Abstract
Elder Ernest Tootoosis told the author that First Nations lived in the Garden of Eden and did not abuse the gifts of the Creator. This paper explores Indigenous Eden, the concept that humans lived in harmonious existence with creation since the advent of humanity 200,000 years ago. Elders teach that humans desired to experience physical life in order to learn. In return, they were to show gratitude for the gifts of creation and act as stewards by respecting all created beings. Indigenous peoples view all created beings as interrelated and as being their spiritual relatives. The beginning of civilization is defined as the human initiative to rise up against and conquer nature. This development amounted to a rejection of Indigenous values which were the Creator’s original instructions and resulted in exile from the Garden of Eden. As a byproduct of civilization, religion has abetted human dominance of nature. Non-Indigenous peoples became the majority of world population only in the 1820s, and the past two centuries have seen unprecedented exploitation of resources, struggles for military power, and destruction of the natural environment.
Presenters
Blair StonechildProfessor of Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Languages, Arts and Culture, First Nations University of Canada, Saskatchewan, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
First Nations, Indigenous Eden, Indigenous Peoples
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