For the Program Learning Outcome, My Focus will be on these three Outcomes: Here, I will Discuss the First Learning Outcomes , Elsewhere, I will Discuss the other two Learning Outcomes.
- Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of and respect for the values of a range of Indigenous knowledge and wisdom.
- Demonstrate a critical awareness and understanding of the past and present debates that have shaped human rights and social justice issues.
- Demonstrate knowledge, through experiential learning, of key human rights and social justice issues locally, nationally, and/or globally.
- HOW HRSJ 5020: INDIGENOUS WAYS OF KNOWING: RESURGENCE OF LAND BASED PEDAGOGIES AND PRACTICE HAS HELPED ME TO DEMONSTRATE A SOPHISTICATED UNDERSTANDING OF AND RESPECT FOR THE VALUES OF A RANGE OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM.
Human Rights and Social Justice
This course has been fundamental in shaping my understanding of social justice and human rights based on past and present debates. The course shows that colonizers violated human rights by coming to indigenous people’s land and taking it as their own. in addition, they went ahead and diluted the culture and traditions of the indigenous people. These acts went against the human rights of the indigenous people.
The settlers could have had a different approach to the people upon visiting their land to be regarded as respectful of other people’s rights. The indigenous people had a right to live in the land they were occupying and anyone who wanted to use it should have done so by requesting. The request should have been discussed with other elders in the community and either accept or deny it. The settlers came to the lands with a lot of force and literally regarded those who were former occupiers as lesser beings. They went ahead and destroyed their culture through the introduction of residential schools and other acts which made them lose their identity.
The settler’s actions caused trauma to the indigenous communities, and they had to change their way of living unwillingly. These acts show total disregard for people’s rights and thus, after the colonial period was over, justice was necessary. For justice to be served, there are things that should be met by the parties that are involved.
The first thing for parties to observe is the dynamics of the groups. Things such as culture, and level of knowledge among other things should be put into consideration. The culture of the indigenous can be observed by being respected and doing the negotiations based on the norms of the indigenous population. With them being the most affected, empathy should be shown to them.
Also, I have learned that different extents of human rights violations require varying efforts to ensure justice is served. For instance, the indigenous population requires the settlers to give back the land they acquired and give them compensation for the resources they took. Though this seems impractical, the amount of trauma the population experienced cannot be diminished by simple acts such as being polite or kind.
The course has also shown how some people pretend to be good in order to avoid apologizing for their mistakes. This makes them continue limiting their rights by showing kindness and politeness in their previous heinous acts. For instance, the white people do not want to relinquish the land they took from the indigenous people, but they want to politely show that they are part of them. This is hypocrisy as in colonial error they were being brutal and did not acknowledge this and thus the justice and reconciliation they claim to bring is a sham.
Another fundamental thing I have learned through the debates is the recognition of the rightful owner of the land people reside in. This shows respect to the community that dedicated it to certain projects such as schools and hospitals. This act makes the people (mostly indigenous) feel respected something that they missed before, when the land was taken and used by force.
The course has also made me know the importance that stories have in showing social justice and human rights. Most stories are based on people’s culture and has a lot of values. Some stories show how someone did good unto another and later reciprocated. Those who treat others nicely, in the future have a likelihood of being treated the same. Also, those who do bad to others in the future have no good things to expect. Therefore, it is good to dispense what you expect when in the same situation one is in.
Our lecturer invited a Guest to the class, who taught us how to make a Drum in class as part of this course work, and we also learned the Canadian Indigenous peoples’ welcome song and unity song.
I also learnt about the three program learning outcomes in other courses I took in the program , which includes :HRSJ 5010 Foundations of Human Rights and Social Justice, HRSJ 5030- Problem Solving in the Field: Study Techniques and Methods, HRSJ 5120 -Settler Colonialism: Decolonization and Responsibility, and HRSJ 5150 -Truth to Power: Promoting Social Change on Stage and Screen.
How Masters in Human Rights and Social Justice Program has Helped me to Understand the three Program Learning Outcomes I choose for my E-portfolio .
The learning objectives of the debates of the past and present have made me understand that every human is equal in society, as evidenced by the various incidences that follow. In the past people have been treated differently because they are of a different race from the others. People who came from other races, especially the non-white were differently treated when it came to several situations. The treatment was not favorable to the non-whites and they experienced torture most of the time. On the other hand, the whites were well treated and provided with the essential things that they required and mostly this was done at the expense of the other races. Today, the equality of gender has been promoted and none should be treated differently. They are all important and can perform the same tasks as the others. It has therefore been emphasized that every human being in whichever sector should be treated the same.
Women in the past went through a lot of intimidation and were victims of patriarchy. They were considered lesser beings and mistreated through violence and the lack of freedom to do things they wanted to pursue in life. Nowadays, the importance of empowering women has been emphasized. They can play almost all the roles that men perform, and they have the right to do most of the things that they were not able to do before. Violence against them has been a hot topic that has made many organizations, including the government rise and defend women’s rights. If men violate the rights of women and get reported, they risk being incarcerated or fined and this has led to a lessening of the incidences.
In the past, there was slavery, that is, forcibly requiring people to work for others without their consent. People, especially from ethnicities or countries that were not empowered were taken as slaves to the more developed ones. Most of the time they were sold to the enslavers, whereby they worked without pay. With the rising human rights and social justice, no one should be forced to work for another, for everyone has equal chances in society, and thus consent is required when offering services to other people.
The course has also been instrumental in equipping me with knowledge of experiential learning to practice human rights and showcase justice to everyone in society. This was made possible when I got to work with clients at Mustard Seed Kamloops, in Canada during my practicum. I was able to show empathy to them by helping them to cope with various situations the clients were facing, which includes Drug Addictions, and Homelessness. Regardless of our individual differences, cultural differences, or Race. This made me realize that in every sector or institution, there is a need to respect the rights of human beings and show equality to everyone with whom I interacted with during my Practicum.
The program has made me appreciate the wisdom and knowledge of various indigenous groups. Firstly, I have been able to learn how various indigenous groups pass knowledge or values to others. One of the ways is through storytelling, which I have found to be greatly rich in wisdom. Information does not have to be passed directly, but through story-telling and other ways, which enable people to relate. Respecting the indigenous people has been paramount as this makes them heal from the injustices that they were exposed to by settlers. When on their land, they should be involved in major decisions that pertain to how it will be used. Also, any building or premise built on their land under their permission should recognize that the land is for the indigenous people as a way of showing respect to them. Therefore, I have understood that indigenous people are intelligent, and rich in culture , they are not as primitive as they were depicted by the Europeans and what one of their major characteristics is to show respect for one another.