from The Rotary Club of Halifax North West
Welcome to the monthly newsletter from the Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest, where we share the club’s news with the community we serve. This issue is a progress report on our involvement in the Honouring Indigenous Peoples (HIP) project.
Our club has been a member of HIP for the last two years. HIP is a grass roots approach to truth and reconciliation. It is based on fostering partnerships between non-indigenous and indigenous peoples through joint efforts at relationship building, creating a learning and sharing environment about indigenous cultures, and working together on projects of mutual interest and benefit. HIP is a journey: a marathon, not a sprint.
Our Club has therefore taken a slow but sure approach to reconciliation. We have engaged the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre in Halifax to help us on our journey. One major step along the way was participation in the Blanket Ceremony, a very powerful aid used in helping people to understand how government policies and practices impact on and continue to influence the lives of indigenous peoples in Canada. More recently, club members participated in a smudging ceremony. Smudge ceremonies use the smoke of seed medicines to call on the spirits of different scared plants to drive away negative energies and for positive energy to remain.
Recently our club sponsored a local indigenous student to attend a national Youth2Youth (Y2Y) conference in Winnipeg. Y2Y is an innovative program whereby 25 non-indigenous and 25 indigenous 15-17 year- old youth were selected from across Canada to participate in a transformative week-long session with the aim of empowering the next generation of leaders by uniting youth and inspiring them to take action towards peace and creating sustainable environmental change.
This immersive experience provides a unique opportunity for participants to engage in meaningful cultural exchanges, learn about Indigenous traditions, and deepen their understanding of Indigenous history and heritage. Through various activities, workshops, and interactive sessions, youth are encouraged to embrace diversity, build relationships, and develop a greater appreciation for Indigenous perspectives and contributions. The National Youth to Youth experience serves as a catalyst for personal growth, intercultural learning, and fostering lasting connections among the youth participants.
We as a club are proud of our progress on the reconciliation journey and look forward to further engagement with the Mi’kmaw people in the future.
Anyone who is interested in knowing more about HIP is encouraged to visit https://honouringindigenouspeoples. com
Our Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest welcomes everyone to explore community service with us! We pride ourselves on being diverse and inclusive – and we’re friendly! We currently meet virtually every Tuesday from 1145 to 1 pm. at Freeman’s on Dutch Village Road in Fairview. For more information contact Roger Chiasson at rogerchiasson305@gmail. com or 782 234 9408.
Photo credits to: https://rotary7090.org/
