In this session, Cree Knowledge Keeper Marilyn Dykstra invites us to understand the laws that came before everything else, and to never lose sight of where we came from. As stewards of the land, she says, we must all acknowledge our responsibility to live in truthfulness and respect with the earth and each other, and only take what we need.

“We must ensure that we do not leave any hurt in our interactions for others to clean up,” Marilyn says. “What happens to Mother Earth, happens to the children of Mother Earth.”

In this workshop Marilyn will share why our connections within Wahkowtowin must remain compassionate and how our relatedness provides us with identity and ceremony. During first winter, times are tough, and our fasting is heavy. Like the chickadee, we should stay close to home, work together and communicate. Our stories provide healing and ready us for the year to come. We must also connect our conversations with the universe and with the ancestors, and to be thankful for everything that they have provided us. This includes the ice and snow that provides Mother Earth with a rest.

Workshop

This workshop is part of a monthly Wahkowtowin and Ways of Being series led by Knowledge Keeper Marilyn Dykstra. Each month, we will explore a variety of moon, pole and tea teachings in the Cree tradition.

Wahkowtowin – which translates to kinship – highlights how relationships, communities and the natural world are all interconnected.

Participants will discover and reflect on their connections with each other, with balance and with human rights through teachings and a traditional tea.