What is a system? Ani to pisi

Systems thinking and complexity are not new concepts.

They are ways to describe how different parts of an ecosystem connect to one another and how they are continually shaped and reshaped by these interrelationships. This holistic and relational way of being has existed for millennia. While we often discuss concepts that Western systems thinkers have explored in recent decades, it is essential to recognize that Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island and around the globe are the original systems thinkers.

For instance, Siksika Elder Roy Bear Chief tells the story of Ani to pisi (spiderweb), gifted to him by his late older brother, Clement. A disturbance anywhere on the web creates vibrations that reverberate throughout the entire web. When we feel these vibrations, we are meant to respond - to go and help. Ani to pisi reminds us that we are all interconnected. Elder Roy Bear Chief recently brought this teaching to life at Mount Royal University in the form of a human spider web on September 21, 2023 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. If you’d like to see photos and read more about it, you can do so here.

Photo credit: Robert Anasch