Winnipeg – The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will host a celebration of sharing and gratitude for the knowledge gifts of Indigenous Elders that underpin the new Mikinak-Keya Spirit Tour.
The Spirit Tour is a gift being brought forward by Indigenous Elders to share the Seven Sacred Teachings, values intended to inspire people to honour human rights and the rights of the child.
All are invited to attend the free public event on Wednesday evening, which will feature dancing, stories and song. Seven young dancers, accompanied by singer/drummer Ray Coco Stevenson, will represent the seven animals that carry the sacred teachings of the tour. The museum’s interpretative guides and an Indigenous Elder will interpret the story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman and the origins of the Sacred Pipe, which will be significant parts of the tour. Architectural historian Dr. Frank Albo will explain the connection of the stories to elements of the building’s architecture. Elder David Courchene will give closing remarks.
What: Celebration of the Spirit Tour
When: Wednesday, June 17, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Bonnie & John Buhler Hall, CMHR (85 Israel Asper Way)
The Mikinak-Keya Spirit Tour will be offered at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings and at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings starting on July 4. Visitors must pre-register by calling 204-289-2227 or by emailing visitorservices@humanrights.ca. The tour costs $15.00 per person plus admission. The 90-minute program and the Spirit Tour itself were co-created by the Elders Circle Seven – a group representing Anishnabe, Cree and Dakota Nations brought together by the Turtle Lodge, working in partnership with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
Photo Courtesy Erica Daniels. L to R: Mikinak-Keya Core Team Members and Ankanootamagate (Tour Guides)
– Ali Fontaine, Elder Harry Bone, Sylvia Dueck, Elder William Easter, Elder Henry Skywater, Elder Dave Courchene, Grandmother Sherry Copenace, Elder Peter Atkinson, Dr. Frank Albo, Chandra Erlendson. Missing: Elder Robert Greene.
The Following is the text of the presentation by Anishnabe Elder Dave Courchene of the Elders Circle Seven, at the Official Launch of the Spirit Tour at the CMHR last December 2014:
Boozhoo, Aniin! Denay Makinitook!
Welcome, My Relatives, to the Centre, the heart of Turtle Island, the sacred place of
Manito Api. Today we come forward to share a gift from the Original People.
Let me begin by offering words of gratitude to the Great Spirit
Kizhay Manito, for the Great Vision of Life.
Today I call upon the spirit of the ancestors to join us as we bring forward this sacred gift, which we refer to as
Mikinak-Keya – Trail of the Turtle.
As the Original free and independent Peoples of this land, we have the distinction of being the roots of our homeland. This positions us with the responsibility to be the true leaders and the voice of our homeland. Derived from the original domain of Spirit, we present
Mikinak-Keya – Trail of the Turtle – The Spirit Tour, as our gift to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and all people of the world.
For the Original People, Mother Earth is the face of the Great Spirit. In our belief system, everyone and everything is governed first by Spiritual Laws – the values that connect us to a Higher Power and inspire us to have a spirit of
Kizhay Ottiziwin – Beings of Kindness. For the Original People, human rights do not come from paper – they are not man-made; they come from the Great Spirit. Everyone and everything is held together and governed by Spiritual Laws and Natural Laws – laws that are woven into the fabric of Creation and written upon the Earth. We refer to this as the Great Binding Law of the Great Spirit.
The Original People continue to live in an environment of imposition and marginalisation, which has denied our inherent right to be an autonomous and self-determining People. In our language the term
Ki ongonaa – ‘the burying of a way of life’ – the genocide and the suppression of a people and their sacred teachings through colonization, secular legislation and ignorance, describes our recent and continued experience.
But there is a saying amongst our People:
They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds – the seeds of the future that carry a vision that can unite us all and can help bring back the memory of the Original Instructions on how to be a human being.
This tour is meant to appeal to the hearts of humanity to move beyond our division, our separation, our disrespect and our violence, to build, together, a healthier, peaceful world that includes the Spirit and Earth as a foundation for all human rights.
By sharing the Spiritual Laws and Natural Laws of our people, this tour is designed to plant a seed of living truth in the heart – a seed that will grow into a rooted respect and love for the land and all Creation, and inspire us to the highest values of behaviour toward the Earth and humanity. This tour originates from the spirit of our ancestors and it offers an introduction to sacred teachings that will continue to mature after the tour experience.
As a People we have always received guidance and direction from our dreams, visions and ceremonies. This tour was designed based on the dreams, visions and ceremonies of our People.
Since our beginning as the Original Peoples of this land, we have gathered on a sacred site in close proximity to the museum, a site even older than The Forks –
Manito Api, one of the most revered and significant sacred sites of the Original Peoples of Turtle Island. Historically, our Nations would arrive by land and by water at The Forks, and travel from here to
Manito Api. All the content of this tour begins at
Manito Api, which is a place of healing, direction and vision located in the geographical centre of North America. Just as the Museum is an expression of Human Rights,
Manito Api is the expression of the Spiritual and Natural Laws, which this tour is based on.
