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How EDUC 260 Reinforced My Understanding Of  Early Childhood Education

This course is titled: Historical and Current Curriculum Models for Early Childhood and Elementary Education. To be honest, when I first enrolled in this course I didn’t think much about what it was going to be about, other than probably super boring. I assumed we would learn about how to develop a curriculum and that’s about it. Little did I know that it would end up being so much more, and quite far from boring. 

When I reflect on how this class reinforced, challenged, or complicated my understanding of early childhood education, I think it has done a little bit of all those things. I certainly resonated with John Dewey’s ideas a lot and his thoughts on progressive education were much of the personal feelings I had always felt about education prior to discovering Dewey and progressive education. I never heard specifically of him or that kind of approach to education before. I developed an identity and a career for myself through ten years of work experience as a Nanny. The majority of that time was spent with children as young as newborns to five years old and throughout that time, I learned so much about early childhood directly with hands-on experience. I began to develop my own ideas about what I believed childhood to be and what it meant to work within early childhood.  Typically, the profession of a Nanny is thought of as being a childcare provider. Many people who work in that profession share the common feeling of being undervalued. I attest to the truth in that feeling, and through my experience, I came to the understanding that I was a lot more than that; I was a teacher and a guide.

I have always felt that as someone in the lives of a child, it is your job to act as a pillar of support for them while allowing them to freely discover themselves on their own terms. I feel that this is crucial in developing a healthy sense of oneself and that when humans are granted that freedom and right, it adds to a brighter world. I guess in a sense, you can say I value human flourishing.  So when I read about Dewey and the values he believes in regard to education, I strongly resonated and felt that I too already embraced his values. The relevance it has to my future practice as an educator is an affirmation I have found. He has helped to affirm my own experiences, beliefs, and values and his work, along with other progressive educators such as the instructor of this course (Mitchell McLarnon). This serves me with inspiration into my own practice and has given me many tools and insights into what kind of teacher I want to continue to become.

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What Informs my Educational Philosophy?

The educational philosophy that I am in the process of creating can be described as an embodiment of the values that I hold in my life. I think there is much truth in the statement that actions speak louder than words and to me, that means that modeling is a key component in showing the world what you stand for. The values that I include in my educational philosophy are still evolving and are ever-changing. However, I will discuss five in particular that currently take the lead in informing my educational philosophy. 

Relationship Building I think that our relationships are a huge part of our well-being and foundation where we can grow from. I believe in nurturing positive relationships that focus on respect, kindness and cooperation. We have to work together with others in this world and so I think it is important to build healthy relationships with all people we interact with and remember that relationships are a spectrum that come in all different types. I feel that fostering an environment that encourages the development of healthy communication skills is key in building healthy relationships.

Respect

I believe respect is a way of conduct and how we treat others. I think it’s true that you dont have to like everyone but you do need to treat people with kindness and respect. I see respect as a way of appreciating and valuing diversity and understanding the nuance around us even if we do not agree with it. It is important to me to treat others with respect.

Supporting Autonomy

Encouraging autonomy and supporting individual’s choices is something I feel is valuable to allowing students to grow and learn at their own pace. I think it’s important to let people practice being autonomous because it also encourages learning responsibility for oneself. I believe that supporting children’s autonomy is crucial for their development and well-being. 

Self-Expression

Allowing and encouraging people to use their voice or creativity to express themselves. I believe that fostering self-expression is a great way of inviting people to be who they are and accepting them for who they are. I believe that valuing self-expression is valuing people and I want people to feel seen, heard and valued as they are. 

Inclusivity

Being inclusive is something I feel is crucial to community building and I believe in community we can grow and learn so much. Inclusivity creates equal opportunities and access for all people no matter their differences. I want to be a part of building an inclusive environment for students and families that allow people to feel accepted and nobody feels left out. 

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Racism and White Fragility

In class discussions, we have talked a lot about the education system being a political institution that is created by policymakers detached from the reality of what goes on inside of the doors of the school environment. The system that this is built on has been spoken of in class as encompassing systemic racism, covert racism, white supremacy, and heteropatriarchy. These are all terms that I needed to do follow-up research on to gather a deeper understanding of what they meant. A term I discovered through this research was “white fragility” and being born a white woman, this is a topic I wanted to learn more about.

