It is spring. It is a time of renewal on the land as trees guide budding branches who lovingly prepare leaves still wrapped in their shells for warmth and protection. The incubating leaves are no doubt receiving their teachings from the old ones; teachings that will guide them throughout their lifetime.
That same process is happening all around us at this time of year as new life is greeted by those that have been here before them. The teachings will be passed on and set once more out onto the land just as it has been for countless generations.
Quietly, in much the same manner, ancient teachings are being passed on by the Gojjing (Goh-jih-jing) Friendship Circle, an ad hoc group, a mixture of grassroots professionals and members of the public at large.
The circle is an off-shoot of the Gojijing Roundtable on Truth and Reconciliation which was spearheaded by Orillia Senator Gwen Boniface. The roundtable is a growing amalgamation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who are working together to pass on and acquire ancient knowledge.
Like the tree, they are the hub from which they quietly prepare and exchange those teachings and pass them on. Their branches extend out from the community members and reach into schools, through educators and their students.
They also adjoin other links, such as doctors, lawyers, police, emergency services personnel — the list goes on. And like the buds on the trees, they are growing, expanding, disseminating that knowledge into places that need the nourishment of those teachings.
That hub, that tree, is St. Paul’s Centre in Orillia, which, through the generosity of Rev. Ted Reeves and his congregation, provides a safe place for conversations around Truth and Reconciliation. A safe place to explore new ways of teaching. New ways of learning about one another.
During the past four years the roundtable has organized teach-ins for Simcoe County District School Board students that have taken place at Couchiching Beach Park thanks to the generosity of the City of Orillia and Kate Hilliard of Arts Orillia.
Through the teach-ins the students are introduced to the local indigenous history of the region including the Fish Weirs at Atherley, the Coldwater Narrows reserve, residential schools and, of course, modern First Nation people’s existence as well. They learn that community and cooperation are an essential part of community building. They learn that the process of reconciliation is more than just a buzz word. That reconciliation is deeper than a politician’s mere utterance of the word.
St. Paul’s has been the beacon of reconciliation within the community. Last December, the church was host to an evening of story telling through song and story by indigenous performers at the St. Paul’s Centre.
During a cold night in December at the beginning of the teaching moons (winter), the centre played host to Indigenous performers.
I was the MC for the evening and the audience was treated to music and song from soulful songstress Heather McIntyre, who is Anishinaabe with roots at Georgina Island. We had ancient teachings with tales from Nanibush by John Rice from Wasauksing. Juno nominees, Shawn Corbiere, and Jen Brunelle, of No Reservations, were splendid and inspirational as they gave us a bundle of story and song created from love and compassion.
The night ended with a gift of song by Ronnie Douglas of Rama (Mnjikaning) as he allowed us to hear original music from his new album entitled Music is Medicine.
Friday evening, April 5, 2024, will bring the second in a series of these teach-ins — Shkagojin: New Moon, an evening of renewal through songs and story — and the lineup will be just as good as the first event. Once more we will hear the ancient teachings from John Rice of Wasauksing as he imparts, often amusingly, the tales of Nanibush.
We will also be treated to the brilliant poetry of Jillian Morris of Six Nations as she shares with us her journey through the world of Indigeneity and the larger society as viewed through her unique lens.
We are also in for a treat as Plex a hip hop artist from Edmonton shares original beats and stories that talk about everything from cultural appropriation to Pretendians and the state of our planet.
There is a mix of local flavour as we are introduced to music from the High Steppin’ Strutters, Michael Martyn, Scott Thomas, and Steve Porter who first performed together last summer at the Mariposa Music Festival.
The evening will be capped nicely by Semiah Smith, Mohawk, Turtle Clan, a pop electro RnB artist based out of Toronto. Her music is highlighted by her cinnamon sounding vocals that cascade your senses like a fresh breath of wind in a summer meadow.
I will once again MC the event and I extend an invitation to all our readership to join us for a special evening.
St. Paul’s is the tree, and its branches are budding, reaching for the light of hope that will guide us on a path of reconciliation. Through song and story, we will learn about one another in a good way. Join the circle.
Jeff Monague is a former Chief of the Beausoleil First Nation on Christian Island, former Treaty Research Director with the Anishnabek (Union of Ontario Indians), and veteran of the Canadian Forces. Monague, who taught the Ojibwe language with the Simcoe County District School Board and Georgian College, is currently the manager of Springwater Provincial Park. His column appears regularly.
