wahinkpe topa (2)

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My first recorded FearTalk #1 (2018), with Four Arrows (Wahinkpe Topa, aka Dr. Don T. Jacobs) was the first opportunity to talk with an Indigenous-based scholar and activist-educator about the topic of fear and fearlessness. We got into talking about "aesthetics of fear" as perhaps a better alternative (more Indigenous) way to understand fear. Take a listen to this spontaneous dialogue. 

My second recorded FearTalk #12 (2021) with Four Arrows. In this talk we both again arrive back and remember "Indigenizing & Fearlessnessizing" --independently, and collectively, as a fundamental way to carry forward education for all in the 21st century. There is no other educator who is open and so progressive to want to address this topic with me, and excitingly we are going to do our 3rd FearTalk on this in the next few days, so stay tuned. 

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Note: for those who want to read up on Indigenizing and Fearlessnessizing by Four Arrows and myself, brought specifically into dialogue and critique with the field of Critical Pedagogy, go to: 

Four Arrows & Fisher, R. M. (2020). Section V Indigenous ways of knowing. In S. R. Steinberg & B. Down (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of critical pedagogies Vol. 2 (pp.547-49). SAGE. 

Fisher, R. M., & Four Arrows (2020). Indigenizing conscientization and critical pedagogy: Integrating Nature, Spirit and Fearlessness as foundational concepts. In S. R. Steinberg & B. Down (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of critical pedagogies Vol. 2 (pp.551-60). SAGE. 

 

 

 

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Four Arrows (Wahinkpe Topa) aka Dr. Don T. Jacobs (a longtime member of FM ning and cultural warrior), gives a really useful interview (video) on his work, which I see as part of fearlessness path and its connection to re-visionist (corrective) Education today and the survival of this planet's ecosystems. He says, "I want to be human"... and he defines that in a very unique way in regard to the relationship with "hope" for change of this world and its hegemonic Dominant worldview--as he offers a 'reading' of a universal Indigenous worldview (sometimes called Kinship worldview)-- as a solution to our current crises on mass scales. The Indigenous worldview is based not on a fear-based cosmology and value-system--and, that's really important to note. He talks about decolonization and Indigenization as processes of re-socialization and re-education on a mass scale and how 'turning' things around from the current status quo is near impossible but that doesn't mean we ought not do what we can to "be human" in the midst of this tragedy and rather 'hope-less' situation in terms of actual outcomes of our work to liberate ourselves and come to our Natural-based (place-based) intelligence--or what he has called "primal awareness." He also says so interesting things on hypnosis and de-hypnosis in this regard of bringing change and transformation about. 

Note: at the 1:04:00 mark in the interview. Four Arrows is talking about the "mysteriousing" of existence, rather than a noun for "god"--the former being the Indigenous way. He says, it is this in touchness with the mysteriousing that is "getting in touch with that fearlessness around death" and he concludes: "I have never met a traditional Indigenous person who has a fear of death...[or] fear of life." 

For a concise write up on Four Arrows' Indigenous-based worldview on fear and fearlessness, go to:

https://coachesevolve.com/moving-from-fear-to-fearlessness-by-four-arrows/

 

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