The Sacred Fire will be burning at the Spirit Catcher in Barrie this coming weekend as the community marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,
The Barrie Native Friendship Centre (BNFC) is hosting the third official National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. The first was held Sept. 30, 2021 following the identification of unmarked burials at former Indian Residential School sites across the country.
Meghan Cote, who works as a cultural resource co-ordinator for BNFC, says Saturday will begin at 6:30 a.m. with a sunrise and pipe ceremony at the Spirit Catcher, led by Knowledge Keeper and traditional healer James Carpenter.
“It’s the best way for us to start our day, especially as a lot of us are reconnecting and reclaiming our culture. It’s nice we are able to honour our traditional ways and start our day with a sunrise ceremony, especially as we will have heavier topics and stories shared throughout the day. It’s nice to just spend that time together as a community in a more of a peaceful environment,” Cote told BarrieToday.
The event is open to the entire community and serves as a great learning opportunity to those who have never attended one, she added.
"It’s a beautiful ceremony,” she said.
Carpenter will provide teaching on the reason behind the many traditional aspects of the ceremony, including a sacred fire, Cote added.
“We have tried to encourage youth to be a part of that as one of their responsibilities, especially young men as traditionally they are the ones taking care of our fires. We are trying to balance Truth and Reconciliation with Every Child Matters … as we would like to have our youth involved," she said.
Keynote speakers will be on hand throughout the day to educate the public about a variety of topics ranging from the Sixties Scoop and Indian Day Schools, Residential School survivors, as well as descendants of those who have experienced those things first hand, Cote noted.
“It’s beneficial to hear from the children or grandchildren of those who attended those horrific schools. It gives that perspective that it didn’t just happen to one singular person and that the trauma just stays with that person and it’s done. It really goes to show the inter-generational trauma that these systems implemented by the government have done to Indigenous people in Canada,” said Cote.
Although having an official national day to honour and reflect on the survivors, their families and Indigenous communities across the country is a small step in the right direction, Cote also says it's important that Canadians continue to educate themselves beyond that one day a year.
“We have noticed that people are hesitant. They don’t want to further offend or harm Indigenous people," she said. "We always encourage our allies and community to be doing their own research on Indigenous people’s history.
"It’s not just for one day that the inter-generational trauma lingers. It’s every day for us," Cote added.
That means having fellow Canadians and allies take their own time and "really look into the actual history of Canada."
"We are not extinct or a thing of the past. These things still impact us today, and I think that is often forgotten,” Cote said.
BNFC staff are also available to offer support and knowledge as well.
“It is really important for people to take the initiative to learn about the history of the country they are living on," she said.
Saturday's event will also serve as an opportunity for BNFC to continue its ongoing focus on the Every Child Matters initiative, added Cote, noting locally the centre is also there to lessen the effects of inter-generational trauma on youth and children.
“They are our future generation. If we don’t work towards that we are going to keep having children that have to heal and rebuild and it doesn’t need to be like that," she said. "Orange Shirt Day is important because it gives us a chance to focus on both the individual healing and community healing.”
Cote hopes residents will join the local Indigenous community at the Spirit Catcher on Saturday, and at any other events held throughout the year.
“Come to the events, even if it’s not Sept. 30. We welcome everybody and by people taking that leap and coming to the Friendship Centre or other community events, it brings that sense of togetherness and makes the relationships within our community stronger," she said. "And that is our main focus. We really enjoy when our non-Indigienous community members and our allies come visit and partake. It means a lot to us.”
