The concept of the Elders’ Knowledge Circle (Knowledge Circle) emerged from a long held desire amongst Indigenous Elders in Calgary and Area to address the need for a centralized place of knowledge focused on perseverance, resiliency, victories, and successes of the Indigenous people. The project will help Indigenous and Western communities work together more effectively and restore Indigenous practices and knowledge for the generations of Indigenous people to follow. The overarching goals of Knowledge Circle are:
· Create a sustainable model to protect, revitalize and share stories, language, oral knowledge and practice;
· Bridge the gap in cultural understanding and reconciliation to allow the transfer of knowledge to the next generations;
· Serve as a centralized resource for Western organizations (public, private, and non-profit) to consult with Elders and Indigenous communities using appropriate protocols.
The Knowledge Circle is especially important in supporting the needs of Indigenous youth and community to build strong Indigenous identity through language story, song, and ceremony by providing centralized and coordinated access to Elders’ teachings.
There is also an increased emphasis and demand for meaningful consultation with Indigenous communities for projects that impact them, across Canada. Municipalities, academic institutions and private corporations are creating Indigenous policies and frameworks. Strong consultation and a meaningful partnerships with the Indigenous community will reduce the costliness of delays, risks of projects being denied or cancelled, and missed opportunities.
The Knowledge Circle is a demonstration project that will include scalable methodology on which people from all Indigenous Nations and communities across in Canada could base their own model. To our knowledge, the Knowledge Circle is the first of its kind in Canada.
Reg & Rose Crowshoe will share the work they are doing in the Calgary area, and offer ways to apply these learnings to our own communities.
