Grandmothers, Elders, and All Our Relations with Dr. Kathy Absolon [Episode 26]

In this episode, I will be talking with Dr. Kathy Absolon about the role of Grandmothers, relating to your Elders, and rediscovering healthy family relationships in our current times. Dr. Kathy Absolon is a grandmother, mother, sister, daughter and Associate Professor in the Indigenous Field of Study in the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfred Laurier University and Founding Director of the Centre for Indigegogy.

 

TRIGGER WARNING: We do touch on some challenging topics, in relation to MMIWG2S, residential schools and impacts of colonization.

 

About Dr. Kathy Absolon:

Dr. Kathy Absolon is Anishinaabekwe from Flying Post First Nation.  Her academic journey has been a pathway of unlearning, healing, re-learning and finding who she is as an Indigenous woman & what her place is in the academy.  Her Anishinaabe name is Minogiizhigo kwe which translates to mean Shining Day Woman, the one who brings goodness & beauty to the day. 

In 2008, She received her PhD from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.  "Kaandossiwn, this is how we come to know:  Indigenous research methodologies in the academy" was her dissertation title with a focus on Indigenous research.  She received her Masters in Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1991. Her Masters research was titled: “Healing the Fallen Eagle" with a focus on Indigenous knowledge in social work.

The Centre for Indigegogy: Indigenous Centred Wholistic Development

She is the Founding Director of the newly formed Centre for Indigegogy. Indigenous centred wholistic development. They are engaging in an Indigenous Educators' Certificate in Indigegogy commencing August 2017 and a Decolonizing Certificate for educators beginning in September 2017. What's unique about the Centre is that it offers experiences for learning steeped in ceremony, circle work and in the presence of medicines. Their approach is wholistic and transformative. Watch for the Centres' updates for emerging opportunities in Indigenous wholistic approaches. You can go to: https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-social-work/centre-for-indigegogy/index.html to learn more about the Centre.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[1:17] Introduction to the episode and smudge/ceremony in a good way

[2:21] Dr. Kathy Absolon introduces herself and the land she is from, and the land we are on while recording this episode

[5:35] Finding our way to talking about grandmothers and the role of our elders

[7:50] Kathy introduces a story she wrote about her community and her family and talking about being a Nookomis (grandmother)

[10:47] Kathy shares the story she wrote about her community and her family along the shore of the land

[15:30] Trigger Warning - Kathy speaks to some of the impacts of colonization and residential school on her family

[21:30] Kathy talks about finding her way/discovering her identity and purpose in this life

[22:30] Trigger Warning: impacts of residential school, touching on inter-generational trauma

[24:20] Talking about what life was like for her grandparents

[25:15] What does it mean to be a grandmother? How different Kathy's experience was visiting her grandparents, compared to being a grandmother to her grandchildren

[29:00] Kathy talks about her experience as a grandmother, and how she tries to be a present grandmother for her grandchildren

[34:10] I ask Kathy about what we have lost, and how we find our way forward in connecting with our Ancestors and Elders

[35:20] Kathy shares her perspective on our past, and finding a wholistic way forward

[37:20] Kathy talks about her connection to the land, and what that connection means to her

[38:17] Trigger warning - Kathy talks about how her family trauma was impacted by colonization/ 'western sterotypes of Indigenous people'

[39:40] Kathy shares about her first experience of the full moon ceremony and her connection to the Moon (Nookomis)

[42:50] Kathy talks about her Spirit/Spirit name and how she relates to herself and her gifts

[43:40] How we can relate to other women, other people in our lives in a good way

[44:50] "Canada is like a crime scene"; Trigger warning for talking about unmarked graves/residential schools/MMIWG2S

[46:30] "We All Belong", how we related by our roles in our communities and learning lessons from nature

[48:35] Kathy talks about our Creation Story, and how nature existed, and how we as humans have a place within it 

[50:10] Kathy talks about watching creation and learning from creation that we all have a place and there is enough for all

[51:50] Protecting the land, protecting our Ancestors and what we stand for today

[53:10] Talking about protecting the place for future generations

[53:45] How we approach grandmothers/Elders and understanding the importance of Respect and Relationship

[55:05] How we can learn our teachings in a good way

[58:15] Kathy encourages parents to teach their children to be helpers to their grandparents and Elders

[59:30] Kathy shares her concerns about the impact of modern technology on healthy family relationships

[1:00:30] Kathy shares about her own children being helpers to their grandparents

[1:02:00] How we develop good relationships with our families and others

[1:05:00] Kathy shares about living the role of a helper to her parents and the struggles her family experienced in providing care for them in their elderhood

[1:11:00] "We can't just abandon our Elders", continuing to be involved in our Elders lives, even when they are in retirement care facilities

[1:13:00] Kathy shares her hope for herself and others as Elders, and still be included in family life

[1:15:10] Kathy shares her feelings about being torn between all her roles: being a good helper, mother, grandmother, academic, and being there for her father

[1:18:14] Kathy encourages all of us to spend time with our family/Elders in our life and that a little means a lot 

[1:20:10] Gifts we receive from our Elders when we spend time with them

[1:20:43] Wrapping up the episode, Kathy's final thoughts and bringing us full circle

 

Connect with Dr. Kathy Absolon:

EMAIL: kabsolon@wlu.ca

Centre for Indigegogy: https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-social-work/centre-for-indigegogy/index.html

 

Connect with Me:

WEBSITE: http://www.sarahconnorsnd.com/

FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/sarahconnorsnd.doula/

IG: @drsarah1connorsnd