A group of Indigenous students from Dalhousie have embarked on a two-week study tour of New Zealand that will transport them deep into the country鈥檚 rich M膩ori history and culture.
Dr. Lisa Binkley, a professor in Dal鈥檚 Department of History, describes the inaugural study abroad opportunity as 鈥渁n in-country study tour through a M膩ori lens.鈥� The M膩ori are New Zealand鈥檚 Indigenous peoples.
For the first time, students will see the interwovenness of M膩ori culture across Aotearoa-New Zealand 鈥� the M膩ori language name for New Zealand 鈥� as they travel through the Northern Island.
鈥淭he guiding idea is to experience other Indigenous groups in other places in the world,鈥� says Dr. Binkley, who arrived in the country with the students earlier this week.
The te reo M膩ori (M膩ori language) name for New Zealand has become recognized by a growing number of organizations within the country. Lately, Canada recognized the hyphenate. Like Canada, New Zealand is reckoning with its colonial legacy.
鈥淚 often think we鈥檙e going to Aotearoa, not New Zealand, because it鈥檚 all unceded land,鈥� says Dr. Binkley. 鈥淓verything, even the language, is so integrated. When they鈥檙e talking to you, they even throw in these [Te Ao M膩ori] words so you鈥檝e kind of started learning their language, too.鈥�
Over the past decade, Dal has started to walk its own path of reconciliation. This new three-credit Indigenous Studies course, called the International Travel Experience, strengthens the university鈥檚 expanding Indigenous Studies certificate program by opening Indigenous students and faculty to new forms of knowledge exchange.
Cultural exchange
To bring the course to life, Dalhousie鈥檚 International Centre worked with Dr. Binkley and fellow Dal Indigenous Studies faculty members Patti Doyle-Bedwell and Dr. Margaret Robinson along with M膩ori educators and facilitators with the K膩puhipuhi Wellington Uni Professional 鈥� a M膩ori-led education group at the Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington.
The course was funded by a federal grant that offers post-secondary students who have historically travelled less during school new opportunities to do so.
鈥淢aybe this is just the beginning of further travel opportunities,鈥� said Dr. Binkley. 鈥淚 think it will create an amazing relationship with people down there."
Dr. Binkley illustrates a method for sewing a medicine pouch.
Following the 18-hour flight, Dr. Binkley and the students were welcomed to the territory by Elder Marie Cocker from听.
The trip鈥檚 itinerary encapsulates a variety of interests one might expect from 14 students from different Indigenous backgrounds and academic departments (from law, environmental science, and health to arts and museum studies).
鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty diverse group,鈥� says Dr. Binkley, explaining there are students from seven different Indigenous nations going. 鈥淚 think it鈥檒l be wonderful because some are from community, some are from the city.
鈥淎nd I think people are just curious. We鈥檝e tried to foster a really safe environment so that they share what they know with each other.鈥�
A student cuts deer hide for use in medicine pouches.听
Cocker began introducing Dr. Binkley to M膩ori culture before the trip. Unlike Canada, there is one Indigenous People in Aotearoa-New Zealand: the M膩ori.
鈥淚 think the experience itself is just to be able to go and see how the Maori live, work, operate, speak, interact, share, collaborate and all those things,鈥� says Dr. Binkley. 鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 so different [than] experiences in Canada. I think that鈥檚 going to be important.鈥�
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Leading new conversations
Ann (Annjij) LaBillois, Dalhousie鈥檚 Elder in Residence and a Philosophy and Indigenous Studies student at Dal, is thankful to be among the students chosen to go along on the trip.
听鈥淚 love Mother Earth. And for me, I can travel anywhere in this world and when I touch Mother Earth, a part of home travels all the way that far, also, because that's how the land connects with each other,鈥� she says.
鈥淪o, I don't get lonely. And it's like, saying, 鈥楬ello,鈥� when I get there: 鈥楬ello. Oh my gosh, I'm so honoured to meet you,鈥� to the trees or whatever is there. That's so exciting. To be able to touch them and feel them. Feel how it breathes over there. That's the reason why I really wanted to take this course. I'm so grateful that I got chosen.鈥�
LaBillois and the other students will meet with Dr. Binkley each morning before breakfast. Each student was given a journal to note down their experiences as part of the course and each will take a turn leading a circle discussion. They can lead it in prayer or song or simply talk about the experiences they had the day before.
鈥淓ach day, I鈥檓 going to put one to two students in charge of that conversation so that they can put their own flavour on it,鈥� Dr. Binkley says.
Students will have many experiences to draw upon. Activities include a day at the Te Papa museum, learning about M膩ori repatriation of remains and objects with curator and researcher, Amber Aranui. They鈥檒l tour Mount Victoria, have brunch in Hobbiton, visit Aotearoa-New Zealand鈥檚 biggest farm show, spend the afternoon at the Te Puia springs,visit Matiu Somes Island to hear iwi stories, see Lake Taup艒 and the Huka Falls and have a free day with Auckland.
They鈥檒l also share stories of their Indigenous science knowledge, attend M膩tauranga M膩ori and Indigenous science lectures at the university, visit the W膿t膩 workshop where the Hobbit was made, visit the university's fine arts campus, see a Waitangi Tribunal, sit in on classes at Raukawa University-Indigenous University, visit historic Takupawahia settlement, and meet the authors of Imagining Decolonisation.
As they travel through the Northern Island, they鈥檒l complete a few mini courses, as well. One is on intercultural competencies.
Dr. Binkley wants to be very decolonized without quantitative assignments that are common across the university.
鈥淪o, one assignment is having your journal and just reflecting and doing what you want to do in it,鈥� said Binkley, 鈥渂ecause we never have enough time. And that was kind of a requirement is that you鈥檙e going to take time for yourself.鈥�
Another project allows students to choose their own topic and form.
"They can make a video, draw a map, they can really do whatever.鈥� This is possible because Wellington is a walking city, and they鈥檒l be given free time to explore or continue conversations with people they鈥檝e met within different settings.
A parting gift
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Dr. Binkley says there's also a hope that maybe someday M膩ori students will have a chance to come to Canada.
鈥淚 think that would be wonderful. Then we鈥檒l have an idea of what we can do to show them who we are.鈥�
They鈥檒l aim to give a glimpse of this at the end of their trip when they gift medicine pouches they created in class at Dal with their M膩ori hosts. Dr. Binkley led the group in making the deer-hide pouches a few weeks before they departed 鈥� an experience that seemed to foreshadow the kind of knowledge-exchange that could happen on the trip.
鈥淥ne student was sitting there and went over to her neighbours and started teaching them her own way of making the medicine pouch,鈥� says Binkley. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 fantastic. That鈥檚 sort of what it鈥檚 all about.鈥�
Dr. Binkley passes out materials during the medicine pouch workshop.