Maria Montejo was in our episode to help us understand the many nuances of Indigenous knowledges and epistemologies. From animal spirits and nature, she embarks us on a journey of respect to mother earth and other living and non-living creatures. She describes the presence of a Spiritual intelligence as a way to connect through life to a deeper understanding of who we are in convergence with all elements of nature. She posits that humans would not be able to truly understand others unless we go through a process of healing the trauma and pain of our past experiences.

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Biography:

Maria Montejo (Deer clan) is a member of the Mam Jakaltec/Popti (Mayan) community of Indigenous people who reside in the Xajla territory of Guatemala. Many years ago, Maria and her family came to Canada as refugees and settled in Toronto. Maria works to introduce Canadians to the basic knowledge of the worldview of Indigenous Peoples, as well as their spiritual and cultural values. In addition to her formal schooling, Maria has been mentored from a young age by various Elders, Medicine people and Traditional Teachers on Turtle Island and from Central and South America. Maria has had the privilege of being exposed and participating in various ceremonies and traditional cultural practices that have fueled her passion to develop programming that will bridge the Newtonian/allopathic model of wellness and an Indigenous/multi-dimensional approach.

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Cite this podcast (APA):

Ortega, Y. (Producer). (2021, February 10). CES5E3 – Indigenous Knowledges. https://soundcloud.com/chasingencounters/ces5e3-indigenous-knowledges

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Sources:

https://ncct.on.ca/programs/dodem-kanonhsa/

http://accessola2.com/SC2016/speaker/maria-montejo/