree.

Highlights

The concept of resurgence is rooted in the Anishinaabek or Ojibwe's deep relationality with the land, waters, plants, animals, and peoples.

Resurgence is described as a continual, reciprocal, reflective, and critical interaction with ancestors, future generations, and the natural world.

The speaker emphasizes that resurgence is not a response to colonialism but an indigenous procedure for life that predates colonial encounters.

Ancestral practices such as building governance, diplomacy, and philosophical understandings are highlighted as foundational to Anishinaabe life.

The importance of consent from plant and animal nations in the Anishinaabe economy and way of life is underscored.

The speaker discusses the Anishinaabek's work ethic, which values the way one lives and is distinct from the concept of wage labor.

The relational and internationalist orientation of Anishinaabe life, including the absence of violence and enclosures, is described.

The reliance on healthy reciprocal relationships with other nations and the understanding of mutual support in times of struggle is highlighted.

The process of building a canoe and the international diplomacy involved in such an endeavor is detailed as an example of Anishinaabe life.

The story of Nanabush's journey in a canoe and its significance in understanding the world and one's place within it is shared.

The ethical responsibility to visit with anti-colonial peoples and live in solidarity is discussed as part of Anishinaabe resurgence.

The speaker reflects on the process of getting to the conference and the lessons learned about Anishinaabe theory and ethics.

The concept of 'presencing' in the center of the past and future, as illustrated by the story of Bidaban, is introduced.

The story of Bedobbin, who discovers the process of making maple sugar, is told as an example of Anishinaabe resurgence and learning.

The importance of presence, humility, and connection in the Bedobbin story as a representation of Anishinaabe values is emphasized.

The challenges faced by the Anishinaabek due to colonialism, environmental contamination, and societal erasure are acknowledged.

The speaker calls for collective action to create conditions that support and nurture the emergence of many Bedobbins, symbolizing resurgence.

The applause at the end signifies the audience's appreciation and resonance with the shared experiences and messages of resurgence.

Transcripts

SPEAKER: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

Hi, friends.

I am [INAUDIBLE],, an Anishinaabek or Ojibwe,

and our territory is the north shore of Lake Ontario.

My particular understanding of the concept of resurgence

comes from this part of the world.

It comes from the [NON-ENGLISH] practice of life,

living in deep relationality to the land, the waters,

the plants, the animals, and all of the peoples

of [NON-ENGLISH],, the place where we all live and work

together.

It comes from [NON-ENGLISH],, the Great Lakes filtering water

from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York,

Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Ontario.

It comes from maple sugar bushes carrying water from the soil,

combining it with light, and converting it to sweet sugar.

It comes from lake shores full of [NON-ENGLISH] or wild rice,

gathering strength in mid-July, and moving from floating

to standing.

It comes from black bears that wake up in [NON-ENGLISH]

in February, turn in their dens on their beds of blueberry

branches, and then settle back into fasting and dreaming

for a few more weeks.

This land, this particular place,

has taught me that resurgence is a continual, reciprocal,

reflective, and often critical interaction with my ancestors,

those yet to be born, the nations of plants and animals

I share land with, and the anti-colonial peoples

and their worlds.

It is a persistent, stubborn, beautiful,

and now often fragmented world-building process

that occurs despite of the relentless imposition

of the colonial machinery of elimination.

This is not what a lot of the literature

says about resurgence.

This isn't what Google says about resurgence,

primarily because resurgence is not

something you can learn about by studying it, by doing research,

by reading, or by googling because resurgence

is in no way a response to colonialism.

It is a procedure for indigenous life and indigenous

living that indigenous peoples used long before our existence

was dependent upon our ability to resist and survive

the violence of capitalism, heteropatriarchy,

white supremacy, and expansive dispossession.

My ancestors woke up each morning

and built Anishinaabe life.

They animated their system of governance and diplomacy.

They built their collective philosophical and ethical

understandings.

They made processes for solving conflict and re-establishing

balance.

They built their economy with the consent

of the plant and animal nations they shared land with.

They built and maintained and nurtured systems

for sharing knowledge and taking care of each other.

They worked collectively to produce, reproduce, replicate,

amplify, and share Anishinaabe life because if they did not,

Anishinaabe worlds would not exist.

They were makers.

They got up and worked hard.

Not the white man, wage labor, nine to five,

Monday to Friday kind of work, not the kind of work

where you outsource the labor of living so you can do something

more important, but the kind of work that

values the way one lives.

They got up, worked hard all day long to build a life

and to build a world.

This algorithm of living, theory,

and praxis seemingly intertwined and relationally responsive

to one another is generated through relations with

[NON-ENGLISH] and Anishinaabek land,

land that is constructed and defined by our intimate

spiritual, emotional, and physical relationship with it.

