Living with other people (with LOVE and RESPECT)

Something like 7.7 billion people inhabit this planet, yet there is so much disconnect between them. Such disconnect makes it hard for us to freely coexist. To mingle, to live together, there has to be mutual respect and mutual understanding. I think genuine respect and understanding stem from love. When I told this to one of our hosts at Pays Plat First Nation, he taught me an Ojibwe word, which I shared on our last day of the expedition: zaagi’idewin, to do something from the heart, to be strong, flowing from the heart.

How I understood zaagi’idewin is that there is love inside one’s heart that does not just stand still, but radiates outward. It’s love as a verb.

How might we reach that point? I think that a great place to start is storytelling. I learned so much from talking with our hosts at Pays Plat over just a couple of days, and just as much as I learned about their culture, values, and beliefs, they learned about mine too (my Korean culture and Christian beliefs). As an immigrant who moved to Canada only 10 years ago, it was only recently that I became aware of First Nations issues, first through the book Indian Horse, which I read in first-year English class. Over time, I’ve learned that many issues that First Nations people face are not just theirs, but mine, and ours.

One of the Elders told us, “We sit in a circle so that there are no dark corners.” To me, that is the definition of a community. In a community, we make sure that everyone is seen, taken care of, acknowledged and loved. And the world is one large community. I hope we can all be living examples of the word zaagi’idewin. 

Living with other creatures (I mean … nature)

Love and respect do not only apply to human-to-human interactions but also to human-to-nature interactions. It’s unfortunate that some people perceive nature as something at their disposal, just because nature is there. They clearcut lands, exploit resources for their benefit in an unsustainable manner. Global temperatures are rising, ice is melting, and animals are dying.

One of my most memorable moments on this trip came at Pukaskwa National Park, where we all watched the sunset, in silence. Alone, but together. Here’s an excerpt from my journal (it’s a little cheesy because I get emotional at sunsets, sobear with me).

“I closed my eyes. I felt everyone’s presence, but the presence of nature was greater. The sound of birds, the breeze blowing past my ears were louder than the presence of people (except for the occasional footsteps). The sound of nature tends to be considered ambient. Humans are the loud ones. We produce a lot of noise. We think that we are the main characters in this play. But when we go silent, when we acknowledge that we are not the main characters, but a small constituent that comprises a greater system, nature reveals itself. Humans can be part of the picture, too, if we stop being so entitled. We can live in harmony.”