"When we meet today, this is not a meet and greet at this workshop. We are in relationship with each other for the rest of our lives." ~ Emma Rawson-Te Patu
A simple and profound expression of openness and interconnectedness that I heard today at the Salzburg Global Seminar and RWJF's workshop on transforming health research knowledge systems for equity.
This resonates deeply with how we perceive time—whether linear or nonlinear—and how that perception influences our understanding of culture, relationships, and even problem-solving.
In a linear view of time, which dominates much of Western thought, life is seen as a series of events—past, present, future—progressing in one direction. This conditioning leads us to approach problems as obstacles to solve quickly and move past, focusing on forward momentum and "fixing" what is broken.
However, many Indigenous cultures embrace a nonlinear sense of time, where the past, present, and future coexist in a cyclical, interconnected way. Here, relationships, challenges, and solutions are seen as ongoing processes that evolve, shaped by layers of history, context, and collective memory. This approach encourages patience, reflection, and the understanding that solutions often emerge slowly, through relationships and repeated engagement.
Emma’s words reminded me that we are always in relationship—whether with each other or with the problems we aim to solve. This nonlinear approach to time and relationships has profound implications for how we consider equity and sustainability in our work.
How might we rethink our approach to time and problem-solving to better integrate these perspectives?
(Thx to Déline Petrone for scribing this for us as well!)
#IndigenousKnowledge #TimePerception #CulturalUnderstanding #SustainableSolutions #EquityInHealth #IndigenousExperience