I came across the works of Robin DiAngelo whose research is based on the fields of critical discourse analysis and whiteness. Much of what she writes about in terms of white fragility I felt that I could relate to and understand in connection to past experiences. I grew up in an elementary school where more of my classmates were people of color than white. It wasn’t until I was twelve or thirteen when my best friend who is African told me that she felt that she had been discriminated against and treated differently because of her race. Over the years I have heard more and more stories like this, and it has been an ongoing process for me to learn about racism and white privilege. The feeling of being discriminated against or treated differently because of my race is something I recognize I cannot relate to and is due to the reality of my whiteness and living in a society that has long represented white dominance. 

DiAngelo says that white people engage in universalist thought and that accepting racism as a reality, destroys their idea of universalism. She claims that “Whites are taught to see their perspectives as objective and representative of reality”. I had to think about this after reading that statement. I reflected on how I used to participate in the classic thoughts that no matter what circumstances someone experiences if they work hard enough and put their mind to it, they can live a better life. Knowing what I know now and having listened to the stories of people of color, I recognize that this isn’t factual thinking and that these thoughts are false. I also see this in the way I’ve heard and still do hear other white people talk about different cultures and ways of life as being described as “weird” or “not normal”, as if the white culture and way of life is the true and ultimate reality. These are only two examples (of many more I could give) that I believe solidify the truth in what DiAngelo states about whites. 

When thinking about how this connects to the education system I think about the absence of any education about racism and white power and privilege. If we have been living in a society that is built on inequality and racism, this is education and information that needs to be heard. As a white person, I can understand the feelings of discomfort and guilt that can be present when confronting the topic of race and white privilege. At the same time, I acknowledge that I live in a society filled with people of color and different cultures who have voices and stories to share, and whose lives have been negatively impacted through the same system that has granted me the white privilege that I have. If white people are at a higher advantage in society then I think it’s important for us to learn more about racism and white privilege so that we can be a part of supporting change in society to help create more equal opportunities for all.  

As a future educator, I would like to be able to discuss these topics of racism and white privilege with students and support diversity in the classroom. Considering DiAngelo’s words about how many white people are never educated directly about racism and often lack understanding, I think it’s extremely important, now more than ever, to approach this topic within education. I believe by educating children about this topic early on, will help to dismantle racial oppression in our society and world. 

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Democracy Into The Classroom

If I’m going, to be honest, I have to admit that democracy is a topic I have never given much thought to. Prior to watching the documentary called What is Democracy? by Astra Taylor, I’d say the only thing I knew was that democracy is a system used to dictate politics and allow citizens to vote for the platforms that they believe will make their country better. I find the topic of politics to be a messy and intimidating place to explore. I dislike the dualities and extremes that exist within politics and the tension that it can create between people. 

When it comes to voting in a democratic society, I have witnessed the hearing of two sides that people often hold. One side is the belief people have that voting won’t make a difference and the other side is that voting is crucial to being an active citizen. In the middle, I assume there lie folks who are just uneducated and even uninterested. If I take a look at my own involvement in politics and democracy, I can remember only a handful of times that I have voted in the past ten years. Mostly because of a mix of the things I mentioned above.

Although in the past I may not have actively sought out information on local politics or global politics, I have always been someone who when presented the information through education or conversations with others, shows interest in listening and learning. Sometimes this has led me to do further research of my own to further educate myself on certain topics and other times I was happy to listen and learn at that moment, but not interested enough to go deeper. 

Throughout the film What is Democracy? it’s discussed that democracy is supposed to protect the well-being of all people, both rich and poor, and provide justice for everyone but in reality, many people are being left out, especially people of color. And that voter suppression is a real thing. This made me reflect on Canada’s democracy and voting rights. The requirements say you must have proof of legal Canadian citizenship, be of 18 years of age and show ‘acceptable’ proof of identity and address. This excludes those who are permanent residents of Canada and who contribute to the economy and society. I read further about voter suppression affecting Indigenous citizens of Canada's accessibility to voting poll stations. To me, these two examples aren’t at all inclusive of what democracy should be. 

