Invited to the table

During the mid 1600s the colonisation of Indigenous North Americans was in full swing. Then after about 320 years, there was a shift in paradigm, and Anglo-Americans representing their governments and institutions began to invite Indigenous people to their table; the idea being that there might be something to learn from what Indigenous people had to say. It is thus interesting to note that once invited to the table, those who made the invitation were never quite patient enough to really hear the message that was being learned.

…we are still treated as if we do not know our own business and must therefore be either led or told what to do.

On those occasions when we find ourselves at a table of our own making within Anglo created institutions, there are times when we are subjected to people coming to our table only to walk away before our story has fully been told, which many times is due to finding Indigenous paradigms too different from their own.


I would hope that those who would seek to invite indigenous people to their tables can also see merit in not interfering or becoming judgemental when Indigenous people create environments that we can see as culturally proper. I would also hope that when people are invited to come to such places of learning they will sit at our tables and be able to hear the lessons to be learned.

Stephen Greymorning
Arapaho Indian and University Professor