On September 29th, the day before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, our education cohort got the opportunity to participate in a fire circle led by the UHNBC drumming group. I had never participated in anything like this before so I was really excited to see what it was going to be like. It was a beautiful blue sky crisp fall morning and I felt very lucky to be outside enjoying this morning with my classmates. I got to the fire a little bit early, so I was able to sit and enjoy its warmth and watch as one of the drummers offered things to the fire such as the smudging material that was burning in a bowl on the side and a feather that the drummer ripped into tiny pieces to throw in one by one. Although I did not fully understand the reasoning behind these actions and offerings, it felt very powerful and meaningful to me nonetheless. As soon as the drummers began, I knew I was witnessing something sacred and profound. There were people sitting around the fire and a larger circle of people standing around them and we were all drumming, clapping, and singing together. Drums got passed around for people to use and they got switched from person to person between songs so everyone could get to experience what it was like to use them. If you didn’t have a drum, you were asked to clap along. There were times when only women were asked to stand and drum and sing to honor them, times when we stopped drumming and sang with our hands in the air to be close to the Creator, and more. As the circle went on, I couldn’t help but notice others be captivated by what was happening so much so that they came to stand with us and join in. I honestly could not blame them for doing this. I have never felt so grounded, positive or safe in my life and I will never forget the impact being a part of something like this had on me. At this circle in that moment in time, it did not matter who you were, where you came from, your religious or spiritual beliefs etc. All that mattered was that we were all there sharing in this special moment and day together and I could feel that that was something that was occurring and not just something the drummers wanted us to feel.
Although the fire circle was beautiful and was worth it just for the experience, the experience is not the only thing I gained from participating in this class. For the last little while, us as education students have been asked what our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation will be. After participating in this fire circle today, I now know what I want to do. I want to commit to not seeing myself as someone who has to stay separate from Indigenous peoples and their culture and history. I want to allow myself to take part in drumming circles at the hospital and other Indigenous events that happen around the city to expand my knowledge on the local peoples as a whole and what their lives are like. I want to talk to local Indigenous peoples and elders to learn more about Indigenous ways of knowing and being directly from the source. I want to continue my learning and development regarding the First Peoples Principles of Learning, and I want to make sure I am always including Indigenous ways of knowing and being in a classroom and lesson setting. I also want to make sure that when I am incorporating these concepts and ideas, I am doing so in a way that remains true to Indigenous peoples and values.
I realized something very important during this fire circle. We were all wearing orange to show that we were standing in support of Every Child Matters leading up to tomorrow’s events. Even though that was amazing to see, I realized that anyone can wear orange and speak out for Indigenous peoples and the gruesome history of Canada on a day where this is expected. It takes courage and growth to be the person who can advocate, speak out, and do something to help Indigenous peoples on days where this is not expected. This is my commitment to reconciliation and I know this will take time and effort on my part, but I know I am up for the challenge and that this is something I need to do. I will forever be impacted by today and I hope we get to experience another fire circle like this in the very near future.