As I become more aware of political issues and further my understanding of what democracy is, I am beginning to think about what this means in relation to the education system and my part in it. If democracy is to be defined as it was discussed in Astra Taylor’s film: Protecting the well being and justice for all people; then I feel as an educator it is beneficial to bring democracy into the classroom and build a democratic envrionment where all students voices are equally heard and supported. An article from Edutopia talks about a democratic classroom as a safe and inclusive place that is co-constructed and promotes social responsibility and engagement with oneself and others. I feel that this kind of environment fosters many positive characteristics that tie in with Dewey’s ideas on progressive education; self-expression, growth, positive relationships, collaborative learning and community building. And this is the type of environment I hope to support as a future educator.

If there is one thing I am certain of when it comes to the kind of society that I want to live in, it is a just one. I might still feel that my vote doesn’t matter or that the worlds problems are too complex to be solved, but despite those feelings, I still have a burning desire to be a part of the good in the world. So although I do not label myself to be a political person, I recognize that my values and beliefs do align with certain political ideas that dictate the way I choose to live my life. And I aspire to bring the kind of world I want to live in into my classroom. 

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Thoughts on The Education System

During one of our classes last week, we discussed what education is and what the system of education is built on, as well as the subject of child’s rights and rights-based education. When you stop and think about what education is, it’s definitely a place where your ideas can go in many different directions. 

In Chapter 4: The Right to Education and The Child, Trifonasto mentioned how learning in the post-industrial age promotes the development of skills for competence and productivity which then spits out individuals into the world to contribute to society and capitalism. He stated that the current system lacks promoting the development of skills for invention and discovery and that functionalism overtakes learning. Trifonasto brings up a point that within the education system the pedagogical approaches and methods are rooted in ideology and politics of knowledge versus the welfare of the child rather than stimulating and encouraging intellectual and moral growth and development natural to the child, ideas are imposed. He argues a lack of consideration for children’s rights in the educational process. Then he poses the question: How could such educational result lead to a happy life if the identity of a child is suppressed or denied? 

This chapter left me needing time to grapple with these ideas and think further about the question proposed and I certainly think there is a lot of truth to what is brought up. I felt that this information was linked with the first week of class when we discussed consent in education. It definitely reinforced the idea that there is a lack of consent in our education and learning. I find it disheartening to accept that the foundation the education system is built on lacks consideration for the nurturing of children's natural gifts and capabilities and has long been fixated on the one size fits all approach. 

Regarding the education system that Comenius theorized and supports, I feel that I strongly resonate with what he proposes education should be based on. Personally, as somebody who has decided to build a career in the field of education and work with children, and from my past experiences working as a nanny, I have always viewed my role in their life as a pillar of support. To me, this means many of the things Comenius advocates for in an education system. It has meant that I am there to support the children I work with in discovering the world they live in and their place in it. I value listening to a child and allowing them the opportunity to be curious, explore, and discover things independently. I also view my role as support for character development in correlation to morals and wisdom for living in the world harmoniously with others and the planet. These are things that I have valued in my own life growing up and beliefs that hold importance to me. As a future educator, although the education system itself may not be fully based on Comenius’s work, I believe that I will be able to build off of his ideas in my own classroom and curriculum. 

So when we go back to the question that was proposed in the chapter: How could such educational result lead to a happy life if the identity of a child is suppressed or denied? In my opinion, I think this question is posed quite negatively. Although the education system may have its flaws, I simultaneously believe that educators do have some level of power in being able to foster a learning environment that includes ways to support children’s autonomy, independence, and self-discovery within the curriculum.

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Outdoor Learning and Risky Play

Reading Chapter 14: There Are Relationships beyond the Classroom: A Nature Kindergarten written by Enid Elliot was filled with a lot of content that I found personally aligns with some of my views and kinds of approaches I would like to engage my future students in as a Teacher. There were five guiding principles discussed as the core of a nature kindergarten located in Sooke; Environmental stewardship, environment as second teachers, collaborative learning as a community member, physical and mental health, and Aboriginal ways of knowing/local traditional knowledge. I think that these values are beneficial to foster in young children because they entail engagement with the outside world with a hands-on approach that I believe can support children's development in all spheres. 

As an educator, I definitely plan to have outdoor learning opportunities be available to my students if possible. I believe that allowing young children the chance to learn through experiences guided by environmental stewardship and environment as a second teacher, can lead to promoting a sense of connectedness to the world we live in, our place in it, as well as a deeper appreciation and desire to care for it. These are worthwhile qualities to promote. I also think collaborative learning as a community member is something that can and should be supported, regardless of outdoor or indoor learning, because it strengthens the idea that community is important and of value just as much as our participation in it.

