News from Honouring Indigenous People

Here is the latest Honouring Indigenous People Rotary News and Events, projects, blogs, photos, films, and resources. There are many major initiatives and resources available to you and your Rotary club. Your Club can help.  Our District 7070 Action Committee's Areas of Focus Coordinator is Bill Empey from the Rotary Club of Toronto   If you have a good news story, please send it to Bill. Here are some highlights .........

Click here to view their website. For more news, check the Areas of Focus Action Committees Menu Bar in the District Newsletter under HIP.  This rapidly growing nation-wide movement, HIP,  is a partnership between Indigenous Peoples & Rotarians. The new website contains stories about supporters, just like you and your Club, who are making an impact across Canada by taking action to create lasting change! Here is a link to their latest Newsletters. 

News :

HIP continues to be engaged with Rotary Clubs and First Nation communities and organizations in Rotary District 7070.  Highlights of activities during 2022-2023 include;

Beyond the Orange Shirt Story

Orange Shirt Day, now known as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is held annually on September 30th. It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. A discussion all Canadians can tune into and create bridges with each other for reconciliation. A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected. Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.

This year, HIP and many Rotary Clubs in the Niagara area are taking this event to a new level.  Beyond the Orange Shirt Story is a weeklong event hosted in Niagara Falls Ontario and designed to honour Residential School Survivors.  Phyllis Webstad, the indigenous youth who inspired the Orange shirt movement, will be at the event.  The highlight will be lighting up Niagara Falls in orange! The Rotary lunch at the Club Italia Restaurant was attended by over 100 people including local survivors. Dawn and Roberta Hill and others including Phyllis Webstad attended. The Rotary presentation was sponsored by Cogeco and is recorded on online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnHcMSq2N8c

Y2Y Youth Engagement:

HIP NATIONAL YOUTH-TO-YOUTH TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION EXPERIENCE

HIP is coordinating Y2Y engagement programs that bring indigenous and non-indigenous youth together to learn about and participate in First Nations culture and history.  Rotary Districts across Canada are involved. Plans are complete for a national Youth to Youth engagement event in Winnipeg in March of 2023.  HIP has received over 80 applications from Youth across Canada interested in participating in this innovative experience being held in Winnipeg from March 27 - April 1st. 
"This is an incredible opportunity for the next generation to come together to learn, share and build relationships," said John Currie, HIP Executive Director.
Youth will spend 4-days participating in a Ceremonial Gathering at Turtle Lodge providing Knowledge Keepers and Youth Leaders with the opportunity to present Indigenous spiritual leadership perspectives of the land. The intent of the Gathering is for First Nations Youth, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers to share land-based knowledge, what healing means to us, and the meaning and practice of leadership. Following the Traditional Spiritual and Ceremonial Protocols of the Turtle Lodge, this Gathering will begin each day in the Ceremony with the Lifting of the Sacred Pipes and the Water Ceremony. Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth will learn, through experience, ancestral ways of stewardship, and kindle in them a spiritual relationship with the land. This event is uniquely developed based on traditional teachings from the host territory.

• Build friendships with like-minded Indigenous and Non-Indigenous youth from across Canada
• Receive rare teachings from leading elders and knowledge keepers about Indigenous heritage, culture, and treaty relationships.
• Develop a hands-on understanding of nature and what it means to be a good steward of the land.

On day 5, youth will experience a private tour of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, the world’s first museum dedicated to human rights, and engage in dialogue about the truths of Residential Schools from The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Youth will receive certificates of participation from HIP, Turtle Lodge and the Ministry of Canadian Heritage. 

WE NEED YOUR HELP!   Fundraising   While we have everything booked and Youth applicants, we have only raised $160,000 of our $280,000 budget for the National Youth to Youth Truth & Reconciliation Experience. Being only two months away from the date of the event, we could use your help in reaching out to potential sponsors. For sponsorship information, please visit: https://honouringindigenouspeoples.com/alliance

WILLIAMS TREAT Y 2 Y GROUP: AT CAMP KAWARTHA - 2023

HIP has organized a Williams Treaty Y2Y group that includes the TRACKS Youth Program in the Peterborough area and other schools, FN communities, District 7070 and 7010 and its Rotary Clubs.  This group has organized virtual programs on Cultural Awareness, Water Teaching and Plan Medicine.  The Cultural Awareness event was supported by a grant from the District.  The in-person Camp Kawartha event bringing together 25 indigenous and 25 non-indigenous youth was cancelled for 2022.  Our indigenous partners have assessed the COVID 19 risks related to the event scheduled for Camp Kawartha and feel that overnight / shared sleeping arrangements pose a serious possibility of infection.  Accordingly, we have decided to cancel the Y2Y Camp Kawartha event. The weekend in person event at Camp Kawartha has been rescheduled for a date to be determined in 2023

Misko Aki Confluence of Cultures, Digital Exhibition

Misko-Aki; Convergence of Cultures is a Muskoka based innovative plan for both a virtual and in-place exhibition of native history and culture.  The Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, and Métis people have inhabited and traversed the Muskoka region (and most of District 7070) for millennia. Leaders from these communities have joined international, award winning artistic director Tim Johnson to form the Creative Indigenous Group that leads project.    Work is underway on an extension to the Muskoka Discovery Center in Gravenhurst.  The Centre has positioned itself at the leading edge of Indigenous museology to align with best practices and to provide the Muskoka Region with a profound expression of reconciliation in action.  Rotary Clubs in District 7070 and 7010 have requested presentations and are considering their participation. HIP continues to promote interest in the Misko Aki project at local Rotary Clubs.  A short program describing the exhibit is available for Rotary Club meetings.

Covenant of Nations; Sacred Wampum Renewal Gathering

HIP is supporting the Covenant of Nations, Sacred Wampum Gathering and the Indigenous communities that will be celebrating the importance of peace. The Covenant of Nations: Sacred Wampum gathering at Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Anishinaabeg Nation to be held in Syracuse, NY will offer the first step in a continental movement to unify Indigenous Nations on Turtle Island. Such a historic meeting has not taken place between to Nations since pre-colonial times. The old alliances of covenants of peace and friendship encoded within wampum belts will be renewed by the spiritual leaders of both Nations. Spiritual leaders as witnesses from other Indigenous Nations will be invited to carry the Fire home to their people to work for Peace, and respectful relationships.  Rotary Clubs are encouraged to support the Covenant of Nations.  HIP and Rotary has been asked to help with the program and this represents a strong affirmation of the high regard the Rotary has in the indigenous community.  HIP can provide a short presentation at your club meetings. The Covenant of Nations event has been rescheduled for the spring of 2023.

General Networking

HIP has helped prepare indigenous participation at the District 7070 conference in October at the Nottawasaga Inn.  Cora McGuire-Cyrette, executive officer at the Ontario Native Woman’s association will be a speaker.  HIP is working with 7070 Clubs including help with land acknowledgements .

Bill Empey

HIP Coordinator, District 7070

What is your club doing to Honour Indigenous People?

Please email Julie Dunaiskis (julie@eccgroup.ca) with a brief summary so we can post on the HIP website and provide an update in upcoming newsletters. This will help other clubs and provide a sense of how we are involved. We do not know the precise number of clubs across Canada who are involved in educational and awareness activities, however, our guess is we are close to 175 and growing. Some clubs were involved well before HIP, many on their own and some because of our encouragement and leadership.

Regards,