All are invited to this time of land-learning, teachings, listening, and decolonizing:
Decolonizing Ourselves: Healing Haunted Histories gathering
Muskeg Lake Cree Nation SK, 27 August 2022, 1:00PM- 5:00PM, followed by community meal, and optional overnight camping.
Come for a day on the land, exploring paths to decolonizing through landlines, songlines, and bloodlines. Elders and knowledge keepers Harry and Germaine Lafond; and authors, teachers and theologians Elaine Enns, and Ched Myers will guide us. Overnight camping the evening of Aug 27 available. Info and registration here. More details will be sent following registration.
Location: Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, maskêko sâkahikanihk, approximately 5 hours’ drive from Edmonton, 4 hours from Regina, 1.5 hours from Saskatoon.
Cost: $50, dinner included, camping extra. Overnight camping option for the evening of 27 August until noon August 28. Indigenous registrants are invited to come as our guests. The fee is also waived for anyone unwaged/ low wage.
A little work in advance: We invite you to get the book Healing Haunted Histories and read it. It can be ordered here.
About the leadership and organizers
Germaine Lafond is a former religious sister, now retired from a career in teaching; she partners with Harry in cultural awareness work, especially regarding her Métis community in Saskatchewan.
Harry is former Executive Director of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, Saskatchewan. He works in both politics and academics, and is an advocate for Cree language development. He serves as chair of the Board for First Nations Trust, and formerly served his Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, as chief, Director of Education and as principal of Kihiw Waciston School.
Elaine Enns, DMin, a Canadian Mennonite, is an educator, writer, facilitator and trainer in conflict transformation. She focuses on how restorative justice applies to historical violations, including issues of intergenerational trauma and healing. You can find her articles at chedmyers.org and her books here.
Ched Myers, an ecumenical activist theologian, is a popular educator, writer, teacher and organizer, committed to animating and nurturing church renewal and radical discipleship, and supporting faith-based movements for peace and justice. Find his blog, many articles, webinars and a few audio recordings at chedmyers.org. Ched’s books are available for purchase on this site.
KAIROS Prairies North Decolonization Group is a small sub group of the KAIROS Prairies North Region. It’s made up of settlers committed to dismantling colonialism. It is committed to facilitating educational conversations among settlers/newcomers from primarily Christian faith communities about decolonization and systemic discrimination in order to equip learners for advocacy and action. Together we have planned five educational events that prioritize Indigenous voices and create safe space to “unsettle settlers”. All backgrounds welcome at our gatherings. Traditional Indigenous spiritual paths are honoured, as are all religious, spiritual, and non-religious paths.
The Treaty Land Sharing Network is a group of farmers, ranchers, and other landholders who have come together to begin the crucial work of honouring Treaties. In the spirit of sharing the land, we welcome First Nations and Métis people to access the land that we farm to practice their way of life. We are committed to implementing the Treaty relationship, engaging in ongoing learning together as we practice being Treaty people, and establishing a different way forward for rural Saskatchewan.
