The Importance of Being Uncomfortable and Unfinished

Abstract

Our initial intention was to outline the structure of an entity, the Bear Healing Lodge, within the Faculty of Nursing at MacEwan University. This structure was created out of the Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action. However, as we engaged in critical discussions we realized that who we were becoming as persons, as we unpacked out privilege and power, was invaluable and informative to prepare us for authentic allyship and partnership. We realized that outcomes and endings were not the end goals, but being uncomfortable and unfinished were necessary for the creation of an ethical space for members to engage in decolonization of self. Authentic allyship and partnership must fundamentally be relational, create a brave space for vulnerability, and stimulate a shift in paradigms for multiple perspectives. We have humbly offered learning intentions, as solution-oriented perspectives, for others to learn which may lead to positive change.