Integration.
“Our transient culture can move more conveniently than ever before and it seems like this ease has diminished the necessity of discovering what it means to live somewhere well.”
As I move into two weeks of spring break it is abundantly clear to me that I have minimal knowledge of the land I'm currently occupying. In the Lakeland region, I was aware of where I was and could visualize myself on a map in most areas. Currently, there is only a small bubble around Whitehorse where I am capable of doing that, which is unsettling.
During my time off I hope to familiarize myself with this vast territory so that I may better understand the geography, ecology and people. The conversations I've had with others indicate that the process of learning about the essence of this place is almost entirely overlooked. Our transient culture can move more conveniently than ever before and it seems like this ease has diminished the necessity of discovering what it means to live somewhere well. The irony is that information is more accessible than ever with the internet and various virtual avenues of communication.
After six months of living here, crossing paths with locals is a lot more difficult than I anticipated. Most of the people I engage with are other transplants from other provinces who are equally oblivious to the local knowledge. This is where Indigenous voices are invaluable in that they traditionally carry unparalleled wisdom of how to competently integrate into the land. I am encouraged by the frequent acknowledgment of the traditional land we walk through or recreate on. Going into the next six months, I hope to build relationships with folks who have an integrated and embodied knowledge of what a whole life in the Yukon can look like.
