Page 16 - A Rotinonhsyón:ni Representation of the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession

ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TEACHERS
Artist’s Understanding of the Ethical
Standard of Respect
Reflect on the following description of the artist’s painting depicting the ethical standard of Respect and then respond to the professional inquiry questions:
Artist’s Statement - the Ethical Standard of Respect
Intrinsic to the ethical standard of Respect are trust and fair-mindedness. Members honour human dignity, emotional wellness and cognitive development. In their professional practice, they model respect for spiritual and cultural values, social justice, confidentiality, freedom, democracy and the environment.
In the teachings of the Great Peace, a white pine was uprooted and all weapons of war were thrown into the pit where an underground river carried them away forever.
The white pine is a symbol of Peace, Power and the Good-Mind. The white pine grows the tallest and stays green year round showing that Peace does not rest. The White Roots of Peace travel to the four directions with the promise that any person who seeks Peace can follow one of the roots and find protection under that tree.
Within this framework Peace is defined as a healthy mind and a healthy body. These are attached to emotional wellness and cognitive development. Power is defined as unity. Unity honours human dignity and cultural values. The Good-Mind is sometimes described as Righteousness. This component includes compassion and fairness, which can also be called social justice.
The ‘weapons’ that were thrown into that pit is a metaphor for anything harmful; images that we see/display, words we hear/speak. Together, Peace, Power and Good-mindedness represent the teachings of the Great Peace, the Indigenous law of these shores and are based on honouring human dignity.
Artist Elizabeth Doxtater
A Rotinonhsyón:ni Representation of the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession
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