Continuing research also suggests many physical and mental health benefits of being outdoors and in natural environments. I feel that it’s important for educators, parents and caregivers to take this information into consideration when creating lesson plans and caring for young childrens needs. I also believe that supporting outdoor risky play is extremely beneficial for childrens ability to learn how to access risk through autonomous engagement with it, as well as allowing them the opportunity to develop trusting their abilities and a sense of comfort within their bodies. Aside from my beleif in the benefits I think risky play provides, being a caregiver and supporting the children with experiences to engage in it, I have memories of positive benefits observed from it. Mariana Brussoni is a reaseracher at UBC focusing on child injury prevention and developmental importance of children’s risky play. Dr.Brussoni and her team of researchers collaborated with the Digitial Lab at BC Children’s Hospital to develop a website called outsideplay.ca to help educators, parents and caregivers gain skills and confidence to support childrens outdoor play. This could be a great tool to recommend to parents and caregivers as an educator and for educators who are nervous and unsure about bringing learning outdoors. Something that Dr. Brussoni brings up in her research that I like to think about and will continue to hold onto as a compass through my working with children, is to seek optimal strategies for keeping children “as safe as necessary,” not “as safe as possible”. As an Educator, I strive to be a pillar of support for children to lean on as they need my help, while allowing them to engage in developmentally beneficial activities that grant them opportunities to learn for themselves.

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Marxism

There were way too many things being discussed all at the same time last class that my mind feels scattered and all over the place again. Between capitalism, democracy, feudalism, and communism. To discussing what education is, to marxism, to collective and individual accountability. It was hard to keep up at times! I’m the type of person who needs time to digest information and I prefer to dive deep into one topic at a time. This helps me get a deeper understanding so I can develop my own opinion and thoughts. So for me... that class felt like way too many different topics shooting around all at once that I couldn’t always keep up or grasp exactly what I was thinking or feeling about everything being discussed. Prior to our class discussion, I had an understanding of capitalism and a brief idea of what marxism was. Basically, I associated Marxism with a society where nobody is richer than anybody else and individuals are all having fair and equal assess to what they need. My understanding is that countries that have developed communist governments in the past and present have caused harm and destruction to their citizens through dictatorship. Since Marx was the founder of the idea of communism, people associated that with the examples that have been put into practice. In my opinion I don’t think the intention of Marx’s ideas were ever intended for communism to turn into dictatorship causing harm to people in society. In fact, I think the intention was always the opposite; For all people in our societies to have equal access to what they need to live a good quality of life and benefit from a world of kindness, compassion, and community amongst each other.

So that leads me to the question: Is it possible for a theorized idea like marxism and communism be put into practice and work justly? In my opinion, it is certainly a great idea and I would even be more than happy to live in the world and society that he suggests, but in reality, I believe things are much more complex than that, specifically human beings. I think humans association with power and greed get in the way. A part of me agrees with the thought that there is goodness in everybody, but at the same time I am doubtful that that statement is factual. When people seek power I think they either seek that power for good use in terms of greater good or for selfish and greedy reasons. I question if more people in power are selfish than good. Are there more of the harmful and destructive types of humans in pursuit of power and control than there are those who seek to be build a world of peace and just? If not, then why does it feel like the world is a constant battle field of good versus evil?

I think for marxism to be a reality, the system would have to be developed by a community of people whose intentions are pure and just. But even if this kind of society was a reality, how would we deal with the kinds of civilians I have mentioned; who crave domination and destruction? Power and greed? What kind of foresight and preparation must be developed if this society were to become a reality?

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These are some of the phrases that were posted up along the fence surround the Canadian Centre for Architecutre. I thought they were thought provoking, random and funny. They definitley made me pause and think for a moment after reading each one! Well.. a few just made me laugh and move forward. 

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Priveleged Authenticity

Today we had an outdoor class at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) which I was looking forward to. Who wants to be inside of a classroom with no windows and fluorescent lighting? I certainly do not, but unfortunately as a university student, majority of the time I have no choice. So today was a refreshing change of scenery! I have to admit, when I received the instructions for the first activity I wasn’t too enthused and I didn’t understand what the point was. I think I was fixed on needing to understand what the link of the activity was in relation to the course. When the sheet read to draw your surroundings and make a map with labels or a legend I immediately thought there is no way I am going to do that. I actually do like to draw and do artistic things, but not like this. So I decided I would pass on that and instead I just focused on exploring the surroundings of where Mitchell (the professor) took us. 

