Keeping Traditions Alive at Indigenous Wellness Symposium
Hundreds of students from across grades and HWDSB schools packed Westdale’s auditorium on May 12 to hear keynote speaker Tom Porter (Sakokwenionkwas “The One Who Wins”) share stories of First Nations beliefs, goodwill and tradition. It represented the opening of the first annual Indigenous Wellness Symposium hosted by Westdale secondary.
With workshops and a keynote speaker organized by the Indigenous Student Association of Westdale, the day was also the culminating event for a Hamilton-Uclulet exchange that saw students from both communities learn about each other and their own indigenous roots. Students representing six different British Columbia nations attended the day.
Porter, a member of the Bear Clan of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne, is the founder, spokesperson and spiritual leader of the Mohawk Community of Kanatsiohareke (Ga na jo ha lay gay) located in the Mohawk Valley near Fonda, New York since 1993.
Workshops included:
- Rod Nettagog – Traditional medicines and teaching behind smudging and the Medicine Wheel.
- Marilyn Wright from the De dwa da dehs nye, the Hamilton Aboriginal Health Centre – Wellness and cooking
- Courtney Williams – The teaching and making of dream catchers.
Event partners included the Fort Erie Friendship Centre, Hamilton Community Foundation, Hamilton Regional Indigenous Centre, HWDSB Foundation, Indig @ Mac, Mohawk College, Suicide Prevention Council of Hamilton and YMCA Canada.
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- Keynote speaker Thomas (Sakokwenionkwas “The One Who Wins”) Porter spoke about indigenous beliefs about creation, learning, the unity of diverse peoples and the sacred place of peace in First Nations cultures.
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- “Everybody was indigenous in yesterday’s yesterday. Others were colonized before us and lost their indigenous truth 3,000 years ago. The whole world has to decolonize, and find their indigenous truth not the superficial city lights.”
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- “The Earth is mother of humans and all the animals. She never got lazy, never reneged on what the Creator told her to do. People drill into her and take without saying thank you. She never got angry.”
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- “When we see the Lakota people dance, they dance the opposite way that we do. But when the young people say ‘Lakota is dancing the wrong way’ I tell them to stop that.” “The Creator told the Lakota to dance that way and the Creator told us to dance our way.”
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- Rod Nettagog teaching about traditional medicines, smudging and the Medicine Wheel.
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- Traditional medicines (sweet grass, sage, tobacco, and cedar) associated with one of the four directions, or the medicine wheel.
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- Students enjoying tacos, a crowd favourite.
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- Bradlee Henry Bluestonecloud, a Prince of Wales elementary student, opened the event with a song.
Updated on Tuesday, May 16, 2017.