--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the European tradition, rivers are…" description: "\"In the European tradition, rivers are seen as divisions between peoples. But in the Aboriginal tradition, rivers are seen as the glue, the highway, the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/john-ralston-saul-3128_aboriginal_in-the-european-tradition-rivers-are-see_226691.jpg" --- # In the European tradition, rivers are seen as divisions… ![“In the European tradition, rivers are seen as divisions between peoples. But in the Aboriginal tradition, rivers are seen as the glue, the highway, the linkage between people, not the separation. And that's the history of Canada: our rivers and lakes were our highways.” quote by John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/john-ralston-saul-3128_aboriginal_in-the-european-tradition-rivers-are-see_226691.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/john-ralston-saul-3128_aboriginal_in-the-european-tradition-rivers-are-see_226691.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10d/john-ralston-saul-3128_aboriginal_in-the-european-tradition-rivers-are-see_226691.jpg) > “In the European tradition, rivers are seen as divisions between peoples. But in the Aboriginal tradition, rivers are seen as the glue, the highway, the linkage between people, not the separation. And that's the history of Canada: our rivers and lakes were our highways.” [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Indigenous peoples view rivers as connectors linking communities, contrasting with European views of rivers as borders. **In simple terms:** Rivers unite people in Indigenous cultures. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect Indigenous perspectives on land. Themes culture identity environment colonialism indigenous knowledge Mood reflective inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical cultural educational When to use this quote - Urban planning - environmental policy - education curricula - community building Key Concepts Ecology social geography historical narrative Questions to Reflect On - How can modern infrastructure honor Indigenous river meanings? - What changes are needed in land‑use planning? A Different Perspective Indigenous views may be overlooked in mainstream policy making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aboriginal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aboriginal/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) ## Related quotes > [When I dig around in the roots of how we imagine ourselves, how we govern, how we live together in communities - how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/when-i-dig-around-in-the-roots-of-how-we-imagine-ourselves-how-we/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [One of the things non-aboriginal Canadians learned from aboriginal people over the last 400 years is you don't have to be one thing. 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Only a sailor can set them straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/ten-geographers-who-think-the-world-is-flat-will-tend-to-reinforce/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Dictionary - opinion expressed as truth in alphabetical order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/dictionary-opinion-expressed-as-truth-in-alphabetical-order/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) [Explore all 139 John Ralston Saul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## More Aboriginal quotes > [I won the seat of Oxley largely on an issue that has resulted in me being called a racist. 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