Di-bayn-di-zi-win (To Own Ourselves) uses personal stories, experiences to give validity to the Ojibway-Anishinabe way of knowing and doing
A book written by a Trent professor and high-profile alum has been named a must-read by CBC.
Di-bayn-di-zi-win (To Own Ourselves) by Drs. Don McCaskill and Jerry Fontaine '08 provides insight into decades of Ojibway-Anishinabe resistance in Canada. The book presents the notion that Ojibway-Anishinabe i-zhi-chi-gay-win zhigo kayn-dah-so-win (ways of doing and knowing) provide an alternative model for living and thriving in the world.
Published by Dundurn Press, the book also shares Ojibway-Anishinabe values, language and ceremonial practices while exploring colonialism, violence and injustice, in a way that focuses on the positive outlook of the Ojibway Anishinabe way.'
"Using our personal stories and experiences, we wrote a book with a theme centred on giving validity to the Ojibway Anishinabe way of living in and understanding the world as a different and separate knowledge system," Prof. McCaskill says. "We talk about the Indigenization of the academy; we talk about reconciliation, and we talk about how important Anishinabe culture is for everyone."
Another theme of the book is the history of Anishinabe resistance since the 1960s, tracing how various events have shaped where we are today. It honours contributions made by Anishinabe leaders throughout the process.
Trent's leadership in Indigenous Studies
Using the University's 50-year history of leadership in Indigenous Studies, the authors use Trent as an example of how to successfully incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into an academic institution.
"Trent has the oldest and largest Indigenous program in the country," Prof. McCaskill says, adding the University has long incorporated traditional teachings and perspectives into its curricular and extra-curricular programming and was the first university in Canada to establish an academic department dedicated to the study of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous knowledges.
When Prof. Fontaine first arrived at Trent, he says he was skeptical of what a Western institution could offer Indigenous students but he found the University genuinely wanted people to understand and respect Indigenous ways of knowing and doing. "It's very forward-thinking," he says.
Prof. McCaskill has edited seven books about Anishinabe culture, education, community development and urbanization. Prof. Fontaine (Makwa Ogimaa) is from the Ojibway-Anishinabe community of Sagkeeng in Manitoba. He was Chief from 1987 to 1998 and has been an adviser to Anishinabe communities. He currently teaches in the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Winnipeg.
Learn more about the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at Trent University.