I walked around with two classmates to take a look at the front of the building and while we were there we decided to head across Rene Levesque and explore the park across the street. I looked up the name of it when I got home because I was curious and it’s called Ernest Cormier Esplanade. It turns out that of course the park was named after a real person, Ernest Cormier, a memorable Montreal Canadian engineer and architect. Apparently he was listed a National Historic Person by the Canadian government and left a legacy through his style of architecture. So theres a random fun fact about the city of Montreal that I now know! (although, I don’t know how many people will actually care or find that interesting..?)

As the three of us sat on some steps at Ernest Cormier we began chatting together getting to know each other better. One of my classmates shared a bit about her cultural background and her experience as Canadian born in a religious muslim family. As someone who grew up with no religious influence in my family or deep cultural traditions, listening to her talk about her experiences was very interesting to me. I’ve always been a intrigued listener when it comes to people sharing things about themselves and their lives. I find the world of humans and different lives so fascinating! 

My dad likes to say we’re a product of our environment and I think there is some truth to that. I believe our environment definitely impacts who we are and plays a huge role in the life we live and who we become. Sometimes we don’t have a choice other than what has been laid out infront of us from the environment we’re in; just like the culture or religion we might be born into. When I have had conversations with people who are from religious backgrounds I have noticed that there are many rules that even if they question them or would like to rebel, they feel like they can’t or that it’s just not an option. To me this is an example of how our environment can shape who we are. And it makes me wonder about our identity and how much of our identity is truly our authentic self. To what extent are we able to live our lives authentically? Do some more than others get the opportunity and/or privilege to live more authentic than others? I think naturally humans are constantly forced into making choices as a byproduct of circumstances that were out of their control to begin with. So even if they made a choice from within their own autonomy, that choice may still not be 100% what they would truly want to choose if they had other options.

For example, someone growing up in a religious family who feels compelled to rebel against the religious norms because they feel like they don’t fit in or agree with the religion. Or maybe they feel drawn to different religious ideologies. Or maybe they feel like the circumstances they were born with wouldn’t be what they would have chosen. But due to the reality of the environment they live in, they might feel like they don’t have another choice so they continue to mould who they are to be what they know is acceptable. I think the degree in which this type of individual will be able to live their life authentically will certainly be smaller than someone who chooses to rebel or who is born into circumstances that allow them more freedom of individual choice. But can anybody ever truly live a 100% authentic life? I think if everybody had the opportunities and privileges to sit and think about who they want to be and what kind of life they want to live despite their born circumstances, then act and make choices off of those thoughts, maybe we would be living in a world filled with truly authentic individuals. I do honeslty beleive that being able to live your life being who you truly are and want to be is a shared desire of many people. However, I also believe the world and life in general is much more nuanced and complex than that, and unfortunately the reality is that a lot of people don’t have these privileges or opportunities.

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Canada’s Injustices on Aboriginal Children

Chapter 13: Nurturing the Seeds of Indigenous Early Learning and Childcare in Canada by Jessical Ball was a dense and intense piece to read. There was a lot of content that I needed to highlight for further research such as Jordan’s Principle, the Romanow Report, and Aboriginal Head Start. Then there was a great deal of information from Statistics Canada regarding the disadvantages that aboriginal children face. It was enlightening to find out about all of the different programs that do exist in an effort to support aboriginal children and families. And at the same time, acknowledge that there is still plenty of work to do to make sure these programs and organizations are upholding their commitments. After reading this chapter and feeling like my awareness had expanded towards issues I previously wasn’t thinking about, I was looking forward to class and finding out what kind of discussions would take place and hearing the different perspectives and thoughts my classmates would have. One of my classmates said they didn’t find the chapter very interesting and that comment made me feel shocked. How could they not find it interesting? I mean, I guess I wouldn’t describe the chapter as interesting either, more so as enlightening and… depressing. I say depressing because I find it upsetting to discover the disheartening statistics on the number of aboriginal children living in poverty and foster care and the programs that exist, yet they are still underfunded and inaccessible. And when we compare the inequality of services that non-aboriginal children receive, again, heartbreaking. 

