Who are your ancestors?

The notion of ancestral responsibility has been a key component of Indigenous traditional knowledge since time immemorial. Each nation has its own forms of knowing and learning on the subject, and there are many visions of ancestral responsibility and that towards one's ancestry; however, it is important to recognize that these learnings flow from generations upon generations of traditional knowledge.

Recognizing ancestral responsibility offers a theoretical framework for situating oneself within space and time in order to advance an anti-racist and non-discriminatory future.

You have two kinds of ancestors:

• Your direct ancestors: your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents etc

• Your collective ancestors: you share ancestry through your identity. People who share salient components of you who have taken action to benefit or harm your identity and your community

For example: By identifying yourself as Canadian, you have your personal stories (are you an immigrant? Are you tenth generation?), but you still share a collective ancestry with all Canadians. You are a product of your direct ancestors as well as the Canadians who came before you.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What have your ancestors taught you? 

• What strength can you gain from them? 

• What responsibilities have they passed down to you?

• What mistakes did they make? and what can you do to fix them?

• What are you doing to improve the legacy of your ancestry / people who share your identities?

This is related to the concept of privilege (see Section 9). We must use the privileges we receive from our ancestors (direct and collective) to right their wrongs for the benefit of those who do not share those same privileges.

Allyship

Adapted from: Trousse d'outils pour les alliées aux luttes autochtones; Centre ontarien de prévention des agressions; 11 conseils pour être un.e bon.ne allié.e; Comment devenir un-e bon-ne allié-e ?

Through discussions of privilege and the recognition that each of us hold certain privileges in certain circumstances that others do not, we also recognizes our responsibility to use the privileges that we do have to show solidarity with those who do not. Common terms today are: ally, accomplice, and co-resistant; no term is better than the other, but in this training, we use the word "ally" because it is the most well-known/in highest circulation.

Being a good ally is not an identity but it is an ongoing journey. An ally is constantly educating themselves and does not expect the oppressed to do the work for them. As an ally, it is important to constantly be in a state of reading, listening and learning about and from the experiences of those who are oppressed, rather than exhausting them through questions. 

Since allyship is a journey without a set destination, it is important to accept that you are going to make mistakes and not get defensive, but rather listen, apologize, take responsibility and change the problematic behaviour. Do not expect respect for your feelings to be the priority of those hurt by your actions or words. Let us not forget that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and intention does not negate bad deeds.

Your role as an ally is also to fight oppression; it is to educate your loved ones on their x-phobias and their x-isms, so that they do not spread their hate speech to those concerned; it is to recognizes your own experience of oppression, and how it can inform your ability to address oppressions faced by other groups; it is to hold space and pass the microphone; it is to value people for existing, rather than valuing them because of what they have done/can do for you.

Please remember that oppressed people face discrimination every day, and are never be able to escape it. Women, for example, endure misogyny all the time, in their work and even in their homes. Likewise, as an ally you cannot shut up when "it suits you", or only when you are feeling tired. Showing allyship also means sharing this burden of dismantling systems of oppression, and not leaving it only to the oppressed.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—

     Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—

     Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

     Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

- Martin Niemöller

Allyship in an organization helps to build safer, more respectful communities.  When those who are marginalized witness that they are supported by others who are willing to speak up alongside them, they know that the community is working together to be more inclusive and equitable.

A message from your facilitator!

Click here to watch  your final video from Chúk where he talks about the importance of ancestry in understanding allyship and the responsibilities that we inherit from the people who came before us, all the while looking at how to best serve those who will come after we are gone.