NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY | 5
SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 2023
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I would share words if they ask. But they don’t ask. But they tell you what to do, though. So why don’t we switch those things around? So listen a little bit. Think a little bit. Try to do good things. It’s not hard. It’s not hard to have respect. It’s not hard to be honest. Creator loves everybody. Creator’s work is sacred. And I’m understanding if you do sacred work, or God’s work, things are going to be good. That seems very simple. Creator is total love. I mean, that’s not hard to understand. I noticed that sometimes people have a hard time with that. With the word “love.” Every person that’s on this earth is important. All the natural laws on this earth, all over the world, are important. All the human being laws: respect, kindness, generosity, bravery, humility, all those words, there are hundreds of those words — and they are all laws and they come from Creator. And what we want to do is make sure we practise Creator’s laws so that things can be good. It always seems to work out good when you follow Creator’s laws. Always. But when you follow manmade laws, it always goes awry for some reason. We want to have a powwow place in the city of Winnipeg where Indigenous people can come and be free about displaying their culture and practising their culture, protecting their culture. And I’m wondering
if that’s important enough for that to happen. We want to have a place where we can freely celebrate. We want to be who we are. That’s what this National Indigenous People’s Day is all about — celebrating our way. June 21 is important just like any other day. We don’t celebrate just one day and be good and then just ignore the other days. We don’t do that. On that day, though, we honour each other. We share. We talk. We laugh. We have a memorial ceremony those days. We ask the medicines for help on those days. And we feed our ancestors — taking fish and dried meat and bannock and that kind of food to feed our ancestors. And the leftovers, there’s always leftovers. We share that with people. Common people, who want to do good. Who want to be kind. Who want to give their heart. Who want to know about the right and wrong. Who know about the holistic way of living. Who know that they have a sacred spirit. Those are very important things. I had a hard time in my lifetime, but I managed to pull through once I decided I was Dakota and not mixed up trying to be Canadian or Manitoban or what people told me I am. I’m not Canadian. I’m not Manitoban. I’m not a Winnipegger. I am Dakota. You, too. You’re somebody.
WE WANT TO BE WHO WE ARE. THAT’S WHAT THIS NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY IS ALL ABOUT — CELEBRATING OUR WAY. “ – Elder Wanbdi Wakita “
Proud to celebrate working with our partners to create opportunities for Indigenous youth for over twenty years. www.wasac.ca Proud to celebrate working with our partners to create opportunities for Indigenous youth for over twenty years. www.wasac.ca
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