Page 8 - ECF-LIA-Nov-DEC-2023-F2

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LEGACY IN ACTION
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In my worldview, which is based on the
Woodland Cree upbringing, Mother Earth
takes care of us all. Each of the animals — birds,
plants, fishes and insects, as well as people, have
a vital place in creation. In Cree, we call this
wahkohtowin or the law of relationship.
I liken this to quantum theory where the
energetic field that comprises all creation truly
supports the statement that “we are all one.”
We have reached a time in history where
we can see what’s happening across the planet
with just a few clicks; we can create a list of all
the devastation and destruction, decay and
degradation with very little effort. The world we
inhabit can become overwhelming, dark and
inspire fear.
When I was told I couldn’t be around people
a couple of years ago, I leaned into nature. The
birds had no mask edicts; the medicines and
the mushrooms welcomed my attentions and
encouraged me to take them home with me.
In the quiet of the wilderness and riverside
paths that fill the Edmonton landscape and
surrounding area, I reacquainted myself with my
childhood training — gathering berries, herbs
and other edibles that were familiar to me: wild
peppermint, saskatoons, cranberries, strawberries
and raspberries, chokecherries in the late summer,
when their bitterness becomes softened by the
sun’s rays and they darken to near-black, with pits
that can now be chewed.
But as I ventured into the wild during the
lockdown, seeking reprieve from the chaos of
society’s convolutions, I noticed myself foraging
and gathering in ways that hadn’t been taught to
me. It became clear that I was gently being shown by
the plants and animals themselves which I should
bring home, in exchange for prayers of gratitude and
a tobacco offering, as I had been taught.
In opening my heart before each walk, breathing
deeply and setting intentions to be open, kind and
respectful, I found myself being impacted by new
layers of awareness that seemed to come from the
land itself.
“It’s as though Mother Earth herself has a crush
on me,” I whispered to a friend, forcing her giggle of
disbelief. And truly, it was: I was exposed to a whole
new world of foraged gifts that I’d never noticed
before, even in all my years of being a Cree hunter-
gatherer and bushman.
The land itself shared her bounty with me,
seemingly directing me to those things that my body,
mind or spirit needed.
In my understanding, my Indigenous ancestors
welcomed the settlers to these lands and waters
because we did not “own” them. French river lots
or fee simple title was not part of the Indigenous
lexicon or understanding. There was enough here to
sustain us all and to allow us to not just survive, but
thrive harmoniously.
The treaties that were forged were spoken to us
as “nation-to-nation relationships”, but in writing,
said just the opposite and we have struggled mightily
to find the balance of ways of life since that time.
In my heart of hearts, we are all treaty people —
learning to live in harmony, sharing our gifts on this
great land, our Turtle Island.
It is my belief that if we can learn to walk with
our hearts open to her songs, the way will be made
that much easier for us to do so.
Heartsong &
Turtle Island
By Sheldon Hughes Photography Kevin Tuong