On Monday, September 30, Truth and Reconciliation Day, the stories of the living are resonant with the voices of the past.
The founder of “The Mason Hoop Dancers,” Ginger Johnson, a happy mother of nine, stresses the value of passing down Metis customs.
Our grandmothers were unable to impart their culture to us. It’s recent, not just history. Native Americans were taught to feel inferior and were forbidden from using their language or dressing in traditional garb. People need to realize that this is a historical aspect of Canada. It’s more open now, so we’re honored to share it.
Johnson recalls a time when it felt dangerous to share these memories when people asked about her mother.
“Back then, people might have asked her, ‘Why are you revealing that?’ if she had discussed her own experiences attending a residential school. Move on. But healing doesn’t operate that way. To heal as a nation, we must come to understand one another.
Lil Arsenault, a board member of the Pat Porter Active Living Center, recently discussed the value of connection and community at the PPALC‘s Truth and Reconciliation brunch.
During the brunch, Arsenault related her personal experience of surviving a residential school.
“I had the good fortune to graduate, and my education gave me new opportunities. I went back to work as the girls’ residence supervisor because I felt compelled to give back.
Surprisingly, Arsenault ended up taking on the role of house mother for a relative of the Mason Hoop Dancers, who gave a performance at the breakfast.
Unbelievably, I have a family connection to them. Our families relocated from Manitoba’s north. My family opted to remain in the north as trappers and fishers, while they went on to become farmers. I consider it an honor that they are carrying on the Hoop Dancing legacy since I was never able to perform it myself but now I can enjoy it through them.”
Johnson and Arsenault both show how telling tales can promote empathy and understanding, two essential elements in the process of rapprochement.
In Canada, September 30th is designated as Truth and Reconciliation Day. Their testimonies serve as a reminder that mending is a communal endeavor, entrenched in our shared customs and pasts.
