Indigenous and Community Relations Circle
Journeying together towards healing, reconciliation and right relationships with All
October – November 2021 ICRC Digest Issue 002
Tending the Fire
The Dulangan Menubo, an Indigenous tribal community in Kulaman, Philippines, where the RNDMs sisters live among, has a practice of taking fire (burning coal or a lit firewood) from another household to begin their own fire. They also bury burning coal in the ashes to keep for the next day. This practice is still present even if they already have lighters and matches at home. So, through this digest, we hope to keep the fire going among us. Contributions are welcome. Share a snippet of your story. We publish every 15th of the month. Send your contribution by email to maithuongrndm@gmail.com on the 10th of the month.
Learning Circle
Jacinta, June, Patricia, Petite, Pricilla, Helen Nweni Oo, and Thuong have been regularly meeting to learn together. They have been using the Jesuit Forum Dialogue Guide, “Listening to Indigenous Voices” and have covered most of the sessions except for three. After this, they will discuss how to continue learning using other resources. They have moved their meetings to First and Fourth Mondays of the Month. Please ask any of the group members above about the learning circle, if you are interested in joining any of the sessions.
This Cultural Mix, Can It Work?
On Sunday, 17th October, several of us joined the parish of St. Kateri for Thuong’s farewell Mass. It was a wonderfully delightful celebration of Thuong and her contribution to the parish over these past years. I was particularly struck with the tribute of one of the board members. He admitted to some serious doubts when she was first introduced – ‘This cultural mix – can it work?’
He admitted his fears vanished and he acknowledged and praised her ability and willingness to accept and participate in their cultural life, to learn new things without trying to change or judge. Yeah, Thuong. The community thanked the RNDM’s for the gift of Thuong. They asked us to stand and introduce ourselves, and then gave us a resounding ovation.
[From Manitoba Moments by Sr. Betty Iris Bartush, RNDM]
Life At Tkaronto
My life in Tkaronto is a combination of studies and ministry. My ministry is situated at the Native Peoples Mission where I volunteer every Sunday. I help out during liturgies and organize events. In October, we organized two Learning Circles facilitated by Elder John Robinson and the focus was the Statement of Apology of the Catholic Bishops and Catholic response to truth and reconciliation. Elder John and I also joined the Loretto House in celebrating the Season of Creation.
I served with Sr. Sarah Rudolph, IBVM as discussion facilitators in St. Basil’s Listening and Learning Series and the concluding liturgy. Elder John held the purification ceremony within the liturgy. Recently, I have been appointed to be a program manager of the Indigenous and Community Relations Program of the Mary Ward Center from Nov 2021-Jan 2022, basically to assist in exploring the opportunities for engagement with the truth and reconciliation process. My research project is progressing slower than I would like but it basically rides on societal and communal dynamics. I have met with some members of my Research Working Group (RWG) which also involves two RNDM sisters, Patricia Orban and Veronica Dunne. The RWG is composed of RNDM, Filipino, Indigenous and Jesuit Forum representatives.
I participated in events like the Rock Eucharist at the Church of the Redeemer that featured the songs of Buffy Sainte Marie and online, the Parliament of World Religions and a webinar entitled, “Navigating Reconciliation Together,” with Graydon Nicholas and Maria Lucas organized by the Newman Centre. I also joined a meeting online of the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that is based in New York. The connection was made through the IBVMs.
[Contributed by Sr. Petite Lao, RNDM]
Search for the Graves Long Time Coming in Lebret
The Lebret area is the latest to begin searching for the unmarked graves at former residential school sites. People from the town and surrounding First Nations came to show their support. Ribbon skirts, cowboy hats, orange shirts and sweaters with the message ‘Every Child Matters’ were worn in the gymnasium. The search area is an unassuming patch of grass with an oval gravel road around it near the sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Lebret. A pipe ceremony was held on Monday on the grounds to pay respect to what might be found. [Contributed by Sr. Pricilla Lugun, RNDM]
Archdiocesan Council for Truth and Reconciliation (ACTR)
At the end of October Bishop Don convoked an ACTR meeting. This Council included the Circle of Elders, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous community leaders . We began in the Indigenous way, with smudging and ReAnne offered Elder Lillian tobacco after which she prayed in Cree for all and the food we were about share, thanks to the Creator and Muchum( Grandpa Colonel Sanders). The meeting that followed the supper began with a prayer by Elder Robert Bellgarde and a drum song to initiate the next four years of the journey with the Indigenous peoples, on the road to truth and reconciliation.
