Thank heavens for calendar alerts and nearby uptown venues. I am attending a special event co-presented by the Waterloo Climate Institute, “Cultivating Climate Activism Through Storytelling and Art” with Isaac Murdoch.
Even the welcome and introduction were captivating.
Only minutes in and we have a beautiful teaching on the failure of the idea that we have “rights”. A simple and silly improv calling up an audience member demonstrates how different the dynamic becomes when we first claim not our rights to water (or anything) but our responsibilities towards this, or any, aspect of life.
I think Isaac already is showing what an astounding teacher he is.
He honours the audience with the words “we are all Indigenous”, and then explains that despite everyone trying to respond with contradiction when he says that, that he believes we are - we are all of the Earth.
Follows with a heart filling story of giving the same problems to a group of teachers and a group of 6 year olds, and the astounding difference in results - the children went straight from the heart to the solution.
“Is it Climate Change, or is it People Change?”. We need to get past the idea that we’re different. Thinking we have “rights” does not fit in to this time in history. We need to attend to the elders and to the children. Angry adults with broken systems are not fixing harm. Love and action through art are the sacred story. Law, policy, procedure, rules… rights… cannot work without loving all and building each other up.
“We are the medicine. We are the change, we are the remedy.”
Too short a time, but such a beautiful lesson.
And now Elder Myeengun Henry, Isaac Murdoch and Amanda St.Marie are sharing an unscripted panel on stage, prompting each other with questions and stories about their lives with the Earth and experiences with climate change.
The talk has brought around the idea of leading with love. Isaac also says he isn’t talking about activism any more - we are not activists. We are living our lives, protecting our earth, we are moms and dads and children and elders standing up for our children and those to come by saying we have to stop how we are doing things.
Super Bowl reference came up, as this was the message of BadBunny’s show. 🥰
