On September 28th, I had the pleasure to take part in a ceremonial fire circle at the UNBC fire pit. Despite the cold and rainy weather, the elementary and secondary education students gathered around a fire to listen to the wise words of Clayton Gauthier, a Cree/Dakelh artist in our community. Clayton was kind enough to share his story with us, including his own struggles as a child. What was very inspiring to hear, was how Clayton connected so strongly to nature and animals. He saw this as an opportunity to tap into his artistic and creative strengths. His commitment and patience for understanding how even as a young learner, you can find value and beauty in connecting with your surroundings and really listening to what they are telling you. The spirit he brought was very infectious and inviting. I noticed that he really made a point to look around at everyone that surrounded him while he spoke, ensuring that each of us had his full attention and respect. Towards the later half of his presentation, he asked us each to share something personal in the efforts to bring value and purpose to our life. I found this to be very humbling and thoughtful as he wanted us to explore our own lives and what brought us purpose and joy. I also found most us got to know each other a little bit better after this exercise. Towards the end, he also encouraged us to write down a word or two that represented something that no longer served us and to ceremonially throw it into the fire as a send off. This again, was very thoughtful and therapeutic. I am very grateful to have met him in person, and will hold our time around the fire circle close to my heart.
On this day, we also had the fortunate opportunity to take part in a drumming circle with the UHNBC drummers. This was a wonderful and enlightening informal ceremony to be a part of. I had not partaken in a drumming circle before, so this was very inspiring to watch and listen to. I quite often found myself just trying to soak it in rather than participate at moments. There was one moment that really stood out for me and will be something that marks my understanding to this ceremony for years to come. A fellow classmate shared his story about a personal drum he received from his soccer club and as he was speaking, I noticed the UHNBC drummer beside me immediately started rummaging through her bag to find her own drumstick. In an effort to honour his story she handed her drumstick over to him as a thank you. This immediately brought tears to my eyes, as it represented this instant connection between the drummer and my classmate even though they were really strangers at this point. It just showed me that there is so much love and kindness out there and if we take the time to really listen and understand peoples stories, we can create a better world for everyone.
For more information on the UHNBC drumming group, please visit their Facebook site: UHNBC Monday Night Drum Group
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