house posts reflective essay

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University of British Columbia *

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234

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Economics

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Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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Name: Arshiya Nair Student ID: 73083495 Course: ECON 234 001 Instructor: Dr. Catherine Douglas Acknowledging Musqueam Land at UBC Reflective Essay The brochure, qeqen , describes a self-guided walking tour of the totem poles and Musqueam house posts at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus. It offers an opportunity to learn about the culture and history of the Musqueam nation. We can only begin to consider and discuss the economic development of a land by first addressing the status of its inhabitants, their history, and their contributions to the growth. By extension, Canada’s economic history should only be analysed by first acknowledging the significant roles played by the Indigenous peoples, including the Musqueam nation – the original inhabitants of this traditional, ancestral and unceded land since before European settlers took over. This essay will provide a general description of each house post as mentioned in the brochure, discuss their cultural and historical relevance, including my reflections on my experiences during the walking tour. In order to reflect on the lessons learnt from the Twin Thunder and Lightning Birds at the Thunderbird Arena, UBC and from the larger tour, I will use the D.E.A.L model of reflection – Describe, Examine, Articulate, and Learn. This workshop was aimed to help students learn about and comprehend the historical context of colonization and it’s impacts on the Indigenous people and their land, on which the UBC campus is situated. Villanueva mentions in their book how leadership includes listening
and being attuned to your surroundings; trusting others to share their thoughts and brilliance, rather than one community establishing dominance (2018, 103). Any individual would wonder how a society with such a tiny population, relative to the larger nation, managed to influence the larger nation – Canada – into acknowledging their history and culture, rather than the other way around. That said, we can’t also fail to keep in mind that this acceptance occurred after decades of residential schools and their cruel policies. This tour helped us understand how the Indigenous population in Canada managed to stand fast and hold onto their values in the face of so many wrongdoings and outside influences. The self-guided tour of the Musqueam totem poles and house posts at UBC, as described in qeqen , was an insightful, engaging experience. Consisting of 7 stops, each with a totem pole or house post accompanied by interpretive information describing the significance of the area and the post itself, the story it describes, and the Musqueam and Coast Salish people’s culture and history. One of the most interesting stops on the tour was the Twin Thunder and Lightning Birds house post created by Musqueam artist Thomas Cannell. It portrays how their athletes would guard and keep watch for incoming raiders, and, due to their athleticism, would be responsible for promptly informing their village of potential threats. The Thunderbird is also painted in a way that describes how the powerful spirit could help in times of natural disasters such as droughts by raising the water level of the rivers, ensuring the survival of the salmon, and by extension, the Musqueam people (Wilson 2019, 33). It emphasises the importance of community, knowledge, and one’s connection to their culture being a grounding force. What stood out to me most while I on this walking tour was the complexity and intricacies of Indigenous culture and history. Each house post had their own unique stories, and the interpretive inscriptions, along with Wilson’s descriptions of each of them, both enlightened me
and deepened my understanding of Musqueam culture. Moreover, the tour’s themes and teachings can be linked to the theories and histories we have explored in this course. To be more specific, the walking tour highlights the importance of understanding various cultures and histories, such as those of Indigenous nations in order to develop a more equitable and just society. It also describes both the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization and the need for reconciliation in addressing these historical injustices. My experience during this walking tour both challenged and expanded my understanding of Indigenous and First Nations people and their history in British Columbia and Canada. Additionally, some theoretical perspectives that we learned throughout this course – such as the impacts of colonialism, land dispossession and resource extraction – further deepened my understanding of the economics of Indigenous nations and their history in Canada. These theories helped me understand the Musqueam people’s history in British Columbia and the still- ongoing impacts of colonialization they are experiencing. As a result of this self-guided tour, I have gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for Indigenous culture and history, reinforcing the significance of understanding Indigenous perspectives and including their voices towards building a more socioeconomically equitable and fair society. This self-guided tour of the Musqueam house posts at UBC, with the help of Wilson’s brochure, provided an opportunity to learn and deepen my understanding of the history of Musqueam people. As noted by Wilson, the conservation and maintenance of the people’s cultures and customs can enrich the history of a community; this tour has, no doubt, improved my appreciation for Musqueam culture, and their contributions to Canada’s dense history. It is essential that we continue learning about Indigenous cultures and engage in reconciliation in
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