Course: Indigenous Perspectives on the Sacred (2020)
Faculty: Ceylan Isgor-Locke, Kevin Locke
This course provided me with a greater knowledge of the history and insights of indigenous people. It has also confirmed the Master’s lessons on why indigenous people are so important in the progress of the Faith and in the evolution toward a peaceful, just world that protects the planet. It offered many resources to share with others in my community, as well as on social media, where I frequently post comments on issues of culture, race, and indigenous communities.
The issue of “land acknowledgement” has come up several times, such as at Association for Bahá’í Studies conferences and in other video presentations, especially from the Canadian Bahá’í community. This is a formal statement that recognizes and respects indigenous peoples as traditional stewards of the land and the relationship that exists between these peoples and their traditional territories. I’ve started to share these ideas with others in the Bahá’í community.