Page 36 - Restorative Journey: Indigenous Educational Wellness

The Original Instruction narrative reminds us that many of our Native communities, on-reserve, off-reserve-urban, and rural currently work toward healing from many almost impossible things. This is compounded when the truths of our collective experiences have been hidden and our collective voices have been muffled for so long.
Slowly, they moved away from this original instruction. At first it was just some, then most, then all began to make sure only their lodge was well supplied, and they refused to give thanks for anything.
Many people in the village were now experiencing things that were once unknown and they no longer felt safe.
Hunger. Loneliness. Thirst. These things were now common.
The ones who were once helpers now only helped themselves. They did not see to anything but their own needs. They believed that as long as only the people in their village knew what they were doing, it really didn’t matter.
High above the village, the winds quietly danced in the sky. The winds were important, they helped bring the change of seasons.
One day while they danced, they became distracted by an odd pattern they noticed far below. There was smoke rising, but from very few lodges.
The winds held a meeting. One whispered, “what happened? There were once great clouds of smoke coming from all of the lodges, now there are only a few.”
Another wind whispered, “we need to remind them.”
The next day some young men left the village to gather supplies for only their lodges.
The leaves on the trees were starting to turn colour. It was getting colder.
As they walked through the woods, the winds began to whisper through the trees,
“... the original instruction...to help the people...they should be fed, be warm and be safe...’”
The young men continued to walk and paid no attention to the noise they heard, laughing about the gentle winds and their soft voices.
The winds that at first had quietly whispered now joined their whispers together. The whispers were now strong winds.
No longer could these young men hear anything but air rushing past their ears so quickly they had to cover them and
seek shelter.
When the winds calmed one whispered, “... young men, we are always to work together. We are always to fulfill our duties...young men were to take care of the people...”
From that day until the present, we are reminded of our original duty and how when the gentlest whispers unite, they can become the strongest winds.
28 Commemoration • Education • Healing/Wellness