On Wednesday, June 4,Concordia’s 4th Space hosted Indigenous Healing Knowledges’ Good Medicine Talk: opikiskwêwin tâpiskôc miyo-maskihkiy. Elders Yvonne Chamakese and Joseph Naytohow graciously flew into town for a few days of ceremony, storytelling and engaged learning. They were accompanied by Moe Clark and Jay, both Two-Spirit people. The morning started with a smudge and mourning prayer. This cleansed and warmed the inside of the frigid walls of the university, heralding love and light amongst a land surrounded by ecocide-induced fires. Yvonne and Joseph are knowledge keepers, pipe carriers and lodge keepers. They spoke of collective healing and cultural resurgence. They spoke of belonging and Jay asserted how important the presence of elders are in their life. Moe Clark, also a pipe carrier, reminded us of the role of colonialism in the polarizing creation of binaries. All of these sharings contributed to the power of ceremony as a form of healing. Being lodge-keepers, Joseph and Yvonne guided the group through a simulation of the creation of the sweat lodge; a ceremony in itself. The activity was followed by a shared meal and the event ended with a drum circle and storytelling. The weekend then oversaw a beautiful intertribal sweat lodge ceremony. May this good medicine reach more and more indigenous youth, within and beyond university walls.
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