I've covered a lot of cultural events but this past Aboriginal Day was my first time participating in a teepee raising, pipe ceremony, prayers and feast and it was a great learning opportunity.
I arrived at the Bonnyville Heath Centre just before the teepee raising ceremony with enough time to take pictures and ask questions. I learned that each of the 15 poles each stand for a different belief, such as respect, happiness and thankfulness.
I also learned the teepee is a symbol of the sacredness of womanhood, standing with “dignity,” providing “warmth, comfort and shelter, love and care to the family.”
I sat down to wait for the ceremony to begin. I looked over to the teepee and realized people were disappearing inside. I quickly ran over, fumbling with my camera bag, which was not allowed in the teepee.
I finally got inside the teepee to see that most everyone else was already seated. I was a little nervous and wanted to make sure I wasn't disturbing their rituals, so I quickly darted inside, hoping to disappear into the background quickly.
I noticed the right side was very crowded so I moved a bit to the left. I was quickly notified that the left side of the teepee was meant for the men. Great, I thought to myself, so much for trying not to stick out like a sore thumb.
Lucky for me, everyone was very understanding and more than happy to explain all the questions myself or anyone else in the teepee had. I finally helped myself to a seat, hoping I'd be able to sit back and just blend in.
Again, this didn't happen.
Once the ceremony began, I realized I was sitting beside the junior elder, leading the ceremony. I thought that since I was sitting to the left of him and the men on the right, the sweet grass smudging and pipe and would be passed to the men first. Right? Wrong.
Everything came straight to me first. And, being right after the person leading the ceremony, everyone was still staring intently in our direction.
The helper brought the smoking, braided, sweet grass to me immediately after the Elder was finished his prayer.
I quickly looked around, trying to hide my confusion and must have looked like a deer in the headlights because the woman beside me pointed toward the “smudging” instructions given to us beforehand. My instruction sheet was inside my camera bag, outside the teepee.
I cupped some smoke and poured it over my body, as the instructions noted.
Smudging is for cleansing, explained the elder, and is necessarily before the pipe ceremony and feast. Each body part that is smudged is done so to ask the “Creator” to better that part of our body: the hands for good work, the head for a strong and clear mind, the ears for good listening, the mouth for kind words, the body for good health, and the heart for kindness, love and acceptance for others.
Once the helper took the sweet grass around the teepee, I realized I was not the only one who wasn't familiar with culture and felt a little more at ease. The elder and helper explained it is important for them to explain their beliefs and traditions to non-aboriginals in order to educate the public on why they live a certain way, which is beneficial for both parties.
I learned a lot about the Creator and how their beliefs paralleled the beliefs of Christianity. They also stressed their dependence and respect for the environment and world around us, values I too deem important.
After the ceremony, we enjoyed a great feast, which consisted of stew, soup, bannock, berries, fruit and tea – a whole lot of my favourite things. While we ate, stories were shared about the past of the aboriginals who shaped our community and our country.
One of the men who helped raise the teepee encouraged me to come back to the teepee on my own, or anyone who is interested to do so, to just sit and mediate or pray and soak in some of the culture I experienced on Thursday.
The teepee will remain at the hospital until this fall. I encourage you to check out the teepee and ask your own questions. What better way to spend a summer afternoon than learning a little cultural history about your own backyard and neighbours?