The
Spirit Tour was developed through an equal partnership between the Elders Circle Seven and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, acknowledging the leadership of the Original People in the development of the Tour.
We are proud and honoured to share this precious gift as it reflects the richness of our identity and close connection to Mother Earth, the source of all life. This gift is our way of inspiring the collective human family to remember our Original Instructions on how to be a human being and to live in accordance with the principles of Respect, Love, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Humility, and Truth. The importance of this tour is to reinforce the significance of our spiritual identity, which is inclusive to all cultures. We must not continue to overstep the guidance of Spirit, and we must not overstep Mother Earth anymore.
Nature has become sick because of our behaviour of selfishness and ignorance. And as much as we have been impacted as human beings because of disconnect from higher Spiritual and Natural Laws, we have affected the animal and plant world to the extent that the animals and plants have become very sick because we have shown so much disrespect for the air, the earth, the water – the elements of life.
If we reflect upon the teachings of this tour and deeply ponder its messages it would inspire us to live in accordance with Nature and be rooted in Spirit, which honours the rights of everyone. This tour is about inspiring and encouraging respect for each other, and to respect our sacred responsibilities to be caretakers of and speakers for the Earth.
The Spirit Tour is meant to inspire us to show respect for Nature’s authority that is based on balance and harmony.
The Spirit Tour is meant to inspire us to follow Nature’s Laws that serve to nurture, teach and guide our lives towards survival.
The Spirit Tour is meant to help us to return the deep love we all receive from Mother Earth.
The Spirit Tour is meant to help us to return to the beginning, that holds the memory of the original instructions we were all given on how to be a human being, that reflects respect and kindness for all life.
It was with humility that we as the Elders Circle Seven represented our People the best way we knew how, with whatever, albeit limited, knowledge that each of us carried. With the great help and participation of architectural historian Dr. Frank Albo, and Chandra Erlendson representing the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
We have done our best to represent our Original People as Anishnabe, Cree and Dakota. We take full responsibility for what we have shared. We present this story knowing it is an attempt to capture the fullness, richness and beauty of the Original People.
We acknowledge the fact that we could never transfer our way of life through written words alone. We are an oral people. Sacred law cannot be written. It must be spoken, heard and lived. Our way of life is meant to be lived and experienced. Our words are meant to inspire and guide our fellow human beings to follow the path of the heart.
The Spirit Tour is meant to inspire us to become united – to walk together in the footsteps of our ancestors as they lead us into the future, when finally we will treat each other as equals…and where we can treat our home, Mother Earth, with the deep profound love and respect she deserves.
Miigwetch, E’kosi, Wopida
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/12/26/trail-turtle
Winnipeg – The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will host a celebration of sharing and gratitude for the knowledge gifts of Indigenous Elders that underpin the new Mikinak-Keya Spirit Tour.
The Spirit Tour is a gift being brought forward by Indigenous Elders to share the Seven Sacred Teachings, values intended to inspire people to honour human rights and the rights of the child.
All are invited to attend the free public event on Wednesday evening, which will feature dancing, stories and song. Seven young dancers, accompanied by singer/drummer Ray Coco Stevenson, will represent the seven animals that carry the sacred teachings of the tour. The museum’s interpretative guides and an Indigenous Elder will interpret the story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman and the origins of the Sacred Pipe, which will be significant parts of the tour. Architectural historian Dr. Frank Albo will explain the connection of the stories to elements of the building’s architecture. Elder David Courchene will give closing remarks.
What: Celebration of the Spirit Tour
When: Wednesday, June 17, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Bonnie & John Buhler Hall, CMHR (85 Israel Asper Way)
The Mikinak-Keya Spirit Tour will be offered at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings and at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings starting on July 4. Visitors must pre-register by calling 204-289-2227 or by emailing visitorservices@humanrights.ca. The tour costs $15.00 per person plus admission. The 90-minute program and the Spirit Tour itself were co-created by the Elders Circle Seven – a group representing Anishnabe, Cree and Dakota Nations brought together by the Turtle Lodge, working in partnership with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
Photo Courtesy Erica Daniels. L to R: Mikinak-Keya Core Team Members and Ankanootamagate (Tour Guides) – Ali Fontaine, Elder Harry Bone, Sylvia Dueck, Elder William Easter, Elder Henry Skywater, Elder Dave Courchene, Grandmother Sherry Copenace, Elder Peter Atkinson, Dr. Frank Albo, Chandra Erlendson. Missing: Elder Robert Greene.
The Following is the text of the presentation by Anishnabe Elder Dave Courchene of the Elders Circle Seven, at the Official Launch of the Spirit Tour at the CMHR last December 2014:
Boozhoo, Aniin! Denay Makinitook!
Welcome, My Relatives, to the Centre, the heart of Turtle Island, the sacred place of Manito Api. Today we come forward to share a gift from the Original People.
Let me begin by offering words of gratitude to the Great Spirit Kizhay Manito, for the Great Vision of Life.
Today I call upon the spirit of the ancestors to join us as we bring forward this sacred gift, which we refer to as Mikinak-Keya – Trail of the Turtle.