Living as a creative act, self-determination, consent,

kindness, freedom at the core.

Replicated over and over, making as the material basis

for experiencing and influencing the world.

Living with the purpose of generating continual life.

Our infrastructure for life was relational not institutional.

Our orientation for life was internationalist.

We shared space and time with plant and animal nations

and different indigenous nations, mostly

without the use of enclosures and violence.

We did not have a bank account of money

that we saved to protect us against hard times.

We had healthy reciprocal relationships with other animal

and plant nations, other human families,

and neighboring [NON-ENGLISH] nations.

In times of struggle, we relied upon these relationships

and the worlds they created to survive, with the understanding

that if their crops failed or if times were hard for them,

we would also take care.

In thinking about my presence here today at this conference,

I started by thinking about how my ancestors would have got

here from the [NON-ENGLISH].

The preparations and planning would have likely begun

several years in advance because first I would have

to learn how to build a canoe.

And because I don't know how to do this,

I would have to call on [NON-ENGLISH] from

[NON-ENGLISH],, engage in some international diplomacy,

and ask for help.

I would have had to have harvest the birch bark

in [NON-ENGLISH],, the second part of spring when the broad

leaves are born.

I would need to harvest the materials of five other trees--

spruce roots, cedar, ironwood, and ash.

I would need to obtain consent from each of these beings

to help me, and so I would need the [NON-ENGLISH] or tobacco I

had made from four different plants dried the previous

summer.

Some of these materials are no longer

easy to find in my homeland.

I would think about why, name it, understand it.

And then I would engage in more international diplomacy with

the [NON-ENGLISH],, and I would ask them for spruce gum.

Maybe I would trade some maple syrup or some [NON-ENGLISH]..

I would then need 10 days to build the canoe, which

would mean borrowing an elder's front yard on the reserve

and bringing in likeminded Anishinaabe to help me.

I would discover I would need paddles,

so I'd start again by finding someone with that knowledge,

harvesting the material, and making the paddles.

Then I would know goodness knows how long to learn

how to drive that thing.

Next, I would ask the elders whose lawn

I'm borrowing to build the canoe how to get there.

He would tell me, [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]..

He would tell me I need to put out offerings.

Then he would tell me to paddle along the shore

of [NON-ENGLISH] or Lake Ontario until I see the mist from

Niagara Falls, and then I would paddle across the lake.

He would add I don't know if you can still

see the mist through the smog of Toronto.

And I'm not sure if climate change has screwed up

the currents and the roots and nobody's

crossed the lake in a birch bark canoe

for a long while, so good luck.

After that, he says he doesn't know the route.

He tells me I will need to ask the Mohawks or whomever's

territory I end up in.

Could be Seneca, Cayuga, [INAUDIBLE],, [INAUDIBLE],,

[INAUDIBLE] even.

Or I could ask those Cree that drove their big canoe to New

York City to protest hydroelectric development,

he suggests--

more international diplomacy, more ceremony.

Then I'd do my own research, and I'd check in with the Hawaiians

because they have done this sort of thing before with

their [NON-ENGLISH].

And the first thing they would tell me is you

can't get anywhere if your canoe is tied to the dock.

I ask my mom about food.

She tells me she'd pack one bushels of apples,

and that's it, and make it into some sort of fitness challenge.

She tells me to take an ultraviolet pen

so I can drink the water.

Her answers remind me of Nanabush,

who made a similar journey in a canoe at the beginning of time.

I remember I am merely reenacting something they did

and something that my generation of ancestors

have done before me, and I'm gifting those yet

to be born with my own re-enactment of this.

I remember that Nanabush's journey

was struggle, an ordeal even, that they relied

upon countless beings for help, and that they almost

didn't make it.

But also that this was their methodology for learning about

the world that [NON-ENGLISH] had placed them in.

So let's say by some sort of Anishinaabe miracle

that I find the Hudson River, and I make it here.

In my ongoing conversation with my ancestors, [NON-ENGLISH],,

let's call one of them--

and that word means old woman or the one

who holds everything together--

wants to know why?

Why am I going to Brown?

Why I was putting all this effort,

likely two years of effort, with nine different indigenous

nations and countless different plants and animals,

not to mention the 730 days of irritating conversations with

[NON-ENGLISH].

[NON-ENGLISH] pointedly says what do you have to say that is

so important that you spent two years of effort with at least

nine different indigenous nations and countless different

plant and animal nations, not to mention the 730 days

of irritating conversations with me?

I am careful with my answer.

I think through.

I sift through.

And then I say remember when this world was new?

And Mindemoya, the one who loves us unconditionally,

sent Nanabush on a walk all around the world

to visit and learn from all of the living beings, communities,

and nations we share this place with.

Mindemoya nods.

