Hello, and welcome to my “About Me!”
I was lucky enough to be born and raised in Burns Lake, British Columbia on the traditional territories of the Wet’suwet’en Yintikh, the Stellat’en, and the Dënéndeh Nations. Here I was fortunate to be exposed to the education of many local Elders, as well as other members of the community with interests in and passions for human interconnectedness. This nurtured and developed an already deeply instilled passion in myself, which focused itself on cultural awareness, and the dissemination of understanding/acceptance of one another as humans. Growing up in Burns Lake also exposed me to the devastating effects of colonization, racism, and the dark history which has been largely written out of the narrative until very recently. Having a lifetime of opportunity to directly observe the impacts of trauma in multiple facets, extending from individual to intergenerational has partnered with my empathic nature to produce an intense focus on being an individual whom can not only relate to, but guide the individual through the healing journey; employing strategies of acceptance, emotional regulation, trust rebuilding, and personal enrichment through self-care and self-growth.
When I graduated from Lakes District Secondary School, I began my education at the University of Northern British Columbia, situated on the unceded traditional territories of the Lheidli T’enneh, in Prince George, British Columbia. I have been very fortunate to complete a bachelors degree focusing on Archaeology/Anthropology, with a minor focus on English Literature. The archaeological component of my degree was heavily focused on community based research, cultural repatriation, and constructing a scientifically proven archaeological record corroborating local oral histories. I worked alongside Dr. Farid Rahemtulla for many courses, including a field school which took place at Smokehouse Island, near Rainbow Alley on Babine Lake, B.C. This field school has been an ongoing project taking place over several years, organized in partnership between Dr. Rahemtulla and Fort Babine. My work included excavation, classification/identification of floral/faunal/lithic remains, community outreach/discussion, as well as piloting one of the boats to and from the island. The amalgamation of my archaeological experience has informed my interest in the relationship between cultural understanding and the self a great deal, and I plan to draw from this knowledge extensively in my educational journey.
My focuses in the anthropological component of my degree were primarily in: the uses of entheogenic medicines, spiritual/religious lifeways and worldviews, linguistics and interpretation, and theory… lots of theory. A historical analysis of anthropological theory has had two primary consequences on my educational journey thus far. One, it has advised me a great deal on the mistakes, and lapses in judgement common to “armchair” anthropologists of the past, and two, it has emphasized the importance of maintaining an inductive approach cultural understanding, awareness, and research. Consequently, I have maintained a focus on the importance of acknowledging relativity and the complex layers it creates in societal understanding. Medical anthropology allowed me to explore my interest in various medical worldviews, developing an understanding of the importance of “belief” in medicine, especially when concerning mental health. Linguistics has allowed me to evaluate the significance of language and the self, engaging with research regarding topics such as the arbitrary nature of the sign. These experiences have enriched my understanding of the significant need for an individual-based approach when concerning ideas like healing from trauma, etc. I feel like the research I have done thus far, and continue to do in an anthropological capacity better prepares my ability to teach, share, and learn in a trauma-informed manner with students and colleagues.
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I am fascinated by the various world-views, lifeways, histories, and traditions of peoples from every corner of the planet; and I truly believe that one of the most important things that I can do as an educator is to do my part in facilitating the potential avenues of discovery and interconnectedness available to future students. I believe that fostering the relationships produced between learners, and educators of every capacity willing to share their knowledge, is quintessential to the path of healing, and rebuilding of community.
Another core component of my pursuits in the Education System is to work closely with victims and survivors of trauma. Very broadly, I have a particular interest in the relationship between trust, and the ability to learn.
I intend to continue on in the footsteps of the educators and role models who I had the privilege of learning from, and to do my part in contributing and continuing to learn from the community I am becoming a part of.
Ryan