Members of First Nations will participate in a Hummingbird Healing Circle this weekend at Pierre’s Point.
The objective is to bring all nations together in a “Peace Through Arts” event led by Rev. Mary Fontaine of Hummingbird Ministries Healing Circles.
Hummingbird was founded by Fontaine, a member of the Mistawasis Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan.
Hummingbird’s programs and objectives include the well-being of First Nations, and goodwill between First Nations people, the church and Canadians.
Hummingbird Circles are established in various locations throughout the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, in line with First Nations’ values of kinship and hospitality.
This event is open to anyone from any background or culture, who wishes to experience a healing circle and to share in the arts such as music, drama and dance.
The circle reflects the respected indigenous values of listening, community and equality before God, says Fontaine.
The circles include a welcome, prayer and sacred songs in indigenous and other languages.
On Wednesday, May 29, a follow-up, restorative forum to discuss healing and reconciliation issues for the Shuswap and North Okanagan will be held at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
It will be an evening of sharing ideas and impressions from the Kamloops Truth and Reconciliation Hearings, and other thoughts and concerns around aboriginal and non-aboriginal people.
Rev. Woldy Sosnowsky says Hummingbird Ministries works under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church, one of several churches in Canada that operated residential schools.
The Presbyterian Church operated two schools until 1964 – one in Thunder Bay and the other in Winnipeg.
“The Presbyterian Church has been a leader in the healing and reconciliation process,” says Sosnowsky.
“In recent times, the church has initiated healing and reconciliation with various groups.”
Fontaine, a Cree and a Presbyterian minister, has taken this on as her ministry in the Lower Mainland. This is her first trip outside of that region, says Sosnowsky.
Fontaine works with church and non-church people and street people.
“She uses traditional tools of singing, dancing and drumming,” says Sosnowsky who attended UBC’s School of Theology after retiring as a teacher, counsellor and principal in North Vancouver where he worked closely with First Nations youths. “It resonates with people, that’s why her ministry is effective.”
An immigrant from Ukraine when he was very young, Sosnowsky says he understands what it is like to be discriminated against because of name and origin.
“As I went to school, I could see native kids were clearly discriminated against,” he says. “Those kids went home to sub-standard conditions. We did school together, but they went back to a different world.”
While the weekend healing circle is primarily directed at First Nations people, Sosnowsky is hoping to have a healthy showing of native and non-native people at next Wednesday’s forum.
“We’re not awful people, but we have to make sure we acknowledge our mistakes,” he says.
“The first step is to begin a conversation between the people who were harmed and those who represent those who did the harming – even though they may have not been involved in the actual decisions.”
The forum begins at 6 p.m. For more information, call Rev. Woldy Sosnowsky at 250-832-2454 or 250-832-7282.
