“Healing resources for Aboriginal people are found in
connecting with culture, nature, ceremony and other aspects of indigenous
culture” (Goodwill & McCormick, 2012).
Everybody needs an identity which comes from our cultures. First Peoples’ cultures have been actively
assimilated and acculturated since colonization began. In 1876, the government instituted the Indian
Act which continues to be political legislation that governs every aspect of
life for First Nations peoples. Duncan
Campbell Scott, the Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs stated, “I want to
get rid of the Indian problem […] Our objective is to continue until there is
not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic
and there is no Indian question and no Indian Department” (Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples). The residential
school system, the banning of ceremonies such as the potlatch, all assimilation
processes have hinged on this piece of legislation. Assimilation has caused severe psychological
trauma to the Indigenous population because they were forced to take a culture
and identity that was not their own. “Historical
trauma serves as a general backdrop for Native America experience and identity”
(Ryback & Decker-Fitts, 2009). The results
of more than a hundred years of marginalization and acculturation of First
Nations peoples and cultures have been the loss of identity. “The relentless
subjugation of Aboriginal people and the discounting of their ideas have hurt
those aboard the Aboriginal voyage of discovery into the inner space” (Ermine,
1995). The loss of identity manifests itself
as addictions, self-harm, and hopelessness which places people at risk for
suicide. “…among the First Nations population rates of mental health problems
such as suicide, depression, substance abuse, and domestic violence all seem to
be significantly higher (than the general
population)” (McCormick, 1996 emphasis mine) For First Nations people,
their identity is intertwined with their culture, language, and values. The more immersed into their culture they
become, the stronger their identity as First Nations people becomes. Mental and emotional health is balanced for
First Nations people when they have a strong identity that is deeply rooted in
their culture, ceremonies, connection to the land, and language. In this paper, I will discuss how First
Nations identity comes from being rooted in their culture and ceremonies, and
language. Then I will discuss one cultural
revitalization projects within the Vancouver area.
Culture and Ceremonies
“Cultural resilience in their participants (Native Americans) was derived from the strength
in family support systems, caring, communities, strong identities,
spirituality, cultural values, worldview, ceremonies, and traditions. Of these, spirituality was the core of Native
people’s survival” (Grandbois & Sanders, 2009 emphasis mine). Spirituality is at the center of all
ceremonies, language, values, and culture.
This is because First Nations see everything as connected, and having
meaning. There is value and a spiritual
quality to all aspects of life, that is, emotional, spiritual, physical, and
mental aspects. “Native Americans
believe their healing practices and traditions operate in the context of
relationship to four constructs – namely, spirituality (Creator, Mother Earth,
Great Father); community (family, clan, tribe/nation);environment (daily life,
nature, balance); and self (inner passions and peace, thoughts, and values)”
(Portman & Garrett, 2006). The four
constructs are about encouraging the individual, and how that individual
relates to the outer world. “The role of healing in traditional First Nations
society has been not only to reaffirm cultural values but also to consider the
individual in the context of the community” (McCormick, 1997). The First Nations worldview sees everything
as intertwined. The individual is part
of the larger community and works to serve that community as best they
can. The community carries the values,
ceremonies, and culture that serve the best interests of the individual. The community cannot exist without
individuals, and individuals do better within a community context to support
them. All of the four constructs of the
medicine wheel have spiritual meaning because spirituality is integral to the
culture and ceremonies of First Nations people. “The Medicine Wheel philosophy
of life is important to the inner dialogue because it identifies and describes
the parts of the human make-up and shows how they are connected” (McCabe,
2008).
For example, a
smudging ceremony consists of using plant medicines such as sage, cedar,
sweetgrass, and tobacco either all together or just sage, cedar or
sweetgrass. If the individual is
smudging by themselves then they would go ahead and smudge themselves. If the individual is smudging with other
people then that person would offer the smudge to the other people first, and
smudge themselves. Then the offering
would be used to acknowledge The Creator, Father Sky, Mother Earth, and the
four directions, and the ancestors. The
person leading the smudging ceremony would then identify themselves to the
ancestors, Creator, Father Sky, Mother Earth and the four directions and give
them Thanks for the day and all the blessings given to them. They can pray for the community, family and
themselves. Usually prayers for the self
are done last because community and family members are important. After the prayers are finished then the
person would conclude the prayers with the phrase, “All My Relations” to
acknowledge that everything, every one, every animal, insect, fish, and every
plant and tree is related. Within the context of the four aspects of the
medicine wheel, the smudging ceremony is spiritual because it includes prayers
and acknowledgement of universal powers.
