Amazon Field School - ARTS 3100

Students visit traditional malokas (long houses), hear a shaman speak, and interact with local Indigenous peoples as they carry out their daily activities. Many examples could be shared, but one particular standout includes: we had an Indigenous student enrolled in the Amazon Field School. While we were paddling through the flooded Amazon forests, she spontaneously burst into song. Although I did not understand the words, as they were in her own language, I felt it to be an honouring of this place, an expression of gratitude for being there, and a gift offered in reciprocation for this profound experience. Hearing this student sing from her heart and soul while paddling through the canopy of trees is something I will never forget.