I’ve experienced way too many ‘lasts’ these past couple of weeks: last classes, last visits to my favorite neighborhood, last salsa clubs, last meals of al pastor tacos, and last memories with exchange students that I see as family. It has not been a walk in the park. Every goodbye is not easier than the…Continue Reading Not A Goodbye; But See You Later
It’s been a long week. Maybe the longest so far, but all for good reasons. As I try to make sense of the abundance of experiences, emotions, and relationalities that have been held within this week, the theme of negotiation is woven into many of them. The week started with lectures on Mapuche and Aymara…Continue Reading Negotiation and Reflection
“Mari Mari” means “Hello” in Mapuzungun, the Mapuche indigenous language This week has been a rollercoaster of unexpected emotions. I have cried and laughed in spaces I never imagined and connected with people I would have never met without this opportunity. This week has been a rollercoaster of unexpected emotions. I have cried and laughed in…Continue Reading ‘Mari Mari’
Our third week in Santiago, Chile, began with an amazing set of lectures on Indigenous worldviews and healthcare. These lectures gave us an important overview of the historical and current contexts of the different indigenous groups in Chile, mainly focusing on the two largest groups, the Mapuche and Aymara peoples. On Tuesday, we visited the Museum…Continue Reading Understanding, Education, and Worldviews
This week, we had the privilege of learning about diverse Indigenous groups in Chile in various contexts. These included in the classroom, at traditional Mapunche community houses or Ruka, an Indigenous-led health centre and through our visit to the Ministry of Health. In many ways, the week was emotionally overwhelming and challenging, learning about the…Continue Reading Our Connected Worlds Week 3
Shannon Mihaere. Rangitane o Tamaki nui-a-rua. Ngāti Porou. Ngai Tai ki Tamaki. Waikato-Tainui. Mari Mari Kom pu che – Hello to all the people! First and foremost, I acknowledge the 11 indigenous groups here in Chile whose knowledge systems are of deep importance for the betterment of all peoples and deserves to be considered as…Continue Reading A centring of Mapuche worldviews in healthcare
I acknowledge that the land I stand on is the rightful territory of the Mapuche people. I recognise my position as manuhiri (a visitor) on this land, and write with the intention of honouring the tikanga (protocols) of the Mapuche people. I further recognise the long-lasting effects of colonisation for all Indigenous groups in Chile, and…Continue Reading Toitū te whenua, toitū te tangata
Mari mari from Santiago! This week has felt both grounding and challenging as we visited Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, went hiking in Parque Natural Aguas de Ramón, went rafting in the Andes, learned about ethnicity and health care in Chile, visited the Memory and Human Rights Museum, and attended a field observation to learn…Continue Reading From Viña del Mar to the Andes
This past week has been very full-on but equally inspiring and enlightening! We started off the week with a class on One Health, which is an approach of attaining sustainability and balance of health through the idea that the health of humans, animals, plants, nature, and ecosystems are intrinsically interconnected. This approach was very interesting…Continue Reading Exploring Chilean Healthcare, Culture, History, People, and Nature
Another week in the heat of Santiago as we delve deeper into learning about the Chilean health system! This week, we took our learning outside of the classroom and immersed ourselves in various settings connected to well-being. After a seminar on health, we visited the huerta (vegetable garden) on the San Joaquin campus. At the…Continue Reading Beyond the Classroom