After receiving multiple inquiries during recent 14 Wing Greenwood events on the availability of smudging practices, Marla Ward, civilian co-chair for 14 Wing’s Defence Indigenous Advisory Group (DIAG) volunteered to learn how to provide services to members who need it.
The chaplaincy, whose core mandate is the facilitation and support of all faiths’ spiritual and religious needs, has had a smudge kit available in the office for several years that had been loaned to Indigenous members who wished to perform their own smudging ceremonies.
While Annapolis Valley First Nation Elder Sarah Macdonald has often visited the wing to offer smudging ceremonies, the DIAG recognized a need to have this practice consistently available to the community. Padre Maya Bevan, a member of 14 Wing’s DIAG, says the DIAG became interested in being able to offer the service to members. Ward decided to take on the task.
“And so, Marla said, ‘I will learn’ – that is really stepping forward. Now (the wing) has a resource in Marla, to be able to offer this to Indigenous members.”
Bevan is happy to support Ward in her new role.
“The chaplaincy service has the ability to procure these sacred objects and to support and facilitate their use. But now, what Marla is trained to offer is, I think, the most important aspect for Indigenous members and their families on the wing.”
MacDonald visited Marla over the December holidays to teach her the practice.
“She was nice enough to come to my house. So, I actually had Nick (Corporal Nicholas Whaley, the military 14 Wing DIAG co-chair) at my house at the same time when she was teaching me. She taught me everything and, afterwards, I did smudge them both.”
At the end of the lesson, MacDonald gifted Ward with her very own eagle feather and sacred medicines to smudge with.
While Ward is still learning the practice, she says members can ask her anytime for a smudge.
“I’m hoping that, as it gets out to people, they know it’s more readily available, that they’ll go with that. That was another reason I wanted to learn, because I said, ‘If it’s available, let’s get it out there.’”
The 14 Wing chaplaincy team still has a smudging kit available for those who wish to perform their own smudging, and Bevan encourages anyone who wishes to borrow the kit to contact the office. She also encourages members to reach out to Ward herself.
“It’s very important to, first of all, have the sacred objects available to Indigenous members and, even more important, to have leaders, such as Marla: people who are willing to offer these services.”
Ward invites anyone interested in receiving a smudging to contact her at Marla.Ward@forces.gc.ca.
