Personal healing needed before healing of environment

By Shari Narine
Sweetgrass Contributing Editor
FORT McMURRAY FIRST NATION

July 14, 2016.

As Cleo Reece puts the finishing touches on the Healing Gathering, which will take place at the end of the month in Fort McMurray First Nation, it is hard for her not to think about the fire that swept through Wood Buffalo region and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes.

“We’re still trying to digest it, to understand it. Quite a few people lost everything. It united us, because we were all in the same situation. It brought us together in ways we hadn’t been before,” she said.

And in that loss, the upcoming Healing Gathering carries more weight.

“The Healing Gathering will really be focusing on the devastation and loss that people have experienced and not to really say it’s because of climate change or tarsands. It’s not going to be there to shame people because then you don’t create a healing space. It needs to be a space that’s open to healing,” said Jesse Cardinal, coordinator with Keepers of the Athabasca.

The Keepers provided funding for the Healing Walk, which was held for years and brought attention to  the tarsands and industrial development. The Healing Walk ended two years ago and was replaced by the Healing Gathering last year.

 “We have to really look inside of ourselves first, to heal ourselves first, before we can make a bigger difference. So we can be stronger to face the things we’re going to have to face and that is environmental destruction in the system that we live in,” said Reece.

Reece evacuated to Saddle Lake Cree Nation in early May, where she had friends. Although Fort McMurray First Nation was spared from fire damage, she says members from the Nation lived in Fort McMurray and suffered losses, while others had families and friends who suffered losses.

The damage wrought by the fire underscores the fragility of the environment and its sacredness, says Reece.

The Healing Gathering, which will take place from July 28-31, will involve Elders and spiritual and cultural activities, including a water ceremony and pipe ceremony. As well discussions, looking at the impacts of industry, will be led by the Industrial Relations Corporation for the Fort McMurray First Nation.

“We are not looking at this to condemn the industry but to see what, more or less, we can do as people to make a better future than what we’ve seen in the past,” said Reece. “We have to look at ways of working with the industry to minimize the damage.”

The Healing Gathering has also partnered with Wicihitowin Society in Edmonton, which will bring people to Fort McMurray First Nation. People from New York will also be attending.

“It’s important that urban people have that connection with the land. It encourages their involvement to be here and be away from the city, to get information and to see how we can work together,” said Reece.

While the Healing Gathering may be focusing on local people and the local landscape, the reach is wider than that.

“We want to also bring awareness in the sense of global support for the local people, an awareness of the issues themselves and what we can do about them,” said Reece.

Participants at a healing water ceremony at last year’s Healing Gathering. (Photo: Keepers of the Athabasca)