Enjoy learning and land acknowledgements

Cheryl Whiskeyjack’s approach to understanding Indigenous culture encourages connection

Cheryl Whiskeyjack led an informative land acknowledgment discussion at Parkdale Cromdale Community League. | Constance Brissenden

When Cheryl Whiskeyjack talks, it’s easy to listen. The executive director of Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society brought her open and informed style to a recent community league workshop on creating land acknowledgements.

Eight board members from Parkdale Cromdale Community League learned and laughed with Whiskeyjack. We left behind the fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. To create a land acknowledgement, we chose respect instead of rules and regulations.

We breathed a sigh of relief that such an acknowledgement should come from our hearts, spoken with sincerity.

Whiskeyjack moved to Alberta’s Treaty 6 territory in 1979. She identifies as an Indigenous settler after leaving her family’s traditional Anishinaabeg territory in Ontario as a child.

“What I realize, as a newcomer to Alberta, is that we all express appreciation of this land every day,” observes Whiskeyjack. “When we enjoy the city’s river valley and parks, we say, ‘How fortunate we are to live in such a setting.’”

For her, this is also a land acknowledgement.

When she first travelled to Germany, she was welcomed in German. “It was the first time that I realized ‘I’m not on my land.’ As travellers on this planet, anywhere we go, we always acknowledge whose territory we are on. We don’t think, we just do it.”

Relax and enjoy learning about the First Peoples of Canada, she encourages. Don’t be afraid to enjoy the process.

One board member asked about a special decorated jacket she received decades ago while working in a Northern community. Ever since, it sat in her closet because she was afraid of being seen as appropriating Indigenous culture.

Cheryl Whiskeyjack encouraged the board member to wear her jacket anytime and anywhere. “It was a gift from the women of the community and shows their creativity. Wear it with pride. Share the generosity of these women with anyone who asks. Honour them by doing so.” This could apply to any item of clothing, such as a ribbon shirt or ribbon skirt. “Wear it with sincerity and respect,” she added.

Another important lesson revolved around “rules and regulations.” One day at work, Whiskeyjack was in the kitchen with a group of women who were learning how to cook soup. A visitor dropped by and studied their progress. “You are not stirring the soup properly,” he said. “You should only stir it in one direction.”

Within seconds, the visitor was hustled out of the kitchen. As Whiskeyjack emphatically recalled, “I told him there were many, many ways to stir a soup.” As a participant, this summed up what I learned. 

To quote Cheryl Whiskeyjack, “Reconciliation is a big word, a big task. But it is a process. We are all in a different place in this process.”

Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society aims to call all people in and create a safe space for all. “This is our calling-in culture. No one ever learns by being called out.”

Afterwards, our board meeting began. Kristina Palmer, president of Parkdale Cromdale Community League, spoke her own personal version of a land acknowledgement. It was heartfelt and sincere — just the way that Cheryl Whiskeyjack encouraged us.