Exploring the Backyard: Defining Ourselves Through Experiences With Aboriginal Culture.

By Zannah Matson

There we were, twenty students bundled up for Northern Ontario winters, packed onto a bus, setting out for a great adventure. Our purpose wasn't to reach the exotic destinations desired by many reading week travelers, it was instead to examine something closer to home; it was to be an adventure more defined by reaching inward than drifting to places far afield. But although our intentions were seemingly simple, the impacts of this maiden Canadian Roots voyage extended far deeper.

Canadian Roots is a student-run organization associated with the University of Toronto's Centre for Aboriginal Initiatives that fosters relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth through learning exchange experiences. Exploring the realities of Native reserves in Canada and the impacts of Native culture on national and personal identities, the program offers a glimpse behind sensational headlines and into the strength of these communities. Each reserve welcomed us with feasts and community events that identified the group spirit, while also introducing us to inspirational individuals guiding us through topics from environmentalism to governance, spirituality to education. Along the way we visited schools, theatre companies, and healing centers, learning about the use of culture to strengthen institutional programs and to heighten their impacts.

The centrality of culture to this exchange allowed for art to be interwoven throughout the experience, with drum circles and music playing a central role for the group itself and participation in larger events that incorporated powerful drumming components. We were also exposed to the phenomenal work of the De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Company on Manitoulin Island and powerful pieces by Aboriginal artists along the way. The integration of the arts into the trip extended itself further though, as we became our own storytellers through the medium of film. To extend the discovery accomplished through this experience to those not on the trip, Canadian Roots has produced a film that explores the reserves we visited and the concept of building strong identities throughout the nation. For residents of Toronto or the more urban areas in Canada that are defined by their international multiculturalism, the themes of this program and film as a representation and incorporation of Aboriginal culture into Canadian identity are becoming increasingly crucial. The nurturing of the roots of Canada's origins is a process that must take place to ensure the strength and diversity of its multicultural branches.

There will be a screening of the Canadian roots film Shielded Minds and a panel discussion on the program on Monday, September 21st, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. in room 3154, Medical Sciences building, 1 King's College Circle.

Watch a trailer for Shielded Minds by ABALAK Productions.

Zannah Matson is a third-year Innis student studying Peace and Conflict, Environment and Society, and Urban Studies.