urban Indian meets urban Elder

Hi friends

I have been an atheist for all of my adult life, and have had no problem with it. Nor have I ever been tempted to be anything but.
My biggest issue with religion, and those who claim religiosity is the lack of compassion around their beliefs.

As a First Nations person, and given the residential school fiasco, I'm enormously suspicious of religions
of all types. Religion in my opinion seems to be there as either a crutch, or even an excuse to prop up the outrage that some members of these institutes spew. Pat Robertson's assertion that the Haitian earthquake is in response to the Haitian peoples pact with the devil.???



That being said, I was not very enthusiastic
at the prospects of meeting an aboriginal urban elder.
A spiritual leader to the community.


In the exploration of my culture and my curiosity around the issues that impact my community I was to attend a talk by an elder, around the residential schools.
I didn't expect to get anything of a personal nature out of this, because as I've mentioned in previous blogs, my mother was thankfully spared this unholy experience.
My reason for being there, I convinced myself was to bear witness. A validation of what these survivors had endured in the name of god.


The meeting turned out to be more around issues I already knew quite well, plus I was expecting company for dinner, so I excused myself and explained to the gentleman teaching that I felt, though a valuable lesson, not exactly for me. I told him I was unaffected by the whole residential school experience as my mother had not attended one, and as I had just been recognized as a First Nation citizen since the 1985 amendment to the Indian Act, myself had not even been considered an Indian until then.


He didn't seem offended,and even asked me to come back to the center for other cultural sessions I might be interested in. He then laid his hand on my shoulder and asked, "so, then, do you speak the language?" I had to admit, "no, I do not." This is when I truly understood, as he had gently pointed out, that I had indeed been impacted by the residential schools, much like so many others. A defining part of my heritage was lost to me.


One week later I was back to hear another talk around healing and reconciliation. The elder who spoke this day had been a hard living younger man who had in his life, been to the brink and back. Through the stories he shared with us that day I felt a renewed hope for the Nations. With many such generous individuals willing to share their exceptional wisdom and kindness with, us, who need their guidance there is a real chance at healing, and eventually moving forward from this dark chapter we have just come through.


Am I walking the Red Road? I don't know but, I have definitely taken a few tentative steps. Old habits die hard, though, and I
understand that Native spirituality is based on turning your self over to a higher power, I'm not entirely sure that I can do this. I do however know that I can take comfort in it, without having to make any declaration around it, and that will be perfectly fine with the elders I've met, thus far, at least.

regards Debra