Whose Land Is This Anyway?

Course Goals

An introduction course on Indigenous teachings, histories and world views for settlers (and guests) living across Turtle Island. The intent of the course is for participants to start the journey of learning about their responsibilities as settlers, and fostering a balanced and respectful relationship with the land. The final project of this course is the creation of an ancestral tree and a plan to make things right. At the end of this course you will be more intimate with your ancestral history and your responsibilities as a settler on Turtle Island.

Structure

• 7 sessions
• 1.5 hours per session
• A pre-recorded lecture per session (except week 1 & 5)
• Assigned readings & videos for each class
• All sessions start with a class discussion in the form of a sharing circle
• Participants are expected to research and learn about their ancestral history

Syllabus / Schedule

Week 1: shital (hello) + co-creation of rules + intro to project Participants will be introduced to sharing circles and as a group we will have our first one. We will share about our intentions in joining the course and co-create the rules of the space.

Project: Participants start researching their ancestral tree and about the land that they occupy.

Week 2: Ancestral Knowledge & Milpa Technology An introduction to the meaning of ancestral knowledge through a sharing about milpa technology. Participants begin to research about the land(s) they occupy and what land(s) they come from.

Project: Participants continue researching their ancestral tree and about the land that they occupy. Participants will research about the treaties and/or land disputes in their area and responsibilities attached to them.

Week 3: A lesson on humility: 50,000+ years & 1776 In this session we will learn about the significance of Wampum belts and start our research about the land that we currently occupy.

Project: Participants will share about their family history and the land where they’re Indigenous. Participants continue researching about the treaties and/or land disputes in their area and responsibilities attached to them.

Week 4: Colonization, VC's & start ups We will learn about the history of Silicon Valley and the different waves of tech bros that have settled in the area, starting with the spanish conquistadores.

Project: Participants will share their preliminary findings. As a group, we will collaborate to create a map of our findings.

Week 5: Guest Knowledge Keeper shares a teaching

Project: Participants research the current state & material conditions of Indigenous peoples in the area that they settle. Participants start creating a personal plan to make things right.

Week 6: Post-Columbus Apocalypse: Turtle Island Today In this session we will reframe our idea of the apocalypse, and learn about a few case studies about current land disputes, Indigenous memes & Land back.

Project: Participants will share their preliminary findings. As a group, we will collaborate to create a map of our findings.

Week 7: Final Project: setting Intentions to make right Project: After everything that participants were made conscious of after taking part in this class, how will you make things right? Participants share the draft of their personal plan.

Artifacts

• An ancestral tree: For you to determine the medium, as creative and personal as your heart guides you to.

• A personal plan to make things right: Throughout each session, each learning, each sharing, you learn more about your responsibilities about a settler and concrete steps to make right. The learning comes with responsibilities, to be conscious is to act.

The medium and meaning of the two artifacts will be molded around the lectures, readings, conversations, co-learning and co-creation process.

Who Should Sign Up

You should sign up if:

• You're respectful and humble enough to share and listen to others.
• You want to start/continue your journey on learning about Indigenous peoples, cultures and histories across Turtle Island.
• You're down to do personal research about your ancestral tree and history.
• You're ready *The idea of co-learning sounds exciting.

You shouldn't sign up if:

• You expect a western university style lecture.
• You need a very structured learning setting.
• Listening and sharing are not your thing. *The idea of co-learning sounds like a turn off.

Anything Else…

As the facilitator of the space I strive to co-create an environment where participants can learn and share about their history in a respectfully honest environment.