As the Original free and independent Peoples of this land, we have the distinction of being the roots of our homeland. This positions us with the responsibility to be the true leaders and the voice of our homeland. Derived from the original domain of Spirit, we present Mikinak-Keya – Trail of the Turtle – The Spirit Tour, as our gift to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and all people of the world.
For the Original People, Mother Earth is the face of the Great Spirit. In our belief system, everyone and everything is governed first by Spiritual Laws – the values that connect us to a Higher Power and inspire us to have a spirit of Kizhay Ottiziwin – Beings of Kindness. For the Original People, human rights do not come from paper – they are not man-made; they come from the Great Spirit. Everyone and everything is held together and governed by Spiritual Laws and Natural Laws – laws that are woven into the fabric of Creation and written upon the Earth. We refer to this as the Great Binding Law of the Great Spirit.
The Original People continue to live in an environment of imposition and marginalisation, which has denied our inherent right to be an autonomous and self-determining People. In our language the term Ki ongonaa – ‘the burying of a way of life’ – the genocide and the suppression of a people and their sacred teachings through colonization, secular legislation and ignorance, describes our recent and continued experience.
But there is a saying amongst our People:
They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds – the seeds of the future that carry a vision that can unite us all and can help bring back the memory of the Original Instructions on how to be a human being.
This tour is meant to appeal to the hearts of humanity to move beyond our division, our separation, our disrespect and our violence, to build, together, a healthier, peaceful world that includes the Spirit and Earth as a foundation for all human rights.
By sharing the Spiritual Laws and Natural Laws of our people, this tour is designed to plant a seed of living truth in the heart – a seed that will grow into a rooted respect and love for the land and all Creation, and inspire us to the highest values of behaviour toward the Earth and humanity. This tour originates from the spirit of our ancestors and it offers an introduction to sacred teachings that will continue to mature after the tour experience.
As a People we have always received guidance and direction from our dreams, visions and ceremonies. This tour was designed based on the dreams, visions and ceremonies of our People.
Since our beginning as the Original Peoples of this land, we have gathered on a sacred site in close proximity to the museum, a site even older than The Forks – Manito Api, one of the most revered and significant sacred sites of the Original Peoples of Turtle Island. Historically, our Nations would arrive by land and by water at The Forks, and travel from here to Manito Api. All the content of this tour begins at Manito Api, which is a place of healing, direction and vision located in the geographical centre of North America. Just as the Museum is an expression of Human Rights, Manito Api is the expression of the Spiritual and Natural Laws, which this tour is based on.
The Spirit Tour was developed through an equal partnership between the Elders Circle Seven and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, acknowledging the leadership of the Original People in the development of the Tour.
We are proud and honoured to share this precious gift as it reflects the richness of our identity and close connection to Mother Earth, the source of all life. This gift is our way of inspiring the collective human family to remember our Original Instructions on how to be a human being and to live in accordance with the principles of Respect, Love, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Humility, and Truth. The importance of this tour is to reinforce the significance of our spiritual identity, which is inclusive to all cultures. We must not continue to overstep the guidance of Spirit, and we must not overstep Mother Earth anymore.
Nature has become sick because of our behaviour of selfishness and ignorance. And as much as we have been impacted as human beings because of disconnect from higher Spiritual and Natural Laws, we have affected the animal and plant world to the extent that the animals and plants have become very sick because we have shown so much disrespect for the air, the earth, the water – the elements of life.
If we reflect upon the teachings of this tour and deeply ponder its messages it would inspire us to live in accordance with Nature and be rooted in Spirit, which honours the rights of everyone. This tour is about inspiring and encouraging respect for each other, and to respect our sacred responsibilities to be caretakers of and speakers for the Earth.
The Spirit Tour is meant to inspire us to show respect for Nature’s authority that is based on balance and harmony.
The Spirit Tour is meant to inspire us to follow Nature’s Laws that serve to nurture, teach and guide our lives towards survival.
The Spirit Tour is meant to help us to return the deep love we all receive from Mother Earth.
The Spirit Tour is meant to help us to return to the beginning, that holds the memory of the original instructions we were all given on how to be a human being, that reflects respect and kindness for all life.
It was with humility that we as the Elders Circle Seven represented our People the best way we knew how, with whatever, albeit limited, knowledge that each of us carried. With the great help and participation of architectural historian Dr. Frank Albo, and Chandra Erlendson representing the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
We have done our best to represent our Original People as Anishnabe, Cree and Dakota. We take full responsibility for what we have shared. We present this story knowing it is an attempt to capture the fullness, richness and beauty of the Original People.
We acknowledge the fact that we could never transfer our way of life through written words alone. We are an oral people. Sacred law cannot be written. It must be spoken, heard and lived. Our way of life is meant to be lived and experienced. Our words are meant to inspire and guide our fellow human beings to follow the path of the heart.
The Spirit Tour is meant to inspire us to become united – to walk together in the footsteps of our ancestors as they lead us into the future, when finally we will treat each other as equals…and where we can treat our home, Mother Earth, with the deep profound love and respect she deserves.
Miigwetch, E’kosi, Wopida
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/12/26/trail-turtle
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