June is Indigenous History Month, and Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21) is a time all to honour the cultures and contributions of Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit, and Metis).
As I was reflecting on what I wanted to put into this blog, the song “Getting to know You came to mind. It is the one that Julie Andrews sang to the children in “The King and I”
Perhaps some words of the song can apply to our growing relationship with Indigenous peoples. It has been and is a process of “getting to know” each other and “getting to know what to say” when entering into the Indigenous ways of knowing.
June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day in which we honour the Indigenous peoples, Elders and ancestors to commemorate the Indigenous culture, language, land and ways of being.
It was first self-declared Indian Day in 1945, by Jules Sioui and chiefs from across Turtle Island (North America). In 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations) called for the creation of a National Aboriginal Solidarity Day to be celebrated on 21 June.
Sometimes, critics say of the indigenous Peoples that “they need to get over it” when the topic arises about the residential School system, the “60’s scoop”, the missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, 2 spirit, and gender diverse people (MMIWG2S). “Getting over it” is not what it is about. Journeying together, Indigenous and non-Indigenous/settlers through those painful years of history is what it is about.
It is important to remember, not forget what has happened and continues to happen in the unjust treatment of Indigenous peoples.
It is about re-member-ing. And to better understand at a heart level what was done TO the first peoples when the settlers came. We all are called to re-mem-ber that we are one people with diverse ways of being, knowing and enriching each other.
By journeying together in openness, respect, humility, love, truth courage, honesty and wisdom, we can come to a new united people on this land.
Healing must be part of the process of being reconciled, being one.
The colonizer needs to be healed from the shame that exists about what the early colonial ancestors did. Education about the true history of colonial and Indigenous relationships is absolutely necessary, followed by a commitment not to have this treatment repeated.
Many of the First nations Peoples do not even know the truth of their past, because Residential School survivors never spoke of their experience. When the truth is told, there is more of a chance of reconciliation.
The peoples of the 14th and 15th Century, Indigenous and colonizers, were taught by the Doctrine of Discovery, that the first peoples were savages, inferior. They believed it of themselves, and the colonizers were thereby justified in taking the land and resources.
Healing for the Indigenous involves dealing with the anger, sense of loss, frustration, through the various Indigenous ways of healing.
The colonizers also need healing, through education and by ensuring that what was done so cruelly in the 14th century to the present, is never repeated.
Forgiveness is an act of the Creator, where restoration to a new order happens after the victim is able to remember the atrocities, and to choose to move beyond the anger even to a point of forgiveness of the wrongdoer. (see pp. 17-19, 11 in The Ministry of Reconciliation: Spirituality and Strategies by Robert Schreiter, C.PP.S
Once the wronged Indigenous person can forgive, the wrongdoer can be moved to express true sorrow and reshape his/her actions.
So, on this day of honouring the Indigenous peoples of this part of Turtle Island, called Canada, let us embark on a journey together.
For example, some of the opportunities available to us as non-Indigenous, are attending a POW WOW...these are open to the public; visit a friendship Centre; attend webinar or a Teaching and Sharing circle online, visit a reserve in your area.
“Getting to Know You” begins with Education. In the words of former Senator, Murray Sinclair,
“It is education that got us here, and it is education that will get us out.”
-Sister Kathleen Lichti, CSJ