It is physical because you burn sacred medicines (symbolizing earth the
creatures and living beings on the earth, and connection to the land) in an
abalone shell or shell from another sea creature (symbolizing the water and all
the creatures that live in the water). Smudging
is a mental exercise because not only are you acknowledging spiritual powers
but you also acknowledge yourself within the context of the entire universe,
and culture. The person leading the
ceremony also needs to have the knowledge of how to do a proper smudging
ceremony. This includes the knowledge that
when doing a smudging ceremony in a group, everybody in the group gets smudged
first (placing importance on community and serving other people before
ourselves), and the leader of the smudge smudges last. We acknowledge problems, disasters, and also
joys in the world, and the community. It also acknowledges illness, problems or
good health within the family, and the problems and blessings of the
individual. Within the smudging ceremony
everything is connected and it ultimately connects the individual into
everything else in the universe. This
brings us back to how deeply First Nations identity is intertwined with their
culture. Every aspect of our culture
contains the four constructs (spirituality, community, environment, and self),
and the four aspects of the medicine wheel (spiritual, physical, emotional,
mental). Everything has meaning and value,
without this cultural knowledge, First Nations people lose their identity more
easily. When people lose their identity,
then they lose their hope and social problems become a community issue. People’s confusion around identity and
hopelessness for the future are the products of the government’s active
assimilation policies.
Language
“Indication that Aboriginal people were attaining knowledge
of a very different nature and purpose from Western peoples is evident in
Aboriginal language and culture” (Ermine, 1995). Aboriginal languages, as with all languages,
express the values of the culture. As
previously mentioned in this paper, all aspects of the medicine wheel, that is,
spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional are intertwined in Aboriginal
culture. For example, “The Cree word mamatowisowin, describes the capability
of tapping into the ‘life force’ as a means of procreation” (Ermine,
1995). Ermine further explains the
concept of mamatowisowin, “this
energy manifests itself in all existence because all of life is connected, all
of life is primarily connected with and accessed through the life force”
(1995). This Cree word is only one of
the many First Nations languages that exist but it is a good example of how
cultural values are expressed within language.
Brant Castellano describes mamatowisowin
as, “the capacity to connect to the life force that makes anything and
everything possible” (2000). Brant
Castellano’s description of this word emphasizes that the values being taught
within this word is that everything is spiritual up to and including life
itself. The Ojibway word, Giibinenimidizomin means owning
ourselves or being self-possessed.
Individuals who are self-possessed have no problem with their identity
because they know exactly who they are and they are aware of their own
limitations. Goodwill and McCormick
describe Giibinenimidizomin for First
Nations people as happening when they are actively participating in ceremonies
and community and can feel centered because of their involvement with their own
culture (2012). Giibinenimidizomin on a medicine wheel would be the following: spiritual - visiting and learning from Elders
in the community and attending ceremonies.
Mental - learning and retaining cultural knowledge such as how to use
plant medicines, learning and speaking your language. Emotional - attending community events and
assisting your community when you can.
Building emotional bonds with other people in your family and community,
and having a support system. Physical, there
are physical aspects in almost everything.
Cooking a traditional meal can be considered physical and also mental
because of the knowledge of how to prepare the food. Attending a sweatlodge ceremony can be
spiritual, physical, mental and emotional.
First Nations languages carry the values of the culture. The First Nations words mamatowisowin, and Giibinenimidizomin
demonstrate the complexity and richness of their respective languages.
Revitalization
Anderson Womens’ Healing Lodge
Society
I was employed at Anderson Womens’ Healing Lodge Society for
approximately two years. Anderson Lodge
is part of the Circle of Eagles Society and is located in Vancouver. Circle of Eagles Lodge Society provides
culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal men who have been federally
incarcerated. Jerry Adams, Executive
Director of Circle of Eagles Lodge stated, “Many Aboriginal men (and women) have no connection to their
roots. Through various programs, from
drumming to making button blankets, from hosting talking circles and arranging
visits to a sweatlodge, we help forge those connections, allowing the brothers
(and sisters) to discover who they
are” (bchousing.org, emphasis mine)Anderson Lodge provides culturally
appropriate services to its Aboriginal women who are homeless, fleeing an
abusive relationship, and who have addictions issues. In the past five years they have been given a
contract from the Corrections Service of Canada to serve as a halfway house for
federally incarcerated Aboriginal women.
Anderson Lodge’s programs include access to Elders; there is a
sweatlodge on site, and drumming and singing.
