Bridging Teachings: Catholicism and Indigenous Wisdom at local high school

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools teacher and IPL participant Wendy Dale reflects on a recent project that built awareness and bridged Catholic and Indigenous teachings. Held during Indigenous Storytelling Month, the project was initiated as part of the diocesan Indigenous and Pastoral Lay Leader Ministry Education Program (IPL), and made possible in part by a grant from the Louisville Institute.

By Wendy Dale, Holy Cross High School

A special event combining Indigenous Storytelling Month and Orange Shirt Day was held Feb. 28 at Holy Cross Catholic High School in Saskatoon.

The last Friday of each month is marked in some way at Holy Cross as “Orange Shirt Day,” typically through the morning devotion which I prepare and deliver school-wide over the intercom.

However, on this Friday, we were blessed to have Elder John Merasty present at our school for the morning and part of lunch to share Creation stories, Trickster stories, and share Smudge teachings. Our school’s Living in Harmony (TRC) Group promoted the morning and were able to spend time with Elder John and ask questions of him.

We had the morning divided into the three periods of the day, and classes were invited to sign up to attend the storytelling which took place in the school chapel. The focus for Period 1 was Smudging and Smudge Teachings. Period 2 featured Creation stories, and Period 3 Trickster stories.

Elder John also shared stories about knowing the Cree language and about being able to read Syllabics, attending residential school and playing hockey, and a particularly interesting story about a soccer game in 1938 when the boys from Pelican Narrows beat the men’s soccer team from Harvard in a soccer game that was held at Pelican Narrows.

When Elder John spoke about his hockey experience and living in a dorm in Notre Dame College, we had a student present who had just attended hockey training at Notre Dame, and it turned out that he stayed in the same dorm. There was a moment of deep connection that occurred where there was enlightenment about the past and the present and how life experiences can be intertwined in ways that we can not possibly predict.

A definite highlight of our time together was being able to see Elder John’s Bible which was written completely in Syllabics. Everyone was appropriately amazed. And then he read the Genesis Creation story in Cree which was very powerful.

Altogether, approximately 240 students were able to hear these stories. Elder John also prayed our Morning Devotion over the intercom. After a brief introduction, he prayed the Lord’s Prayer in Cree. We also had the tobacco offering, and gifts were presented at the end of the morning.

For the last three years, a Grade 12 Indigenous student has designed the logo for our school Orange Shirts. As a commemoration of our day together, each student who was present in the Chapel was given a bookmark with the new logo on it, and some quotes chosen by our design artist Rylan Iron. They were printed on orange cardstock, with extras made available in our library, and for Rylan’s family.

Our time was very enjoyable, with students showing great respect for our Elder; and for the members of our Living in Harmony group, a spark to initiate more occasions such as the one we just had.

We are very grateful for the grant money that we received from the Louisville Institute in order to have this day. It was very worthwhile and appreciated.

From the bookmark designed by Rylan Iron:

“Stories are the heartbeat of the people, without them we are lost.” – Blackfoot proverb

“The land is the teacher, it holds all the knowledge one needs.” – Cree Proverb

IPL Background

Through the diocesan Indigenous Pastoral Lay Ministry Education (IPL) program (which I have been involved with for the last four and a half years), I have had access to the most up-to-date information about the Church’s progress in responding to the TRC Calls to Action, and have been educated on proper protocols for having an Elder share traditional knowledge.

Being part of the IPL also meant that I was aware of funding opportunities to make events like this happen.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon worked with partners — including Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools and St. Thomas More College – and with a number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators and leaders to develop and present the IPL program. Funding for IPL has included a Pastoral Study Grant from the Louisville Institute.

Launched in September 2019, the online IPL course was developed after much consultation and reflection on how to respond as a diocese to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action, particularly those addressed to churches.

The goals of IPL include building greater awareness about the history of the interaction between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, including the impacts of colonization and the legacy of Residential Schools, while furthering understanding and respect for Indigenous culture and spirituality – all in a spirit of “right relationship,” emphasizes Saskatoon Bishop Mark Hagemoen.

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