Solidarity

Today is the first annual Aboriginal Solidarity day in London, ON. Trust our native Canadians to be the ones to extend the olive branch of peace and solidarity to us whities. We stole their land, we oppressed them and stole their children and put them in horrifying residential schools, we've lied and not honoured land treaties and still they extend their hand in peace? It really makes one think.

I can't help but compare this to the Orlando mass shooting. It seems that when a group of people become oppressed, abused, beaten up and killed amazing activists rise out of the ashes. In the movie "Pride" the "gays" helped the Welsh miners and then the miners helped "the gays". I really really hope that a reciprocal relationship can be built between our First Nations peoples and the rest of us. 

Part of that is including each other in cultural rights and rituals. 

The day began for me at 4:30am though I was awake before the alarm went off. I had to leave my house at 5am in order to get to Wortley Village  where a sunrise ceremony was going to take place. I am riding my bike everywhere these days so I have to allow more time to get to where I'm going. Sunrise today was at 5:46am.

A fire was being worked on as I arrived. There was singing, chanting, passing of the peace pipe and thanks and acknowledgement given for our ancestors and things we were grateful for.

 We all had the opportunity to take some fragrant bits of cedar pulp and add it to the fire giving silent thanks to what we valued in our lives. I acknowledged and gave thanks for my grandmother and my parents who have passed on, my ancestors, my child, my family and friends, good health, trees, deer, turtles, birds, and my love for nature which links me to mother earth.

I have been back to the park a second time to see some dancing and singing - I haven't uploaded those photos yet, and I may go back again as there are some bands playing. So far I've travelled 37kms on my bike. Why oh why am I not tall and thin?? Oh well, I'm thankful for strong legs!!