Definitions

Definitions for important words we will be using

POWER

Power is the desire for the self to actualize. We are each born with power, an internal “sense of life-affirming purpose” that guides us through our lives. But our ability to “self actualize” or pursue our life-affirming purpose, is impacted by the culture and systems around us. In some cultures, a person is encouraged along their path of self-actualization, and taught how to do this in a respectful way while also making generous space for others to do the same. In a culture of dominance or supremacy, certain people’s paths to self-actualization, their ability to live out their life-affirming purpose with dignity, is prioritized over that of others. We can see this happening in white supremacy, where the desires and perspectives of white-bodied people are prioritized over those of Bodies of Culture and Colour. We can also see this in settler-colonialism, where the desires of settlers (for example privatizing land or setting up economic enterprises) are prioritized over Indigenous Laws and Cultural Protocols.

Power in and of itself is not inherently wrong or bad. But, the ways in which we use our power will determine whether we are helping to create cultures of care and respect, or cultures of harm and domination.

Power is when we come together, power is when we teach each other, power is when we pool all of our resources together to share, power is when we use our unique gifts to take care of each other

Related words: agency, sovereignty, autonomy, consent

Power dynamics are how we can observe, name, and discuss the ways in which power is acting in different relationships.

Power-over refers to the use of one’s power in order to dominate, to have your own will or desires unfold at the expense of others’

Being Empowered refers to a state where you are able to act on your desires to self-actualize, and you are able to follow your life’s purpose. Empowerment includes feeling respected, being able to consent, or not, to things that will impact you, having access to what you need to survive and thrive, and not being prevented or blocked from achieving your life-affirming purpose.

Power-sharing includes the actions we can take to mitigate/dismantle power-over dynamics and create space for each other’s empowerment

Unearned Assets refers to power-over privileges and resources, including things like decision making and leadership positions, access to education and travel opportunities, and intergenerational wealth, that have been distributed in an unfair and unjust manner to some and not others, based on discriminatory and marginalizing hierarchies, include class, age, ability, race, and gender. Examples of this can be found at many different scales all the way from global wealth being concentrated in the hands of a small number of billionaires, down to local governmental leadership positions being granted overwhelmingly to white-bodied people with access to wealth and education.

Related words: hoarding, scarcity, reparations, wealth-redistribution, sharing

POLICY

A framework that sets out rules and expectations within an institutional setting

Policy is a law, regulation, procedure, administrative action, incentive, or voluntary practice of governments and other institutions. Policy decisions are frequently reflected in resource allocations. An equity-informed policy is ‘realistic, understandable, consensual, mutually accountable, proactive, living, and responsive.’

PROTOCOL

An Indigenous framework for teaching how to reciprocate respect within a cultural setting

The term protocol includes many things, but overall it refers to ways of interacting in a manner that respects traditional ways of being. Protocols are not just “manners” or “rules” – they are a representation of a culture’s deeply held ethical system. They also have highly practical applications that may have arisen in a pre-contact context but still apply today. Coming to understand and practice protocols appropriately is a lifelong learning process. Following protocols is a significant sign of respect and awareness. As protocols vary widely between and even within Indigenous cultures, they are not something you can learn about by taking a course or reading a list. They are learned through relationships.

“That term, protocol, refers to any one of a number of culturally ordained actions and statements, established by ancient tradition that an individual completes to establish a relationship with another person from whom the individual makes a request. The protocols differ according to the nature of the request and the nature of the individuals involved. The actions and statements may be outwardly simple and straightforward, or they may be complex, involving preparation lasting a year or more. The protocols may often involve the presentation of something. It would be a mistake to say that what is presented is symbolic of whatever may be requested, or the relationship that it is hoped will be established, because it is much more than symbolic.”

WAYS OF KNOWING

“Traditional knowledge is a timeless type of knowledge that includes values and philosophies that have been transmitted from generation to generation. Ecological knowledge relates to place-based knowing and environmental knowledge. Cultural knowledge focuses on ways of living and combines contemporary with traditional ways of knowing. These three forms of knowledge are interrelated and shaped by Indigenous language. They are not the only Indigenous ways of knowing. Elders have various knowledges or “gifts” to pass on to others. These include knowledge about spirituality, healing, medicine, history, storytelling, and language. The term teachings includes the notion of combining forms of knowledge with values

such as respect and responsibility.”

CULTURE

“[Culture is] an integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are characteristic of members of any given society. Culture refers to the total way of life of particular groups of people. It includes everything that group of people thinks, says, does and makes – its systems of attitudes and feelings. Culture is learned and transmitted from generation to generation.”

Culture shift is a process that occurs when new ways of doing things are experienced, which shake up the belief that there is only one “correct” way. Since culture is made up of the thoughts and behaviors of a group, a shift in culture begins by noticing, and then shifting, the thoughts and behaviors of the individuals in the group.

Refer also to the The Cultural P