Project director Lewis Cardinal is in a building under construction at Kihciy Askiy in the Edmonton River Valley on May 24th. Kelsey McMillan / The Globe and Mail
In the Edmonton River Valley, near the Whitemud Creek River, an old piece of farmland is returning to its roots. Indigenous oral histories speak of seeking medicine here. Ceremonies were once held on this land, some using ocher from a nearby site.
This historic site in Whitemud Park, formerly known as the Fox Farms site, is being transformed into a permanent urban indigenous ceremonial site, a place for sweat, pipe ceremonies, traditional teachings, and terrestrial learning. It is expected to open early next year, called kihciy askiy, Cree for sacred land.
This site, a partnership between the Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom and the city of Edmonton, is the first of its kind in Canada, said Lewis Cardinal, kihciy askiy project manager, and a “bold act of reconciliation.” .
A three-hour journey south to Calgary, a permanent native the meeting space is also advancing. The city of Calgary is exploring the transfer of city-owned land near the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, a traditional meeting place, to a local nonprofit organization. The Calgary Indigenous Gathering Place Society provides a building and outdoor space for learning, connecting, and celebrating Indigenous cultures.
“Really, with all my heart, I think we need it,” said Doreen Healy, a blood tribe member who was taken from her family at age five and sent to a residential school. Now an old woman in society, Mrs. Healy said he wept tears of gratitude and relief when Calgary City Council voted unanimously in February to move forward in determining a location for the land transfer.
Although the organizers with kihciy askiy in Edmonton and the Indigenous Gathering Place Society of Calgary describe these projects as defeated, they are delighted with what it will ultimately mean to have permanent urban spaces for ceremonial gatherings and cultural exchanges for both Indians and to non-indigenous people.
“Right now, we are the only people who have to leave the city to do our basic ceremonies,” Mr. Cardinal. In Calgary, the Indigenous Gathering Place Society notes that there are more than 500 spaces dedicated to cultures and spirituality in the city, but not one specifically designated for indigenous ceremonial and cultural practices.
For the past 16 years, Mr. Cardinal, who is Woodland Cree, has been involved in creating a permanent site for Indigenous ceremonies in Edmonton, home to the country’s second largest urban Indigenous population. He first worked with a council of seniors to bring a proposal to the city in 2006. The numerous meetings, discussions, studies and consultations that have taken place since then have erupted.
The contribution of the elderly has continued to drive the project, said Mr. Cardinal, including “marching orders” to create a place that meets the needs of all indigenous communities. The elders valued an accessible location by public transportation, and it had to offer people a chance to connect to the land. Non-Indigenous Edmontonians can also learn about Indigenous ceremonies and history at Kihciy Askiy.
The last 4.5-acre site is on a bus route, said Morgan Bamford, head of the Edmonton City Office of Indigenous Relations team. “It’s about removing barriers to accessing ceremonial and terrestrial education for the people of Edmonton,” he said.
Construction of kihciy askiy is underway and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The $ 6.5 million project will include a pavilion with toilets and locker rooms; a storage building; four sweat huts and a permanent stone heating area; tipis; and a large marquee for ceremonial festivities and cultural teachings. The Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom will operate the site, with the land and buildings owned by the city.
“We know that access to culture and ceremony is key to the well-being of our community,” Mr. Cardinal. “The more we see that indigenous people recognize their indigenousness and also move to urban centers, they need to have access to these resources so that they can feel more grounded in who they are.”
Nav Sandhu, Edmonton City Council’s program manager overseeing the construction of kihciy askiy, said social hiring was incorporated into the project, including hiring an indigenous human resources coordinator and recourse to businesses. local Indians for labor and resources. And unlike other construction projects, there was a land blessing ceremony, rather than an initiation ceremony.
Other cities are taking note. Mr. Cardinal said he has heard from people in Winnipeg and Toronto who want more information about the new Edmonton site.
“Having these kinds of spaces where Indigenous light can flourish, whatever that form, and in whatever way … all of these spaces are really important,” said Heather Dorries, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. in the Department of Geography and Planning and the Center for Indigenous Studies.
Professor Dorries investigates how urban planning has affected indigenous peoples and communities. All of Canada’s cities are built on Indigenous territory, he said, but Indigenous histories were erased from these places and there were policies to keep Indigenous people out.
In the cities, Indians have been working for a long time to make room for meeting and other community needs, Professor Dorries said. As urban spiritual and cultural meeting places gain momentum and broader community support, he hopes that the previous work of the indigenous people will not be forgotten.
In Calgary, Michelle Fournie learned about the concept of a meeting place in 2014, through a local workshop on reconciliation. Now, volunteer co-chair of the Indigenous Gathering Place Society, Ms. Fournie emphasizes building this site is not a new idea.
The city’s real estate division is investigating the details of the land transfer and meanwhile Ms. Fournie said the company continues with its grassroots approach to participation and is preparing to launch a capital campaign next year.
Mrs. Fournie wonders what it would have meant for her life to have an indigenous meeting place when she was a child. “I was born and raised in Calgary and as an urban-based Métis person living in intergenerational trauma. I struggled to find a sense of community to learn about myself and other Indigenous peoples,” he said.
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