Reconciling colonization is a process, not a product. We all have our own traumas and truths and we will never be able to reconcile our pasts if we do not take responsibility for our actions, take back our power, and connect to our true selves through language and nature. In today’s episode, Ketiak Andre joins us to share the story of how he and his people were colonized, and how the ideas which were imposed upon him turned him into a colonizer. This is his personal journey of reconciliation, as much as it is a guide for the rest of us to embark on our own reconciliatory journeys. Ketiak means “knowledge keeper,” or “someone who knows,” and although he is always careful not to impose his beliefs on anyone else, his wisdom is profound, and there is so much to be learned from him. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• The impact that colonization has had on language.
• The meaning of Ketiak.
• Power of indigenous languages for reconciliation.
• The importance of being true to who you are. 
• How the term used to refer to indigenous people has changed over time. 
• Keitak’s approach to sharing his knowledge, and breaking the cycle of colonization.
• The trauma that plagued Ketiak’s younger years.
• The sense of peace that Ketiak found in the natural world. 
• Lessons which had a life-changing impact on Ketiak’s life.
• Why a relationship with the earth is vital for reconciliation. 
• Exploring Ketiak’s ancestry.
• The meaning of Ketiak’s spirit name. 
• Foundations of the Seven Generations Prophecies. 
• Why Ketiak refers to himself as a colonizer, and his journey of overcoming this.
• Reconciliation requires taking responsibility for one’s actions.
• Damage that the church inflicted upon Ketiak’s people.
• Why Ketiak is grateful for the suffering he has experienced. 
• The power that lies within you to stand up to abusers.
• Ketiak explains the significance of the year 1969 in our history. 

Tweetables:

“Any natural, indigenous language of the world, that’s where we get direction in life. ” — Ketiak Andre [0:08:13]

“To reconcile, we need to have language.” — Ketiak Andre [0:11:14]

“Be who you are, who you were created to be. Don’t let anybody else impost any identity on you, because if you do that then you become a colonizer.” — Ketiak Andre [0:16:45]

“We cannot reconcile without having a profound, intentional relationship with the earth.” — Ketiak Andre [0:34:23]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sienna Waskewitch on Twitter
Dany Muembo on Twitter