Than we, we have an ethical responsibility to do the same,

to visit with the anti-colonial peoples of the world

and to live in solidarity with and to listen with our hearts

to to understand and disrupt, as [NON-ENGLISH] says,

the two genocides of the Americas and beyond.

Had I taken this route to get here, and I did not,

I would have learned a tremendous amount

about Anishinaabe theory, ethics, practices, and skill.

I would have built friendships and a network

of international relations.

I would have learned things from the land, on urbanized,

polluted, not even close to pristine land that I cannot

predict or propose.

And in terms of my own research and artistic practice,

I would have planted the seeds that would have likely driven

my process for years to come.

Even if I never made it to Brown,

the process would have been generated.

I would come out even crashed on the shore of Lake Ontario

in my substandard birchbard canoe,

more connected to the land and the nations

I share the world with.

I would have built an imperfect, probably kind of crappy

edition of my world, and then I would have lived in it.

That's resurgence.

Me telling you about it, not so much.

The words in my language that I think most closely embodies

the teachings of resurgence or decolonisation is

[NON-ENGLISH],, a new emergence, an unfolding from the inside

out, a making of the outer world by the collective nature

of the inner world, a continuous rebirth.

So I skipped the two year process of building a canoe

and traveling here by riding in a metal tube

30,000 feet above the Earth.

I still about Mindemoya.

And she is saying, so, Leanne, you've got here.

But what are you going to talk about, Dr. Big Shot?

And I say, I don't know.

I don't know what's appropriate.

I spent so much time getting here

that I didn't think that through.

And Mindemoya says, tell a story.

Share a story.

Tell a story, one from March or April.

And I say, but I think I've already

told that one too many times actually.

They will think I'm a one trick pony.

And Mindemoya says, do they understand that story yet?

Do you?

Me?

History would probably tell me that I do not.

And Mindemoya says, then tell it again

and try to do a better job this time.

This is a story I first learned from Doug Williams

from Curve Lake First Nation about 20 years ago.

In this iteration of the story, the main character's name

is Bidaban.

And that means dawn.

It actually means that first light of dawn.

So before the sun appears on the horizon,

there is a little bit of light.

It's made up, Bidaban, of three tiny words.

The bi is a prefix that means the future is coming at you.

The da means home or the presence, the right now.

And the ba or the ban is a suffix

that we would add to the end of someone's name

when they had passed on.

So it evokes the past.

So that moment that happens every day

in most parts of the world where that first light comes up

over the horizon, the present, is actually

a collapsing of the future, of the ba, and the ban, the past.

And I really like to think about that concept of presencing,

presencing in the center of the past and the future.

So Bidaban makes visible what was previously invisible,

light and heat of the sun traveling.

Bidaban is out walking in the bush one day.

It's Siguan, the first part of spring.

The lake is opening up.

The snow is finally melting.

They are feeling that first warmth of spring

on their cheeks.

Oh, [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH],, they are thinking.

I am happy.

And then the Bedobbin who is out walking collecting firewood

for the [NON-ENGLISH].

[NON-ENGLISH] is a word that children would refer

to their mothers, and it means my breast feeder.

So then that Bedobbin who was out walking collecting firewood

for their [NON-ENGLISH] decides to sit under the maple tree,

[NON-ENGLISH],, maybe just stretch out.

Maybe have a little rest.

Maybe gather firewood a little later.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] I'm feeling happy today,

says that Bedobbin.

And where that Bedobbin is lying down and looking up

they see a squirrel up in the tree.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] I hope you've had a good winter.

I hope you've had enough food cashed.

But [INAUDIBLE] doesn't look up because she's already busy.

She's not collecting nuts.

[NON-ENGLISH].

She's not building their nest.

[NON-ENGLISH].

She's not looking after any young.

[NON-ENGLISH].

It's too early.

She's just nibbling on the bark and then doing

a little sucking.

Nibble nibble suck.

Nibble nibble suck.

Bedobbin is feeling a little curious,

so they do the same on one of the low branches.

Nibble nibble suck.

Mm-hmm.

This stuff tastes good.

It's real sweet water.

Mm.

Then Bedobbin gets thinking and they make a hole in that tree

and they make a little slide for that sweet water to run down.

They make a container out of birch bark

and they collect that sweet water

and they take that sweet water home to show their mama.

That [NON-ENGLISH] is excited and she has 350 questions.

Ah, Bedobbin what is this?

Where did you find it?

Which tree?

Who taught you how to make it?

Did you put [NON-ENGLISH]?

Did you say [NON-ENGLISH]?

How fast is it dripping?

Does it happen all day?

Does it happen all night?

Where's the firewood?

Bedobbin tells their [NON-ENGLISH] the story and she

believes every word, Because they are her Bedobbin and they

love each other very much.

Let's cook the meat in it tonight.

