- This topic has 2 voices and 3 replies.
-
Posts
-
Today in Ottawa, on unceeded Algonquin lands, was a speaking event. To mark the end of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Canada. The commission has been working for the past six years investigating Canada’s former residential school system. From the 1880s to the 1990s Canada operated a system that lead to widespread abuse of aboriginal youths. Children taken from their parents and communities forced to not speak their language or practice their culture.
The commission documented all manor of abuse; emotional, physical, sexual. Even electric chairs, starvation experiments, 6000+ documented deaths and likely many more. The head justice described it as “cultural genocide”. Overcoming that legacy is key for things to move forward in Canada. There has been much truth telling and a true understanding of what reconciliaiton means can perhaps now immerge. The healing that people are trying to bring forth is something we all need.
Residential school survivor Edward Metatawabin read from his book, talked about his experiences, and answered questions from the standing room crowd. He is a teacher and leads two week raft trips for kids on the Fort Albany First Nation on James Bay. The Ottawa Quakers alerted me to the event for whom this is a core issue. I brought my sister, a former student of the other speaker Armand Ruffo. Armand read from his book on Norval Morrisseau, a residential school survivor, and very popular Canadian artist. He spoke about his experiences with him and also read from a book of poems each written about a specific painting.
From: http://face-siem.com/legacy-the-controversial-art-of-norval-morrisseau
Norval Morrisseau was born in 1931 in Fort William, known today as part of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and as was customary, his maternal grandparents raised him. His grandfather Potan taught him Anishinabe traditions and legends, and seeded a passionate desire within Morrisseau to preserve these traditions of his people. At age seven Morrisseau entered into a government-mandated residential school program, where he experienced physical, mental and sexual abuses. At age thirteen he did not return to school, and instead, he became a student of his grandfather’s traditional teachings. Around this time Morrisseau first exhibited the alcoholic tendencies that burdened him later in life.
Family by Norval Morrisseau 1931-2007
Armand spoke about the events and contradictions of Norval’s life, as a survivor of abuse and as a hugely influential painter. About how he treated money and the value he gave to the medicine way teachings of his grandfather. He talked about how Norval was fincancially a very succesful artist by 1962, and that he was giving all the money away. He spoke about the shamanic traditions he learned from his grandfather and how his art was an expression of that. He also noted the many ways in which Norval’s story is the story of a generation.
This stood out to me as I see parallels with my grandparents. My grandmother who passed Blackfoot history to me was taken to a “home” at age eight along with her two younger sisters. Her maternal grandfather who passed the Blackfoot history to her, was hit by a car and died at 56 years old before she got out. She spoke little of the Indiana “home” until later in life when she suffered with Alzheimers. The experiences at the “home” were among the last she remembered.
The work of the commission has been important for many. For me it helps makes sense of the intergenerational trauma in my family. My experiences are an emotional placeholder that helpes me absorb these teachings. For that I give thanks.
Thanks for sharing. I visited Manitoulin Island several years ago and follow Idle No More on Facebook.
Techteach
That’s encouraging to hear. Idle No More has had a strong presence here in Ottawa over the last few years. Particularly when Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence did her hunger strike on Victoria Island.
Victoria Island is a small island in the Ottawa river near the Canadian Supreme Court and Parliament. The Chaudiere Falls near the island are a traditional sacred spot for the Anishinaabe. The vision of the late Kitigan-Zibi Chief William Commanda, was to utilize this island for a healing and peace building center. Although he has passed, the next generations are working towards this. The Ottawa Quakers are among those working towards realizing his vision.
I work very close to this island and bike over it every day. During the Truth and Reconciliation events they have been having sunrise ceremony and a sacred fire burning on the island. I can smell the fire when I bike past. It is a refreshing smell in the middle of downtown. Events continue until tomorrow and are listed on the Idle No More site: http://www.idlenomore.ca/may_29_ottawa_time_for_reconciliation_kairos_gathering. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission website is http://trc.ca
Manitoulin Island always puts me in mind of Gitche Manitou (Great Spirit in Anishinaabe). Gitche Manitou and megweetch (thank you) are words I have already taught my 3-year old daughter. In the Tutelo-Saponi language group on Facebook I have seen Wakonta billahuk (Thank you Great Spirit in Tutelo). This I am teaching to my daughters as well. To me there is no word more important than thanks, and no more important work than rebuilding our lost family culture.
We attended the powwow on Manitoulin Island. The entrance took forever, but it was beautiful with regalia I had never seen before. Then presentations took so long, and the weather did not cooperate, so we missed dancing. I loved the island’s Native American museum. We watched for inukshuk on the island and then spent our free time building our own out of gravel in the campground. That was fun.
Techteach
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
