Kijiikwewin aji: sweetgrass stories

Abstract

Kijiikwewin-aji means ‘to become a woman now’ in Algonquin and describes the heart of the research. Sweetgrass stories shares the title of this thesis as it is part of the research methodology used with traditional Indigenous women. Through grounding myself with Indigenous Grassroots Theory, the creation of an Algonquin Indigenist paradigm and my relationship with knowledge, I formed an Indigenous research methodology called sweetgrass story weaving which focuses on traditional Indigenous women as they share their moontime stories. Within this thesis, I also share information relating to the historical roots and present state of rites of passage with traditional Indigenous women and discuss the research journey using the concept of ethical space. Using an international, national and grassroots level focus on strength, resilience and power, you will read traditional Indigenous women’s voices as they look back through lived experiences; hope and determination when looking forward to the future, and the shared theme of wanting their cultural traditions and ceremonies to live on through future generations of Indigenous girls and women, including young men. What is the current state of the Berry Fast, understanding the assimilative nature of colonization and the effects it has had on Indigenous women? How can we continue to honour these rites of passage while living in a world both with traditional Indigenous worldviews and colonial constructs? I propose the introduction of a sweetgrass knowledge transfer model for the Berry Fast using the transferrable characteristics harvested from my research methodology. This knowledge transfer model has the capacity to increase accessibility and decrease the difficulty in completing the Berry Fast in order for traditional Indigenous women to complete it in the present day. Furthermore, the introduction of the sweetgrass knowledge transfer model for the Berry Fast can assist with framing the perspective of Indigenous women as powerful beings who elicit respect and an equal place in contemporary society. Over time, the collective strength and wisdom of traditional Indigenous women will increase which is a step in the decolonized direction of preventative health care which promotes mino bimaadiziwin.