Introduction (2.5 minutes)

Welcome once again to the noticing exercise, this part is a continuation of the exploration of how there is a legacy to racism that continues to perpetuate patterns and outcomes in many facets of society. The focus of part 2 is on “noticing” the stories of the past that have shaped the places and spaces around you.

As a reminder, being actively anti-racist requires both external and internal awareness and reflection.

Systemic racism goes deeper than the overt incidents that we see and hear about. It is encoded in the way our infrastructure, communities, and institutions have been built. We are inviting you to notice how racism may be embedded in these spaces around you that often not noticed. Being able to recognize these patterns around you, and even within yourself, is an important capacity of anti-racism. This noticing activity is intended to provide an opportunity to reflect and recognize how these patterns and outcomes are likely to be evident around you.

Another aspect of the activity is to encourage you to engage with the land and the natural world as a source of connection and energy that can be overlooked and dismissed as part of an anti-racism practice. Transforming our relationship with the natural world will offer you opportunities and insights that can be applied to transforming the systems of oppression that surround us.

Before you begin you may want to grab something to capture any reflections that come up, a smart phone will work.

Now that you have a sense of the purpose of the noticing activity, let’s begin!

Part Two - Stories of the Past (7 minutes)

Welcome to part two of the noticing activity. Once again, let’s start by taking a few deep breaths to try to clear your mind and find a feeling of relaxation.

Once you’ve done this, let’s begin our journey.

As you begin, start to consider the following questions.

What season is it? What is the temperature? How is your body reacting to it?

What senses are being activated for you? What are they perceiving?

This time we are going to focus on noticing the stories of the past that you may be able to observe around you. When we think about the stories of the past, what do you notice around you about who is telling the stories and what is still visible from the past? How about the stories that appear to be missing? Whose past seems to be worth remembering?

Are there certain names of neighbourhoods or of streets or of buildings that seem to focus on certain past stories?

Does the present you are in represent the diversity of the past? How much do you know about these stories and what would you like to know more about?

Take a moment to check in? How have you felt during this experience so far? Have you been relaxed, anxious, interested, or confused? What has contributed to your experience?

Are there any sensations, emotions, impulses, and thoughts?

Let’s continue.

Have you considered or thought about what the past purposes of the land may have been? What are the signs of how the land has been impacted by human activity over the years?

Have you considered what it might have been like before the land you were on was colonized? How might you find out more about the early and even pre-contact history of this land?

What plants or animals seem to be missing? How has human activity shapes the natural world around you?

As we come to the end of part two, take a moment to complete your experience by checking in. Are there any times that you felt tense? Any emotions or thoughts that you had?

Take a few moments to take some deep breaths and think about what is sticking with you? What are you more curious about, and anything you want to explore further. Notice how your body feels.

You can write any observations and insights down and continue to use them as a guide for yourself on the things you want to do and learn next.

Again feel free to return to this activity more than once and in other locations. Use it to explore the world around you and where you can learn more and how your body and emotions react to discovering new truths and even where you deepened and expanded your awareness and consciousness about the spaces around you.