Sharing circle, smudge session aims to foster non-judgmental healing

By KENDALL KING, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on December 1, 2021.

kking@medicinehatnews.com

A sharing circle and smudge is being held Thursday at the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre.

The event aims to inform the public about Canada’s treatment of Indigenous people throughout history and provide a non-judgmental space for healing. Guest speakers Sophie Colehouse and Brenda Mercer will be sharing stories of their experiences and answering questions from the public.

“It’s part of our history – Canadian history,” Mercer told the News. “The Sixties Scoop was not that long ago and residential schools were not that long ago either.”

“I feel like, after Kamloops, people want to find out more, they want to know more. People are calling the (Miywasin Friendship Centre) and saying, ‘What can I do?’ … I think part of it is, they don’t really know the whole story behind it and those children that were found at residential schools, it’s a beginning. It’s somewhere for people to start. I feel like we have to keep doing this, we have to keep telling their stories,” Mercer said.

Mercer says sharing her story is a form of healing. She hopes the personal nature of this event will help garner better understanding of Canadian Indigenous history and inspire solidarity.

“I think they’ll just come out and be informed. I know when I read a book, there’s nobody to (see and hear), but when somebody tells their story, you can put a face to that.”

This event is recommended for individuals 13-plus. It will run from 7-8:30 p.m.

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