Allyship and towards being a Good Relative

Being an ally is about disrupting oppressive spaces by educating others on the realities and histories of marginalized people. An ally acknowledges that building relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people is work of the heart. It requires a certain humbling to allow our hearts and minds to accept new, and often challenging, information. Indigenous ways of knowing are relational and are based on the equal distribution of power in the pursuit of maintaining balance. The embodied philosophy of being accountable to “all of my relations,” which extends to all living energies, is why Indigenous peoples were so successful in their environment prior to colonization. We still strive for balance today. Indigenous Elders and community members envision true allies as those who are actively committed to changing systems of oppression by being a good relative.