I felt held and supported. I really felt that the elders wanted us to learn and expand our hearts and minds. ( Field school participant)

Preparation:

Participants described various levels of preparation and unpreparedness, and advantages and disadvantages to both.

The take-home lesson is to be prepared to come with an open heart and open mind. Be willing to not only experience cultural humility but also recognize your own naivety.

Many people who are participants have described how they thought they were prepared, they thought they were doing a good job of learning about the truth and reconciliation, and committing to their own process of decolonization. What the field school offered them was another level of personal transformation and self-awareness.

Surprises for some participants – everyone experiences everything differently.

• Being open and flexible with the expectations about time, learning to live with a different pace, the value of being able to slow down and reflect, and, for some, how tired this made them feel.

• Being willing to be vulnerable with others and themselves, feeling the effects of personal transformation, and, for some, feeling uncomfortable with how the unknowing and the vulnerability made them feel.

• Experiencing personal growth and healing. Many described this as a process that they didn’t even realize they needed and didn’t expect. It is described as a reconnection to their authentic self and their values. This led to a deep commitment and to take action within both their professional and personal lives to live more authentically and, as Paul Willie teaches, “ to choose Love over Fear”.

• Feeling the generosity of the community, the sense of belonging, and caring. Feeling like they don’t have enough to give back to the community for what they received.