For this week’s blog, I had the opportunity to hear from Professor Stettler and his guest Gabe Tegosiak, who is an activist from Barrow Alaska, through the Critical Social Worker podcast. This particular episode was episode #41, which discusses keeping your culture alive and how to share it with others. Or more so cultural humility, and how we can conserve one’s culture while learning of others. Firstly I want to start off by saying that the opening video with Professor Stettler’s daughter with the moose was adorable, I have videos of my kiddos getting so excited over mooses in our backyards and I love their reactions every time. I especially love it when they ask if we can keep the moose as a pet.
Something I loved so much about this podcast, was the main message that Gabe had mentioned which was “Colonization is everywhere, how do you keep ahold of your culture?” The biggest takeaway in this aspect (for me at least) is that while we cannot completely take away the effects of colonization in our modern world, we can make sure that our culture and traditions are at the forefront of our minds, hearts, and spirits. Keeping them alive and sharing them with others is vitally important to keep them alive and thriving so the world will not forget what they are. For example, the art of hunting, fishing, and sustainable living is a refined art form for the indigenous people of Alaska who still rely heavily on these forms of living. Gae had mentioned that growing up his family was very careful and thoughtful to use every part of the animals they had hunted, so nothing would go to waste. They got what they needed and never took more than necessary, while also giving thanks to the animals and their ancestors for providing their way of survival.
Gabes works to help bring awareness to the struggles indigenous people face daily whether that be their way of life, or how they are perceived through the eyes of others around. As we strive to help our land and strengthen our community we must do our part to ensure the livelihood of traditions passed down through the generations, which would mean hunting, fishing, and forgoing responsibly and never taking more than what you need to survive. Doing our research to involve ourselves with programs and rallies in which help and enhance the goals of preserving the lands in which we call home.
“Don’t take advantage of the land. The land owns us”
Michelle Dunham
Nicely said Annalee! I had opportunity once to fly into one of the Alaska Native village a long time ago. I was thrilled and before I left, I yearned to go back in time before any outside intrusion and see life as it was. To learn the skills needed to keep you and your family alive in a climate none of the rest of us would dare without our electric blankets. Yet, walking through this village it was hard to see anything that really spoke to me of the past, except their burial grounds. Those were as you can imagine; hundreds of years of family and history. Ancient and full of all the items brought by those who lived on. It was more beautiful than all the rest.
Ian Miller
Hi Annalee! In listening to the podcast, and also in reading your blog, I cannot help but to reflect on just how wasteful we as a society are. The scariest part of our wastefulness is that we know that how wasteful we are. Listening to people like Gabe, who show so much love and gratitude to the land, it is painful to even try to listen to all the justifications and excuses as to why the “modern world” is so dependent on being wasteful. We are so wrapped up with having immediate access to everything, regardless of how much it exhausts our resources and supplies. Listening to Gabe and Christian discuss the polarizing experiences between living off the land and showing ongoing respect to the land, and reaping/manipulation of the land for our own self-interests, I feel this inconsistency in between how I actually live my life and how I feel I should be living my life. It is so hard to break our own patterns of dependency on comforts and access.
Jackson Foster
Hi Annalee, I was also listening to this podcast and it really sucks on how society is full of people who just waste stuff and it really harms the reality and I am glad we have people like Gabe who actually cares if something is being wasted or not like he uses his time wisely and he wouldn’t waist anything like other people do so he is a really good example on not being wasteful in the reality.
Jillian Bowman
Hi Annalee! Culture is always a topic I’ve been a little unsure around. Not because I find it hard to accept other but because I find it hard to pinpoint what mine is. I have learned a great deal about culture in the last few years and I love learning how they compare. When it comes to the saying of Gabe’s you mentioned about “keeping ahold of your culture.” I don’t necessarily relate. I don’t truly identify with a culture so much that I’m trying to hold on to it. In a way I think it allows me to be more open because I never feel like my way is challenged. I’m sure there are situation that would perhaps inspire that, I simply haven’t come across them yet, and I hope when I do I am able to offer acceptance and humility.
I love what Gabe said about not being wasteful and It’s something I think we can all be better at. There are so many things that go to waste for absolutely no reason. Even produce is thrown in the rubbish in some places if it doesn’t look good enough. It is beyond frustrating and I don’t even know where to start with the change beyond the little things I do everyday.