Dream of the Grandmothers

Some nights past, after spending time with Cheryl (Maskwa Kôhkomwiy / Bear’s Grandmother) talking about economic reconciliation, I heard the Kôhkomwata/Grandmothers in the dream spaces. They spoke in one voice and echoed the answers given to us by Elder Barb almost five years ago when we spoke about the practicalities of writing the “Daring to Meet the Bear” paper. I had asked for her guidance on the time period and scope of the policy paper. Her response was simple.

“Listen to what the people have already told you.”

“Go back to the beginning.”

I also felt the Kôhkomach/Grandmothers remind us to find answers in the practical, a teaching first gifted to Maskwa (Bear) by Elder Solomon in our third year. I understood how these answers continue to hold the same truth as when they were first spoken.

I woke to a small sliver of Grandmother Moon illuminating my sleeping space. I thought about how using a principals/risk based approach to meet the policy challenges of the pandemic had allowed our programs to be nimble, to respond to changing situations and unique regional needs. I thought of how, since the authorities we received were “to fill gaps” in mainstream programming, that allowed us to think about our programs in new ways and to address outstanding GBA+ concerns with our funding. I thought about what we know about our current programs and related challenges. I thought about how most of our resources go directly to communities already and I thought about what we could do if we could focus on building a bridge of economic healing, reconciliation rooted in a truth telling about Indigenous economies. Could that allow us to bypass the many binaries we face in the current framing of Indigenous economic development? (Such as high/low capacity, western ideas about time, risk tolerance) I wondered if the recommendations of the Bear Paper might have some other ideas on how to build the infrastructures we need to support ISC to meet it’s goals of service transfer and implement economic reconciliation. I thought about the abundance of tools in the innovation world and the opportunities they might provide to try new things and work differently with Indigenous partners to build sustainable and mutual capacity. I thought of wisdom and knowledges of the Ancestors that we have forgotten or put aside – the richness of thinking on these issues we are gifted if we take time to learn.

Most of all I thought of the people (oysin kitayame/ All my relations). Those we work for and with. Of those who were and will be. The people who hold the wisdom of their Grandparents. I share these words for the Bear Bundle and those who are and will join into the Bear Circle. Ho Pehiw/ Nipon Kona