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Rights
Respect
Partnership


Reconciliation is an interesting word. If we think of it as meaning, “restoring a once friendly relationship,” I wonder if it’s the correct word for our work with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Peoples of Canada.
However, there is another way of looking at it. Reconciliation also means, “the action of making one view or belief compatible with another.” (Oxford Dictionary) I think the road toward right relations with all people begins with honouring everyone’s rights, respecting indigenous culture and spirituality, and working together in partnership on new initiatives moving forward.

We still have a lot of listening and learning to do together. I hope you are able to take in some of the events happening Friday and Saturday at the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery. On Saturday, it all begins at 11:00 a.m. and includes a quilt ceremony, traditional Metis Music, a BBQ, and a film screening. This event is called, Little Souls: The Journey On. It is offered in partnership with Shining Mountains, Metis Local 492, Urban Aboriginal Voices Society, Golden Circle Senior Resource Centre, and the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery.

Another idea is to simply go online and find the national website for Truth and Reconciliation. There are a variety of stories and videos that share some of the positive initiatives that are going on in partnership with indigenous communities right across the country. All the ways we listen, learn, and walk along side one another, will take us step by step toward right relations in ways that create the space for new dreams of what we can do together.

Peace and joy,
Nancy