‘What have you done?’ Elder asks ahead of Red Deer uniting to remember the children on Sept. 30

The day is of course also known for being Orange Shirt Day, in relation to the childhood experiences of Williams Lake, B.C.’s Phyllis Webstad.

All of this and more will be reflected upon during the Honouring the Children Feast & Blanket Exercise gathering, this Monday at Red Deer’s Fort Normandeau.

“The way I look at this day is that it’s a good reminder for everyone,” says Corky, speaking to rdnewsNOW from a Wellbriety conference in Montana where she is a panelist with husband and Elder Lyn Jonasson.

“What have you done since you first heard about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or since you learned of what happened to the Indigenous people of this land? What have you done?” she says.

“If you’ve done the blanket exercise, that’s great; if someone’s led you through a smudging, that’s beautiful; but what have you done? How have you followed up on it and navigated it?”

The day must not be performative, she adds.

“Everyone pulls out their orange shirts and then they get packed up for another year. What are we doing so that doesn’t happen? What are you doing after watching that movie that made you feel really uncomfortable?”

When something makes you uncomfortable, Larsen-Jonasson says, that’s a sign you should do something about it.

That could be educating somebody else, she says, or standing up when you’ve heard someone, “spewing misguided information.”

But the day is also a reminder for her, and other Indigenous folks, to stay in the moment.

“I can’t let my impatience get the best of me. I have to navigate with love in my heart,” says Larsen-Jonasson, who agrees that for Indigenous people, some days having patience and waiting for non-Indigenous people to take the time they need to learn can be blisteringly difficult.

“You can’t stay in that place or you’ll implode. It’s honestly still going to take a lot more time, but we are changing things for some people.”

She also acknowledges that it’s clearly been back-breaking for some Canadians to come to grips with the fact that the nation they’ve always loved has a dark history.

The same feeling extends to political figures like John A. Macdonald, she says.

“When you dig deep and learn what’s happened, here and elsewhere, such as Australia, New Zealand and in the United States… let’s just say it’s scary for some people.”

For Kelley Arnold, Sept. 30 is about honouring the children who never came back from residential schools, and those who did come back but had to face the struggles.

Monday’s gathering, Arnold says, begins with a Kairos blanket exercise at 9 a.m., and proceeds with a feast at ‘noonish.’ Attendees will likely remain gathered until early evening.

Arnold, the Nanâtawihowin Cultural Connections Program coordinator with Red Deer Native Friendship Society (RDNFS), says bringing everyone together will serve to heal and move forward together in the spirit of truth and reconciliation.

“We are such a resilient people,” says Arnold, who is Cree Métis and whose maternal side comes from the Saddle Lake, Alberta area’s Kikino Métis Settlement.

“I’ve seen so much action being taken within the Red Deer community in terms of wanting to do better,” she continues. “The blanket exercise that’s happening is so powerful too, and is very eye-opening and done without the intent to shame or put guilt on someone.”

While it can be raw, real and emotional, she admits, a big part of helping people learn is getting them to exit their comfort zone.

“We want to start things with people in a good way and end them in a good way.”

While there’s been a shift in willingness to listen and learn, and to truly take seriously truth and reconciliation, there are still challenges.

“Much of the apprehension and fear people have is because they don’t want to offend anyone. We have a lot of healing to do on both sides,” she says.

“I encourage community members and organizations to simply participate in anything that is being offered. Change will always come from the grassroots; it doesn’t matter which government is in power, it’s the people who will make the difference.”

For Monday, a free shuttle will take folks back and forth from RDP and Cross Roads Church to Fort Normandeau, every half hour from 8 a.m. until around 5 p.m.

The event is a collaborative effort by local Indigenous-led agencies, including RDNFS, Urban Indigenous Voices Society (UIVS) and Shining Mountains Living Community Services, plus several non-Indigenous ones.

In addition to the Sept. 30 gathering, RDNFS is hosting several upcoming gatherings and opportunities to engage.

They will first lead the annual Sisters in Spirit vigil at 5 p.m. on Oct. 4, walking from City Hall Park to the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery.

Come Oct. 10, 19 and 20, there is a trio of drum-making workshops.

Then there are two Spirit Seekers events happening Oct. 10 and 17.

Lastly, RDNFS offers the blanket exercise to the public once monthly; and also offers it privately, for a fee, to organizations. The next blanket exercise opportunity, after this Monday’s feast, is Oct. 25.

To learn more about what RDNFS offers the community, visit their Facebook page.

For more coverage on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, visit rdnewsNOW’s dedicated page.

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by Josh Hall | @Vancan19

‘What have you done?’ Elder asks ahead of Red Deer uniting to remember the children on Sept. 30

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