ERIC Number: EJ1200074
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1191-162X
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Truthing: An Ontology of Living an Ethic of "Shakihi" (Love) and "Ikkimmapiiyipitsiin" (Sanctified Kindness)
Bouvier, Victoria
Canadian Social Studies, v50 n2 p39-44 2018
I remember the exact day when I received the email inviting me to participate on a panel speaking to the notion of "post-truth," and how perplexed I was by the idea that we, in Canada, might be post-truth or that truth might be dead (Scherer, 2017). Post-truth is defined as "relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief" [ CITATION Oxf16 \l 4105 ], thus meaning that facts are deemed less important or even irrelevant. The day I received the email was sunny and warm and I was at the park with my dog. I took a few extra laps that afternoon, mulling over what this post-truth might mean and the implications this might have on me, as a Michif-Métis woman, and main stream education system. A scroll of questions began to flow through my mind as I tried to align the meaning of post-truth and my own understanding of truth as a process of coming to know. I first questioned: "When did truth become a noun, not a verb--an ontological orientation to the world?" And further, "when did truth become something that is fixed, and we acquire, something that can be consumed?" I stopped mid-stride and wondered "whose truths are being referred to in post-truth exactly?" And, "whose truths are being deemed irrelevant?" At this time in Canada, it seems the "truth" of a history of genocide and the continuation of settler-colonialism has yet to have a deep impact on the consciousness of Canadian society. I was therefore troubled by this notion that we are post-truth. Thinking about the history and presence of Michif people, the claiming of a post-truth era is yet another move to colonize and oppress the truths of myself, my community, and of all Indigenous people in Canada (see Tuck & Yang, 2012). Nullifying and placating the facts--for example, dismissing the abuse in Residential Schools, not acknowledging the forced removal of people from the land, and ignoring institutional and personal racism--continues to erase our experiences, bodies, and stories from what is now called Canada.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Canada Natives, Ethics, Cultural Influences, History, Social Influences, Racial Bias, Educational Discrimination, Social Bias, Land Settlement
University of Alberta. 347 Education South, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G5, Canada. Web site: http://www2.education.ualberta.ca/css/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
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Language: English
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Identifiers - Location: Canada
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