Steps toward ReconciliACTION
In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, our staff participated in a smudging ceremony, led by Foundation board member, Stollery mom, member of the Enoch Cree Nation and elected Councillor, Amanda Morin.
Smudging is a powerful spiritual practice that brings communities closer to the Creator – it’s a tradition that has survived despite colonization and continues to be an essential part of Indigenous cultures. It involves burning specific herbs, most commonly sage, cedar or sweetgrass, to create a purifying smoke that is used to cleanse and purify the mind, body and spirit, restore balance and create a sense of renewal.
Traditionally, women would wear ribbon skirts – a sacred garment that ties a woman to the land, her creator, identity and her place in Indigenous society as a woman. It’s also a symbol of resilience and perseverance. Our female staff were invited to wear long skirts to reaffirm what we know ourselves to be.Amanda walked around the circle, allowing us to smudge ourselves with the smoke from burnt sage. As our team finished our smudging ceremony, Amanda led us through a sharing circle, giving us the opportunity to connect with ourselves and each other.
In Indigenous culture, it is customary to offer gifts to someone who is offering their time or talents for your benefit – common offerings include tobacco, prints and ribbon. We offered Amanda tobacco wrapped in red ribbon – which is a powerful color in Cree culture, symbolizing vitality, strength and courage, it is also associated with life force, energy and protection.
As a team, we continue to educate ourselves as we take steps towards reconciliation. We thank Amanda for sharing her story and her traditions with us so we can continue to learn more about Indigenous people, their culture and our shared history.
