Maskwa Maskihkey Napew nitsigason.  

My name is Bear Medicine Man. Ochi niya Saskatoon—I am from Saskatoon. I give thanks for living and working on the unceded lands of the BC territories. David Arnault is my government name. I am the Indigenous Wellness Lead for Community Builders.

It is my honour to support residents across our building sites and to help them reconnect to culture, as well as helping staff see the Wellness Model through an Indigenous lens.

I want to say a few things about Truth and Reconciliation Day.  

The history of colonization and residential schools has never been more apparent in our society than the current ways government and organizations are bringing awareness to the lasting effects of inter-generational trauma, loss of culture, language, family and, inevitably, self-identity.

I recently took a resident to a Sweat Lodge ceremony. We prayed, laughed, and shared tears during the ceremony, talked openly and freely about the people and the ways of our medicine. It did not go unnoticed that during the times of colonization, these very same actions of practicing our ways was illegal—if caught we could have been hanged for treason against Canada.  

I'm going to turn my focus in another direction: the reason for Truth and Reconciliation. As of May 2022, the number of identified children of Indigenous ancestry who died in residential schools was 4,130. These are identified victims, and don’t include those buried in unmarked, undiscovered graves, so the numbers are much greater than that. It's the children who were lost, taken away from their families and homes and brought to a strange place, who suffered horrible conditions and abuse. This suffering was passed on to their children and future generations.  

Growing up, I was never taught my language. My mom made the hard choice with advice from my mushum (or grandpa) that I would survive and be better able to succeed if English was my only language. I have only recently at age 50 started a Nehiyaw language class—Cree, my traditional language.  

During this class and reclamation of what was lost in my family, I came across the knowledge that my people do not have a word for child, or baby. We use the word awasis, which translates to Being of Light Gifted to us by Creator.

For Truth and Reconciliation Day, I ask you to think of this word and to make an effort to face some of the hard truths in our country’s history and the histories of the Indigenous people you and I support.  

I have made my own effort not to downgrade the day itself to “Orange Shirt Day”, and to review the 99 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, to spend the day with my daughter, Juniper, and to attend a few events so she can learn and be present in honour of the ones who lost their lives for being—a Being of Light, a gift.

I cannot tell you how to honour this day. That is your journey. But for Truth and Reconciliation in action, ask yourself: am I wearing this orange shirt to fit in, or am I learning and sharing with others the ugly truths to make Canada a better place to live for everyone?

Ekosi, that is all.

Kananskomitin. Thank you.

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