Humility and curiosity were key ingredients during my experience with Hearts Exchanged (HE). Meeting monthly, I quickly realized how little I knew. I was humbled by the knowledge, stories, and experiences shared by group members, especially those from Alphonse, an Indigenous Elder who walked alongside us.

I initially feared I would miss out on HE because I had a young baby, but joining the program online offered unexpected benefits. The group was flexible as I needed to nurse or attend to my son during our meetings. Without that online option, I likely would have missed this journey. Furthermore, connecting with people across Turtle Island (North America) highlighted just how vast and varied Indigenous cultures truly are.

Being a mom changed how the material landed. I first learned about residential schools in high school, but re-learning the history of intergenerational trauma while looking over at my son brought tears to my eyes. I cannot fathom the pain of a child being taken away from me. As a person belonging to dominant cultural identities, this is not a fear I have ever had to carry. As my husband and I introduce our son to our own values, I don’t have to fear someone calling our culture "barbaric" or telling me it needs to be stripped from my child.

Tragically, this is not the case for Indigenous people in Canada. Throughout HE I learned the depths of systemic racism (particularly with the Doctrine of Discovery) and the ways in which it negatively influences and permeates Canadian infrastructure. As a result, Indigenous people have experienced oppression, colonial violence, intergenerational trauma, and genocide. But an important lesson taught in HE is that these tragedies are not the only part of the story.

Resilience is a large part of Indigenous history in Canada. In the HE learning material I watched a video with Danni Black, an Indigenous woman from Niitsitapi First Nation, and Sister Kateri Mitchell from the Mohawk Nation. Danni shared a quote stating that colonists were trying to bury Indigenous people, yet they did not know they were burying seeds. Sister Kateri further explained this by sharing that the seeds were buried in mother earth, yet ‘mother earth continued to care for us…these seeds are starting to sprout.’

In the HE material the late Murray Sinclair explained that intergenerational trauma from residential schools have impacted seven generations and it will take at least that many generations to heal. The seeds have been buried in residential schools for seven generations, but the seeds have refused to be stunted. 

This causes me to reflect on my own response. I cannot be dormant. Throughout the HE program we were encouraged to create a plan and name concrete ways that we will take action. Among the many ways I am reflecting on this experience, I find myself once again thinking about my son, the next generation. If it is going to take at least seven generations to heal, I want to expose, educate, and foster an attitude in my son that encourages healing, respect for resilience, and celebration of Indigenous culture on Turtle Island.

The task feels big, but so is God‘s grace. From the HE experience, I know a good place to begin is nurturing an attitude of humility and curiosity.

For more information or to begin planning with your congregation, email [email protected] or visit crcna.org/hearts-exchanged. Hearts Exchanged cohorts will be running in regions across Canada this fall. Sign up now, and our team will connect you with a group.