Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day.

I’m thinking of the history of the Indigenous, Inuit and Metis peoples of Turtle Island. As a Nehiyaw, or Cree Man, history has not been a kind thing to review or go over. Colonization, Residential Schools...the story is well known. I am challenged and will speak from the heart; history is in the past, and the loss of culture and connection is apparent in the residents Community Builders supports. The question is: What are we doing now to make sure the past doesn’t happen again?

Indigenous Cultural Wellness has made it a goal for residents to engage in events like ceremonies, workshops, elder teachings and daily smudge/prayer. We’ve also made it a goal to include staff and managers in these events. You’ve been invited to come as you are, no matter your background, which is the spirit we need to move forward.  

Tsleil-Waututh knowledge keeper and Sun Dance Chief Rueben George speaks of the concept of One Heart, One Mind. He means we are all connected across Turtle Island. Our responsibilities to acknowledge this month are as varied as each Community Builder team member. I can’t tell you what or how to go about your journey and learning. I can say that attending ceremony, volunteering and speaking to the Indigenous people of our housing sites and in the community has given me better insight in to how to honour this National Indigenous History Month. For me, this means being present and ready to learn, and respecting the protocols and traditions in a kind and gentle way.

You may have seen some of the Indigenous participants and staff wear the first run of Indigenous Cultural Wellness t-shirts. The design has two feathers over a four-colour medicine wheel. These four sacred colours are from the Lakota teachings of the peoples of Mother Earth and represent the four directions. It's taught that when one part or colour is missing from the wheel, the circle is broken. Plains Cree use the word Sakihitowin (sa-ghee-hit-oh-win) for love, which is its own circle that contains yourself, your family and community. Acknowledging that one of these parts is missing is seen as the first step to repairing your circle.

This month, our responsibility as people on this land is to acknowledge, learn and share the histories and cultures of Indigenous People in Canada. An elder recently told me that to better understand one another, we should look for similarities, not differences. I try to do this to form the connections that were lost in history and to build a new history.

One Heart, One Mind.

Maskwa Maskihkey Napew

David Arnault

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