Te Wahine Atamai

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Chapter One of “As We Have Always Done”

I absolutely loved this piece “Nishnaabeg Brilliance As Radical Resurgence Theory.” It was easy to read and Simpson beautifully articulated her thoughts in a way that I felt like I could relate to and understand. I loved her description of Paul (the researcher) as a “holder of space,” and think that this is a great way to approach our work as researchers. Despite Paul not being an “insider,” I think we, as Indigenous researchers, can and should apply this idea of holding space, not dictating and determining outcomes, but opening up a space and allowing the mana of Indigenous peoples, ideas and worldview to carry the wānanga.

Furthermore, I felt connected to Simpson’s articulation of Coulthard’s “grounded normativity” in the sense that it highlights and encourages us, as Indigenous peoples, to reclaim our embedded systems of ethics and authority, that is our relationship to whenua, to whakapapa, and to our whānau in our everyday lives. Something I have sat with for a while has been my yearning to return to my whenua, Mangaia, to live and be there for a season with my family. My desire is to learn, to be, to connect and to contribute in a way that is meaningful for my people, my family and for myself internally. Simpson’s writing inspires to not let go of this dream, but to allow that burning desire to not only continue, but to grow and expand – eventually leading me back to the whenua, as Hau’ofa states, “to which I belong.”