A Place Where Tradition, Culture and Connection Can Thrive
Growing up, I was lucky enough to be able to go to many cultural events and experience ceremonies with my parents. They took me with them everywhere and I was immersed in my culture because of it. As I grew older and started to meet more urban Indigenous folks, it became apparent that this was not always a common experience. Due to colonization, many Indigenous People living in Canada have lost touch with their culture, ceremonies, teachings and communities. In addition, urban Indigenous Peoples may lack access to transportation and financial resources, which means getting out to the land isn’t always an option. There are many cultural centres in the Edmonton area for other communities to gather- and yet Indigenous Peoples, the original people of this land, do not have a place of their own in the city.
The Indigenous Culture and Wellness Centre gives me a lot of hope - it presents an opportunity for First Nations, Métis and Inuit living in the Edmonton area to have a place of our own. It could become a place to connect with other members of the community, to share stories and customs, and an opportunity for the language, culture and our ways of being to survive. When I envision the centre, I see it as a place for the First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities to come together more frequently, share in our common experiences and learn from our differences.
I asked my eight year old daughter, Quinn, what her thoughts were on having a place like this close to us. She simply said, “It would be really special to me, mom.” I asked her why she felt that way. She mentioned that she didn’t think there were many places in the world like that. We talked together about why building one here might encourage other cities to do the same for their urban Indigenous communities. She talked about how Indigenous People don't really have a place of their own to host their celebrations in Edmonton and how excited she would be to bring her friends there to show them how special her culture is. She also said she’d probably go there with her kokum a lot - I agreed.
I talked with Quinn’s kokum, Carola Cunningham, about the Culture and Wellness Centre. We talked more about how unique the centre would be and why it would hold such significance in the community. She said something that really stuck with me. “It’s a place where our people will feel safe to be who they are, they can have a say and feel they belong. Indigenous People have been working on a collective lift for a very long time. We work to ‘normalize’ our practices and our ways of doing so that society can accept us as we are. We strive to become equal partners in our own country.”
She added the space will provide a sense of pride and ownership in one’s own beliefs, traditions and culture - from experiencing a ceremony, teaching, beading, cooking - all anyone has to do is show up. Carola talked about how our medicines can burn freely and our ceremonies would be practiced daily. The old people would share stories with young and old and build a sense of community that tends to get lost when Indigenous People move to the city. The goal, she says, would be to have a land-based centre so community members could learn more about growing and harvesting our medicines, tanning hides and sharing artisans work and skills. The Centre could house Indigenous entrepreneurs, consultants, architects, lawyers, urban treaty offices, and administrative arms of nonprofits - and it’s quite possible those groups and individuals could provide leadership in the centre. She envisions visitors from across the country and the world visiting the Centre - a place where we would showcase the rich and resourceful Indigenous cultures and ways of being.
Carola stressed that the Centre would be a place where Indigenous folks from all walks of life can come and still access the community and connect with loved ones. “It would be a space where people understand you, the way you see the world. The emotional labour of trying to explain yourself and why you want to do something would be left at the door because Indigenous People will no longer be trying to master a colonial institution/system, rather they would be at home here,” she said.
What we really felt in our discussion together was that the Centre would undoubtedly present more opportunities for connection within the Indigenous community as a whole. And with that, the hope is Indigenous People feel pride in who they are and what they bring to the human family.