As part of the Food is Our Medicine Action Learning series, Nourish is offering a number of webinars, offered during each of the four seasons throughout the year.
On June 28, 2021, George Couchie, Knowledge Helper from Nipissing First Nation spoke about Cultural Mindfulness, based on the concept that the first step on the pathway towards understanding other people is learning about their past.
A member of the Red-tailed Hawk (Gibwanasii) Clan, George Couchie has 12 years of designing and delivering the Native Awareness Training Programs to members of the Ontario Provincial Police, members of health care institutions, youth, government employees, and teachers. His work has won awards, as he draws on over 33 years of policing experience and shares about the history of many First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples, using videos, photos, and sharing from personal experience.
The webinar started by broaching the difficult reality for many Indigenous peoples today, including racism and discrimination, which perpetuates the legacy of colonialism. The health care sector is not exempt, with systemic racism leading to the harm and death of Indigenous people, including Joyce Echaquan.
WATCH: Check out this CTV report on systemic racism against Indigenous people in health care and federal legislation to eliminate it.
George spoke about the policies and programs that have entrenched racism up from first contact until present day. With the goal of assimilating Indigenous peoples to the culture of European settlers, residential schools were created to separate Indigenous children from their families and all ties to language and culture were severed. These schools were in function for over 100 years from 1870 to the mid-1990s, and many children suffered physical, sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse. Thousands also perished while in the residential school system, and those who survived bear the psychological and physical scars, which has ripple effects across the subsequent generations. Indigenous communities today experience deep pain and mourning, especially in light of the recent discovery of unmarked graves in Kamloops, British Columbia and southeast Saskatchewan.
“We can’t change the past, but we can change the future.”
George then spoke about how Indigenous communities are connecting with their culture, including the revival of drumming. He performed a song with drumming, accompanied by Mair Greenfield from the Nourish team. George explained the creation story of Turtle Island and shared about the the seven Grandfather Teachings, and how it shapes Indigenous worldviews today. He also shared a video of the preparation of chaga tea.
To close, Mair invited all attendees to sign up for the Food is Our Medicine Learning Journey, in order to deepen their understanding of the complex relationships between Indigenous foodways, reconciliation, healing and health care.
This webinar with George Couchie was a heartfelt, moving opportunity for those working in health care and other fields to cultivate cultural mindfulness in their own lives and in their work. We express deep gratitude to George for his generosity and wisdom. Chi-miigwech.