Jody Harbour speaks to the partnership’s potential with immeasurable enthusiasm.
“Like the Two-Row Wampum, we’re doing this work together because it’s for the wellness of our community,” said the co-founder of Grandmother’s Voice, a Halton-based Indigenous group striving to build relationships and share traditional teachings. “We know that the Indigenous voice is important to have at the table. We’re super grateful.”
That appreciation relates to GV’s recent collaboration with the Halton Equity and Diversity Roundtable (HEDR), which since forming about a decade ago has grown to include 85 member organizations representing thousands of individuals.
That’s a significant reach for the in-depth Indigenous lessons GV is eagerly ready to share – which HEDR manager Daven Seebarran meets with great excitement and optimism.
“The intellectual property is Grandmother’s Voice’s, we don’t own any of the IP… it’s their teaching, their approach, their knowledge that we have just provided them with a platform,” he said. “They’re bringing their strengths and we’re bringing our strengths and we’re just combining them together.”
At the heart of this union – at least in the short-term – is a seven-session ‘Our Circles for Change’ workshop that begins this fall and will be open to all HEDR members.
The course – the creation of which was made possible through funding from Halton Region – takes a deep dive into the significance and understanding of land acknowledgements. This, Harbour said, is a cornerstone of Indigenous education and a key tool in the path to ultimate reconciliation.
“HEDR has done a lot of the work of building that foundation of what does it mean to include people,” she said. “This gives us that reach (to share teachings). We get to show up and just be ourselves and transfer that knowledge in a dignified way.”
As National Truth and Reconciliation Day (Sept. 30) approaches, Harbour feels there’s been a great amount of healing since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was established in 2008.
But with only 13 of its 94 Calls to Action truly answered to date – according to many in the Indigenous community – there’s still plenty of work ahead.
Seebarran agrees. He feels organizations like HEDR have a responsibility to educate themselves and thus play a more enlightened role in reconciliation.
But that – he stressed – won’t be done from the ‘seven sessions’ alone.
“This (education) needs to continue over a period of time, with sustained learning.”
Down the road, the hope is HEDR’s broad range of member groups engage in more “customized conversations” – which GV are only too happy to be part of.
Said Harbour, “Our elders say all the time our knowledge and understanding of living a good life was meant for everyone.”
Visit hedroundtable.com for more on the organization, while GV’s vision and efforts can be seen at grandmothersvoice.com.
