By Alison Curtis, Librarian
I attended three reconciliation workshops at the April APAG Mini Conference: Carving for Reconciliation Cohort Student Meet and Greet; Reconciliation: The Journey of Our Generation; and Silversmithing for Reconciliation. Each provided different ways to learn about indigenous experience in Canada and the need for reconciliation, and together they were nothing short of transformative. Like many other attendees, I left convinced that we need the College to offer more workshops on reconciliation, and we need everyone (everyone!) at Langara to take those workshops.
In the first workshop, students showed us the beautiful large cedar reconciliation house board, with individual pieces they had carved under the supervision of Coast Salish artist and carving instructor Aaron Nelson-Moody. Each distinctive piece had a story that the students were on hand to explain, along with the techniques and materials they used. It will be wonderful to see both planned house boards when they are eventually completed and placed in an Aboriginal space on campus. But we actually spent the first half of the workshop not looking at art but storytelling, sharing personal perspectives on reconciliation and how we had come to be there. The discussion went in remarkable directions and participants shared many heartfelt experiences. What I learned from this exchange, with gratitude to Aaron, Justin, the students and all the participants, is that there are many paths to reconciliation and it’s OK to start from wherever you are.
The second workshop, Reconciliation: The Journey of Our Generation was both challenging and life-changing. Cultural Connections is a team from the Cowichan Valley comprised of “residential school survivors, inter-generational survivors, and Canadians.” The Elders led us though their story in the form of a three-hour experiential learning exercise that began with looking at the current decision making structures we live in and the values within them. We tested the values that we hold dear to us as Canadians and found they left out many of the people they were designed to represent. The Elders then introduced us to their traditional values, culture, and community structure as they lived in Coast Salish territories pre-contact. Then they took us on a journey of Canadian History through their eyes, their lived experiences and those of their ancestors. Together we moved through many of the extreme losses encountered by the First People of this country. By now, many if not all of us were weeping.
That was not the end of the role play, and there was much more to the workshop. I cannot possibly do it justice in words. But I want to convey that our group felt the experience keenly, viscerally, and that is really important. Understanding like this is not something you can learn in a book, and it’s something that stays with you. A three-hour role play is nowhere near the actual lived experience of indigenous peoples. But it’s a starting point for understanding and wanting to move toward reconciliation.
In the workshop we cried a lot, but we also laughed. The Elders had brought many boxes of tissues with them – they’ve done this before! – and they were always there, kindly and discretely, to offer a hankie. They were also there for us at the end with hugs and a cleansing ritual. The entire session felt like a very safe process, thanks to their care.
I hadn’t signed up for the third reconciliation workshop, but I couldn’t resist: Silversmithing for Reconciliation. This was a hands-on session, again led by Aaron Nelson-Moody, who is not only an amazing carver and silversmith (and teacher), but also a gifted singer and drummer. While we participants worked on our silver arrowhead pieces with jeweller’s saws and finishing tools, Aaron sang and drummed for us. After the previous day, it felt very soothing to be just listening and working with my hands. I’m not handy with tools and didn’t get very far with my piece, but that’s ok. I carry it around with me as-is for now, and plan to finish it sometime this summer. It’s a nice memento and a reminder to myself that small steps toward reconciliation are better than no steps.