It will be lovely sweet.

[NON-ENGLISH].

So they cooked that meat in the sweet water

and it was lovely sweet.

It was extra lovely sweet.

It was sweeter than just sweet water.

The next day Bedobbin takes their Mamma to that tree

and their Mamma brings [NON-ENGLISH] and [NON-ENGLISH]

brings all of the aunties, and there is a very big crowd.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] And there is a very big lot of pressure.

Bedobbin tells about [NON-ENGLISH]..

Bedobbin the nibble, nibble suck part.

And at first there are technical difficulties and none of it

works.

But Mamma rubs Bedobbin's back.

She tells Bedobbin that she believes them anyway,

and they talk about lots of variables,

like light and heat and temperature and time.

And then [NON-ENGLISH] comes out and warms everything up,

and soon it's drip, drip, drip, drip.

Those aunties go crazy.

[NON-ENGLISH].

They're dancing around hugging a bit too tight,

high-kicking and high-fiving until they take it back home

and boil it up and boil it down into sweet, sweet sugar.

Ever since every [NON-ENGLISH],, those [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

collect that sweet water and boil it up and boil it down

into sweet, sweet sugar.

All thanks Bedobbin and their lovely discovery,

and to the squirrel and her precious teaching,

and to the maples [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

and their boundless sharing.

This is resurgence.

Me telling you about it, not so much.

Bedobbin is a concept.

A theory.

A philosophy.

A living person with a spirit.

Actually several living people carry that name.

And an event that happens every single day in almost all parts

of the world.

To learn from Bedobbin one needs to get up

every morning at dawn and witness, a practice

that my ancestors did every day.

It is a simple, land based practice.

You can do it nearly everywhere on Earth.

You need zero supplies.

It costs nothing.

It's fairly accessible.

Bedobbin is the process that fuels all of life

on Earth, including the water cycle.

Bedobbin is the beginning of an interaction

between fire and water.

Bedobbin shows us how to be.

Bedobbin gets up every single day

and is present, no matter what.

It is never about Bedobbin.

Bedobbin is an incredible act of humility.

It is always about getting the light and the heat

and the life to the Earth.

In this Bedobbin story there is kindness.

There is land, there are elders and children and adults

and plants and animals and more water

and land and air and ancestors and those yet unborn, heat

and light.

There is consent and the process of consensus.

There is individual and collective self-determination.

There is a sharing of knowledge across borders

from the squirrel nation to the Anishinaabek to the maples.

There is a normalization and a censoring

of queerness that is inclusive of cis straight aspects

of community.

There is an absence of surveillance.

No one gave Bedobbin in a mark on their new learning.

And there is success, because there is more connection.

Like me in my theoretical canoe, Bedobbin

would have been successful whether or not

they made maple sugar, whether or not

they even met the squirrel, because at the end of the day,

they were more connected to the beings they

share their world with.

At the end of the day they experienced joy.

This story happens every morning,

and this story happens every year when the Anishinaabe

returned to a sugar bush.

Presence.

This hub of intelligent Anishinaabek

relationality may be threatened by land theft,

environmental contamination, the legacy of residential schools

and state run education, and by colonial gender violence.

But Bedobbin is there any way, making maple sugar

as they have always done, in a loving compassionate reality

propelling us to recreate the circumstances within which

this story, an Anishinaabe one, takes place.

Propelling us to rebel against the permanence of settler

colonialism and not just dream alternative realities,

but to collectively and continually create them

on the ground in the physical world in spite

of being occupied.

What if Bedobbin had no access to the sugar

bush because of industrial contamination or climate

change?

What if they were too depressed or anxiety ridden from being

erased from Canadian society, removed from their language

and homeland, targeted as squaw or a slut or a drunken Indian,

or just too sad from being bullied

for not neatly fitting into the colonial gender binary?

What if the trauma and pain of ongoing colonial gender

violence made it impossible for their mama to believe them,

for their mama to reach out and so gently rub their lower

back at that critical point?

What if that same trauma and pain

prevented their aunties and elders

from gathering around them and supporting them when there

were technical difficulties?

What if settler colonial parenting strategies

positions the child as less believable than an adult?

What if Bedobbin had been in a desk at school that

didn't honor at its core their potential within

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] intelligence,

or if they had been in an educational context where

having an open heart is a liability instead of a gift?

What if they hadn't been running around exploring,

experimenting, observing the squirrel,

completely engaged in [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] way

of knowing?

What if they hadn't been on the land at all?

What if Bedobbin lived in a world

where no one listens to girls or two-spirit children

or children?

What if Bedobbin had been missing or murdered

before they ever made it out to the sugar bush?

And what if we were working together

to create the conditions where we could create and support

thousands and thousands of Bedobbins?

[NON-ENGLISH].

[APPLAUSE]