There is an Elder on site at least two days per week. The residents can assist the Elder by
chopping wood for the sweatlodges, or they can just go and talk to the
Elder. The residents can also learn crafts
such as beading or making dreamcatchers.
The Lodge has craft supplies on site so that the residents can feel free
to make their own crafts without cost to the resident. The Lodge also has a program called
Bannock-on-the-run where the residents assist in making soup, bannock and
sandwiches to distribute to the homeless in the Downtown Eastside. Staff drives the residents to the Downtown
Eastside to distribute the food. The
residents are given some money for participating in the Bannock-on-the-Run
program. It was enjoyable to observe the
residents preparing the food all day and then get ready to distribute the food
in the evening. It never ceased to amaze
me just how happy and excited the residents were to help the community in this
way. The therapeutic effect that this
program has on people is so rewarding because it gave the residents a sense of
accomplishment and community service. The
staff makes referrals to residents to outside sources from Addictions
Counselling in a First Nations cultural environment to traditional language
programs.
Most of the women at the Lodge did not have the opportunity
to learn about their culture as they were growing because they come from
dysfunctional families, were part of the foster care system, or residential
school survivors. I would like to share
some of the stories about the personal growth of the residents. To protect the identity of the women, I have
changed their names but not their stories.
Eloise is from Katzie First Nations Reserve. She came to Anderson Lodge after a 10-year
incarceration at the Fraser Valley Institute.
When she first arrived she was quiet and mostly kept to herself. While incarcerated, she had been active in
the Native Sisterhood and many cultural activities. After a few weeks of residing at the Lodge
she began to attend sweatlodges regularly.
She spent a lot of time talking to the staff and the Elder. Eloise began to participate in the Bannock-on-the-Run
program. Her enthusiasm for her
community and culture encouraged the other residents to get involved. After her first year of residing at the
Lodge, she received a Grandmother Drum from the Elders. She would often have Drumming and Singing circles
with the other residents. The last time
that I saw Eloise was one year ago. She
has never broken any conditions of her parole and has remained in residence at
the Lodge. Throughout her stay, I
observed that she became more self-possessed as the participation in cultural
activities increased. She was able to
identify her feelings more readily, and express herself.
Cherise is from Prince Rupert. She was homeless and had addictions issues
when she first arrived at Anderson Lodge.
She came straight from Cordova Detox to the Lodge. She had a shy demeanor when she first
arrived. After being at the Lodge for a
few months she began to open up to other people. One of her favourite pastimes was doing
crafts especially dreamcatchers. She
became so good at crafting dreamcatchers that she began to teach the new
arrivals to the Lodge how to make them.
She also participated in the other cultural programs and activities at
the Lodge. She became an outgoing person
by the end of her stay. Her plan of
action at the end of her residency was to return to her family in Prince
Rupert. She had been free from her
addictions for at least six months by the time she returned to Prince
Rupert. She realized that being in
Vancouver and away from her family was the reason that she had addictions
issues.
Conclusion
Aboriginal identity is rooted in being involved in our
cultures, communities, ceremonies, and languages. The more active Aboriginal people are in
their culture and communities, the stronger their identity becomes. In First Nations culture everything is
connected and intertwined. First Peoples
languages reflect their worldview and values.
When the government began actively assimilating First Nations people, it
deprived them of their cultural heritage.
The result has been generations of people who do not know their own
culture and do not understand themselves.
Through revitalization programs such as Anderson Womens’ Healing Lodge
Society people are now able to learn about their culture and the ceremonies.
Works Cited
Interview with Jerry Adams. (2011).Circle of Eagles
Lodge in Vancouver Gives Residents New Lease on Life. Retrieved from:
http://www.bchousing.org/Media/Stories/2011/11/22/3620_11112214
Brant Castellano, M. (2000). Updating Aboriginal
Traditions of Knowledge.Indigenous
Knowledge in Global Contexts: Multiple Readings of Our World.. Toronto:
University of Toronto Press.
Ermine,
W. (1995). First Nations Education in Canada: The Circle Unfolds. Vancouver:
UBC Press
Goodwill, A.O., McCormick, R. (2012). Giibinenimidizomin: Owning Ourselves –
Critical Incidents in the Attainment of Aboriginal Identity. Canadian Journal of Counselling and
Psychotherapy. Vol. 46 (1), 21-34.
Grandbois, D.M., Sanders, G. F.(2009) The Resilience
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McCabe, G. (2008). Mind, body, emotions and spirit:
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McCormick, R. (1996). Culturally Appropriate Means and
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Columbia. International Journal for the
Advancement of Counselling, Vol. 18, 163-172.
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