Photo courtesy of @alphahousecalgary
A land blessing was held at the HSCA prior to opening the 2021 Outdoor Season. As farmers and food producers, we are deeply connected to the Land. Our relationship to the Land supports our families and communities. We acknowledge and honour those who have been and continue to be stewards of these Lands since time immemorial. The intention of this blessing is to hold space and build bridges with our Indigenous community members; this is the first of many upcoming opportunities to listen, to share, and to foster new connections.
The Blessing began with a smudge, then Elder Earnest Poundmaker gave thanks to the land and the peoples whose traditional territories on which we stand. These Lands hold the histories of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations; the Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley First Nations, and the Tsuut'ina Nation families and Ancestors, and the Métis community, specifically the Métis Nation Region Three. Elder Poundmaker then offered a prayer in Cree language inviting others to participate in prayer however they choose to pray.
The singers from Stoney, Blood, and Cree Nations continued to offer prayer through four songs; one song to honour each of the four directions. During these songs, a crow crossed behind the singers. Wade Maude shared teachings about the significance of the crow:
The crow spirit is the embodiment of creator, keeper of natural law, and symbol of rebirth and change. This crow coming to join in song is a physical manifestation that creator is happy with what we are doing. The crow gives guidance from creator to indicate that we are on the right path.
Strengthening relationships with Indigenous community members and knowledge holders is essential to building resilient communities and food systems. Building bridges and relationships will revitalize our communities and is important to our social, environmental, and economic wellbeing. It is our collective responsibility to continue stewardship of this Land for our communities and future generations.
In honour of Indigenous Heritage Month, we call on our communities to reflect on the teachings of this Blessing and engage in meaningful conversations. We invite you to share in the comments, or send your thoughts to Stephanie.c@hsca.ca
Resources
The Calgary Foundation's Indigenous Ally Toolkit
Visit the TRC's Calls to Action and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
The University of Alberta offers a free online course Indigenous Canada
Check out the National Film Board's (NFB) Indigenous Cinema page and check out their collection of Indigenous-made films
We encourage you to check out the #IndigenousReads reading list on the Government of Canada site AND this reading list on CBC