The Afro News, Vancouver Canada
The word ‘root’ has many different meanings; a common explanation is being the part of a plant or tree that is below the surface. In other words; the root of a healthy living plant or tree is never seen or exposed to the light, it is almost always buried in soil in a dark moist place where it forms the foundation and supplies the nourishment for the other parts of the plant or tree.
Likewise, in today’s mixed and diverse society of culture and creed the ‘root’ of a human being is not always exposed, it too is buried well below the surface and it also forms the foundation of a human being’s characteristics and culture. Only if we choose to dig deep and expose our roots do we then understand who we truly are!
In a recent interview with Dr. Rudolf Reimer/Yumks, PhD, Associate Professor, SFU-Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Archeology and Department of First Nations Studies, we asked him to talk about his root and the impact on his life in the Canadian Indigenous Culture.
Dr. Reimer ‘s lineage is that he has a German Father and a Squamish Nation Mother. Growing up as a young lad he spent time with his Grand Fathers of both cultures and learnt much about the lineage he inherited. His German Grand Father was drafted into World War II while his Squamish Nation Grand Father was a volunteer fighter. Dr. Reimer grew up on the Reserve and worked with his Grand Father who taught him the history and the survival practices of his Indigenous Ancestry. He learnt how to do traditional net fishing. From an early age and with the teaching he received, he was able to identify who he is, by name and nation, he knows his family history.
While there are many people today who are searching for their ancestral identity so that they can determine where their traits and characteristics come from; we learnt from Dr. Reimer that knowing who you are in his culture is an important part of everyday living and is engrained into you from an early age.
If we know who we are, and our root is exposed we can then conquer much in life. Dr. Rudolf Reimer also faced the perils of life as an Indigenous Canadian; but he chose to rise above the status quo. He had an interest in Geology and Anthropology and did his qualifying studies at Capilano College and Langara College. After doing a couple of field studies one in Fort Langley, BC and the other in Kenya, East Africa he took a greater interest in Archeology and followed this path for the remainder of his university years. He did his undergraduate studies, Bachelor of Science Degree at Simon Fraser University and completed his PhD Degree at McMaster University.
Working in the field of Archeology and First Nations Studies, has kept Dr. Reimer very connected to his roots and the lessons and stories that he heard from his Grand Father those many years ago is a testament and come full circle as he is the one who now tells the stories and teaches the lessons to those who want to know more and learn about Canadian Indigenous History and Culture.
In a publication titled Being and Becoming Indigenous Archaeologists by George P. Nicholas, Dr. Reimer stated the following:
My English name is Rudy Reimer; my Squamish Nation ancestral name is Yumks. I carry these names with the pride of my ancestors and the cultures from which they came. Located near Vancouver, Squamish Nation territory includes all the lands and waters that drain into False Creek, Burrard Inlet, Indian Arm, and Howe Sound from the numerous landmarks of our sacred lands. I am a member of the Squamish Nation and have been working in archaeology for fifteen years. I am interested in the archaeology of the Northwest Coast, Plateau, and sub-Arctic regions of western Canada. In particular; I study cultural landscapes, place names, oral history, lithic technology and lithic sources, pre-contact settlement and subsistence patterns, and past, present, and future First Nations and provincial land-use and resource-management planning. In all these areas of research, I endeavor to increase the involvement of First Nations peoples in the methodology and theoretical development of archaeology. From my Squamish Nation background, I have learned that names are carried on behalf of families when they’ve determined you are suitable to take on the responsibility of upholding an ancestral name. By doing so, you carry that name in high regard and give it meaning by your actions and behavior. I do this by expressing my cultural background in archaeology, which is influenced by my experiences of the landscape that I am part of. I gain understanding of the archaeological record by learning about the place-names and oral history associated with places and the meanings they hold.
To introduce myself in this manner is to do things right. Now that you know who I am and where I come from, I can relate to you in an appropriate manner that we can all respect.
Furthermore, and simply portrayed; that if we are only known by our name and not exposed by our roots we will never be able to cultivate the lineage and history of our ancestral mission and purpose!
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Canada True Reconciliation
Original Published 12th October 2018
First Nations Art