All of this thought on child advocacy for aboriginal children led me to reflect on the Every Child Matters movement in Canada. The movement is about acknowledging the brutal history of the residential schools, the children's lives that were lost and stolen, and coming together to support and listen to the survivors and their families towards reconciliation. I think this is a positive thing because there are so many voices that deserve to be heard and it's time for us as a society to shut up and truly listen. But I think there is more than listening that needs to be done and I believe many Canadians agree with this but don’t know what they can do (I know I certainly feel this way too).

I realize that this movement is more than just the acknowledgment of the past injustices. I think it’s also about coming together to rebuild a system that supports indigenous children and their families and prevents further tragedies and injustices against the aboriginal people of Canada. To me, this means that actions need to be taken by citizens and especially professionals in our society. So what does that mean for me as someone who is studying to work in the field of Education? 

I chose the field of Early Childhood Elementary Education because of my passion for child development and the desire to support and advocate for young children. Based on my own childhood experiences having grown up in an unstable environment and surrounded by poverty, I felt that the effects it had on me were challenges I had to overcome as a young adult and had there been better support and resources, I may have had better opportunities. I want to be someone who is a part of the kind of resources and support children need. Now being a student and learning about the challenges Aboriginal children and their families face, as someone who comes from a white family, I can only imagine how many difficulties they are faced to overcome. 

In the chapter, there was a sentence that wrote “children are not only our future: they are here now”. This thought hit me and made me pause for some time to reflect. If the poverty rate for status First Nations children is 51 - 61 % as stated by Statistics Canada, to me that says that children need help now. 34 % of Indigenous children 0-4 years of age are living with single parents; families need help now. 50% of foster children are indigenous children aged 0-4 years old; they need help now. It is very clear that Indigenous children and families need more from our society and government. 

As an individual who went into education to advocate and support children, as I am becoming more aware of the challenges and issues Aboriginal Canadians face, I think it is important for me to continue to educate myself on Indigenous politics in Canada and familiarize myself with the Truth and Reconciliation Act of Canada to find out what actions I can take to get involved as an Early Childhood Educator and Canadian citizen. It seems to me that our society needs more actions to be taken and less talk. And as of now, I don’t have the answers as to what should be done, but I am definitely committed to ongoing learning and discovery. Hopefully, as I continue this journey I will find myself in a place of more action and less talk. 

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Injustice in Canada

The first week of classes in this course left me with a lot to think about. So many different things were discussed that my mind feels scattered and all over the place. And I definitely feel a mix of emotions.

The two readings this week were interesting and I enjoyed learning about what life has been like in our Canadian society from the perspective of an Aboriginal woman. It is heartbreaking to acknowledge the injustices that have been done to First Nations communities. The lives that have been lost, the traumas that have been endured, the lands that have been destroyed and disrupted, and their culture being taken away from them. I believe these injustices cannot be forgotten and must be acknowledged.

Something someone said in class was that they believe that Indigenous communities need help from the western system and that we must listen to what they need and start helping. I agree that as a society we do need to listen to what Indigenous communities need and give them that support (I certainly do not have the answers to go about this). But my immediate thought when that comment was made, was that these people never needed our help, to begin with, and the only reason they need our help now is because of what that same system did in the first place. So basically I believe they were forced into needing help. 

That thought made me feel angry because these groups of people had their own society and culture built long before European settlers decided to take over with brute force. From what I have read about First Nations cultures, they were living peacefully and harmoniously in relation to each other and the land. The Europeans came here and did what they desired with force, absence of consent, and respect. I believe a lot of their culture has been disregarded, lost, and destroyed and so as a result of that they are in a position where they do need help, but they never did in the first place. The fact that they only need help because of what the western system has done, is extremely upsetting.  At the same time, I experience these negative feelings, I also feel inspired by the human spirit to persevere through tragedy and devastation. Although I believe that nobody should have to face injustices and wrongdoings, I am fascinated by the ability humans have to persevere in spite of these. And again at the same time, I wonder if life is just one big fight to survive. In my opinion, it appears to be a possibility when looking at history; everyone is always fighting for the right to live, and I wonder if the universe cares? (I told you my mind was scattered!!)