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ERIC Number: EJ1200074
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1191-162X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
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.
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
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A