With a sunny bright sky as a backdrop, 14 Wing Greenwood raised the Grand Council flag May 21, launching its week of activities to mark Indigenous Awareness Week May 19 to 25.
The wing’s Defence Indigenous Advisory Group hosted the flag-raising, with the playing of the Honour Song and followed by a smudge at the DIAG’s teepee, set up near the main gate entrance for the week. Events continued through the week, with a showing of the Gord Downie, animated “Secret Path,” and a reading of the seven sacred teachings, smudge and handprint craft with children in the Greenwood Military Family Resource Centre’s programs.
“This is a very important week for the wing, and Canada, as we continue on our path of reconciliation with our Indigenous peoples,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Dan Arsenault at the flag-raising. “It’s only one week, but we have activities throughout the year we carry out as a wing, with our community and across Canada. It’s one week: take stock, and have fun with your family.”
DIAG military co-chair Master Corporal Nicolas Whaley thanked those gathered for the flag-raising for their May 16 participation in the Moose Hide Campaign, where men and boys are encouraged to wear a piece of moose hide and pledge to help end violence against women and girls. He also said the DIAG was very pleased with support received during the May 3 walk to mark May 5 as Red Dress Day, honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
“Thank you all for coming,” he said. “We are all gathering here, on the long-standing territory of the Mi’kmaq.”
As attendees waited their turn for a smudge, offered by DIAG civilian co-chair Marla Ward, Whaley described the inclusion of cedar, for protection; sage, for helping get rid of negativity; tobacco, as an offering for Mother Earth; and sweet grass, to encourage positivity; in the smudge’s four sacred medicines.
“These help us clear our eyes to see, our mouths to speak well, our ears to listen; and we smudge our heart and the top of our head. It’s your own experience, what you want to take out of it.”
