The Third Pillar

by Eduardo del Buey

“`We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.''

Native American Proverb

The Third Pillar

In my last article, “Oh Canada,” I mentioned Canada’s three founding peoples: the English, the French, and the indigenous (First Nations).

However, my article focused on the Eurocentric origins of two of the founding peoples and avoided discussing the third - Canada’s First Nations.

To be sure, I do not propose that immigrants or Canadians from the other two pillars will suddenly join First Nations communities or adopt their languages and lifestyles.

But this third pillar of Canadian culture has much to offer us in this turbulent world, where many are consumed by what is “outside” rather than “inside” themselves.

While serving as political officer at the Canadian Embassy in Spain in 1989, I attended the Spanish Association of Canadian Studies annual meeting at their annual general assembly in Sitges.

That year, organizers invited Canadian poet and Haida expert Robert Bringhurst as the keynote speaker.

Robert Bringhurst is a Canadian poet and author who has translated substantial works from the Haida and Navajo cultures. His interest in Haida culture stems from his friendship and close association with the influential Haida artist Bill Reid, with whom he wrote “The Raven Steals the Light” in 1984, among several other significant collaborations.

After his brilliant description of Haida cosmology and philosophy, I remember telling the audience that my generation had spent the sixties and seventies seeking spiritual knowledge from India and Tibet, only to be ignorant of the wealth of spiritual knowledge and experience available to Canadians from our own native peoples.

The poetry and teachings of these groups contain much of value for contemporary society.

It also brings a consciousness of environmental respect that melds with their participation in the global economy.

Many Indigenous mining and construction companies are active nationally and internationally in the modern economy. Quite a few internet design and management companies, forestry companies, and others underscore the participation of Canada’s Indigenous communities in the global economy.

Throughout my education in the fifties, sixties, and seventies, the school system avoided any mention of indigenous cultures and maintained Canada’s Eurocentric vision as the only reality.

Indigenous cultures were perceived by many as inferior to the two mainstream cultures and were ignored.

Immigrants to Canada had limited or no access to any knowledge of one of the three founding cultures of the Canadian mosaic or any access to the wisdom they had.

What wisdom, you may ask?

In a globalized economy, the indigenous are often perceived as being somewhat divorced from mainstream life and irrelevant to our future.

Yet, today, we face massive environmental challenges stemming from our pursuit of unrestricted growth and diminishing resources, especially clean air and water.

Indigenous philosophies have always pursued a balance between humanity and nature. They describe us all as part of the earth, not its owners.

Many of the Indigenous business sectors described earlier deal with sustainable development and are committed to creating an environment-friendly business sector.

Many also engage in business worldwide with other Indigenous and non-indigenous companies and are making their mark.

Today’s environmental movements have much to learn from the Indigenous worldview, and immigrants, as well as native-born Canadians, have much to learn from their Indigenous partners.

If we are to pursue the creation of a Canadian identity and values, this cannot be done by ignoring one of its three pillars.

It can only be achieved if each pillar knows the others and understands their worldview.

If each pillar brings out its best and shares it with the others.

And if they meld the best that each has to offer into a relevant core of values.

Sharing doesn’t mean surrendering.

This means that immigrants coming to Canada should also be taught about this country’s Indigenous experience.

It also means that our education system teaches children and young adults about the values of the “others” so that we all become part of the “us.”

If we succeed at this, we can create a stronger Canada that reflects our individual and collective realities and combines the best of all three cultural groups.