In 2016, a blanket ceremony was held at Signal Hill Elementary. I had the privilege of interviewing the school's Vice Principal at the time, Clare Hanbury, and Aboriginal Cultural Support Worker Tanina Williams, after the event, and wrote about it here. Hanbury and Williams then began working on this documentary about the ceremony and the … Continue reading Watch ‘Punpúntwal’ (Finding Each Other) – a new documentary from Signal Hill Elementary
My son heads off to kindergarten in September. Game-changer, friends say. You don’t get as much time as you think, say others. I can’t wait to learn to read, he says. What just happened to the past five years? I think. He will catch the school bus, from our driveway, through Mount Currie, to school. … Continue reading Stucum Wi: Wanosts’a7 Dr. Lorna Williams walks in wisdom, Part 2
We have been re-sharing some of Tat7ush Peters' Question columns at the Wellness Almanac, with her permission. Last year, she explained the Naskan Uxwal walk, and to acknowledge the one year anniversary of that event, we repost that story today. “Naskan Uxwal” a “reclaiming our spirit” walk from the Kamloops Indian Residential School to … Continue reading On the one year anniversary of March 24-29 Naskan Uxwal walk, we revisit Tat7ush Peters’ article
Richard Wagamese's incredible book, Indian Horse, is being made into a film. My book club read it. A lot of local book clubs read it. One friend said it was the only book that their group read that was rated a 10/10 by everyone. I had the privilege of seeing Richard Wagamese tell stories at … Continue reading Challenge or Invitation: read a book by an indigenous author
Thanks to Sarinda Hoilett for sharing this post. It speaks for itself, but it was a reminder to me to keep training my brain to get out of the bubble of my own life's privilege. It's hard to conceive the trauma and suffering some people have endured, if you've literally never been exposed to it. … Continue reading Sending love to the Man with Diamond Eyes
When the Question announced that January 23 2018 would be its final issue, I lamented all the local voices I'd no longer have the chance to hear. I asked Tat7ush if she would continue to share her insights with us, and we agreed that a good place to start would be to reproduce some of her … Continue reading Reconnecting with Lil’wat columnist, Tat7ush (Theresa Peters)
On August 4 2017, with 150 days left in 2017, Crystal Fraser and Sara Komarnisky, crafted a list of 150 acts of reconciliation -- small, everyday acts that average Canadians can undertake, as well as some more provocative ones to encourage people to think about Indigenous-settler relationships in new ways. Here they are. Let's work through … Continue reading #150Acts of reconciliation: it just begins with one
This is Sam. Sam did an instagram takeover for us and each post was a meaty thought-provoking blog, and so much more than a photo caption or a quick throwaway remark. This week, the instagram becomes the blog, and we get a chance to put ourselves in the hands of a thoughtful young guide. Over … Continue reading Sam McKoy guides us into adventure, deep snow and some personal inquiry
I don't want these to be her last words because my biggest personal lament about Riva's passing on September 18 2017 at the age of 25 is not getting to read her over the years, not having the chance to follow the evolution of her thinking. But even as the silence of her passing encloses … Continue reading Rethinking Reconciliation: Riva Fisher on Unsettling Pemberton
Here is something I heard recently, Junot Diaz in conversation with Krista Tippet, on On Being. There’s nothing about our impoverished political systems, our imagined communities, that is going to be able to hold us together in the face of the coming storm of climate change. We need a lot more than we have. And … Continue reading This is our 2000th post. Thank you for being here.
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