The next four years will be ones of deeper compassionate listening in a “good way,” Bishop Don remarked. He explained the expansion of the circles of compassion to the victims of residential schools, both in the city of Regina and in the 25 Reserves within the Archdiocese. All people in the Archdiocese, in the schools, the parishes, the priests, seminarians and lay leaders, Ecumenical Churches and the wider community will have opportunities to learn more about the spirituality, culture and language of the indigenous peoples. Monies that are collected through the fundraising efforts over these coming years will support these efforts of truth and reconciliation, as “we journey together in a good way”.
We continued around the circle listening to the different council members. Fr Brian, pastor at Holy Child Parish, was invited to close with a prayer and Joshua closed the celebration with a drum song, which he had composed, to honor Pope Francis. He added that, “if we walked the first four years that, it is time to dance the next four years!”
[Contributed by Sr. Patricia Orban, RNDM]
We Will Walk Together In A Good Way
Last Sunday November 7, Archbishop Donald Bolen celebrated a mass at St. Cecilia Parish (Regina) for Truth and Reconciliation. Sisters Claire, Patricia, Pricilla and Thuong attended the mass with many other Indigenous and non -Indigenous persons. This was the first time for us all to have the Indigenous ceremonies of smudging and drumming as a part the mass. It was meaningful and powerful. The mass was very lively with songs in both English and Cree.
Bishop Don said in the next four years we will listen to the Indigenous Peoples. We will walk together in a good way.
After the mass one of the singers said she was so happy and glad we included the indigenous ceremonies during the mass. She was in awe, and her tears came out. It was a blessing for us to join and journey with them.
[Sr. Thuong Truong, RNDM]
Book Suggestion: Braiding Sweetgrass
In the past few months two of my friends, unknown to each other, both highly recommended to me an astonishing book entitled “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Both women are lovers of the land with a heart for good books. I took the synchronicity seriously and bought the book for my birthday. What a gift!
Within the first few pages I was mesmerized by the creation story “Skywoman Falling” and the teaching that sweetgrass, the first plant from Skywoman, should never be sold, only gifted! Kimmerer asks the question, “How, in our modern world, can we find our way to understand the earth as gift again, to make our relations with the world sacred again?”
The author is a mother, an indigenous woman of the Potawatomi Nation, a plant scientist and a poet. She braids indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge together in such a way that one cannot help but feel encouraged. The chapter that explains why I find such beauty in one of my favorite prairie scenes—a yellow canola field growing next to blue flax crop—is stunning. Beauty itself engenders hope!
This book has a bible-like feel to it for me, at once hopeful but challenging, factual and mysterious, knowledgeable but more importantly wise; the kind of book that will companion me for a very long time, like my New Jerusalem Bible, well-thumbed and dog-eared after years of loving use. I am doing a “slow-read” of the book, soaking in it like a long, warm bath. In the midst of our climate crisis, it is good to have a steady companion that slows me down inside and gives my small actions hope.
[Contributed by Sr. Sandy Stewart, RNDM]
A Virtual Advent Preparation
It is interesting to note the e-mail responses to the invitation regarding this event. One said, “It is a spiritual tune-up.” Another said, “This is an adventure!” This is a collaborative event by:
The Mary Ward Centre
Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions
Loretto Sisters-Canada
Loretto Maryholme
SAVE THE DATE!
Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions
393 Gaboury Place
Winnipeg, MB
Canada
R2H 0L5
Phone: (204) 786-6051
Fax: (204) 691-0640