Opening Up to Aboriginal Realities

The exchange-gathering between the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) and the volunteers was a very rich experience. The meeting, held at Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM) had been organized by SNJM partner Héloïse Vincent-Ozell, as a closing event of the exhibition highlighting a dozen aboriginal women.

Héloïse Vincent-Ozell and Sr. Lise Gagnon.

It also provided an opportunity for Yvonne Demers, a nurse and volunteer collaborator, to talk about her experience during an immersive trip to an aboriginal community. This presentation, in addition to the brief tour of the exhibition, served to spark the subsequent discussion.

The SNJM volunteers contributed by sharing their own mission experiences. Some shared anecdotes from their first contacts with aboriginal communities, so as to fully appreciate their age-old wisdom.

Awakening and revealing…

A number of participants expressed their appreciation for the richness of the sharing. Remarkably, during the following days, both at lunchtime and break times, discussions and conversations took place regarding this experience. The Sisters shared their childhood memories. Some were happy, others more difficult.

One recalled how her father used to take the children to the reserve at Kahnawake to obtain remedies to heal them. Another confided that her father had witnessed the sending of native children to residential schools.

“This moment of sharing makes us aware of all the suffering experienced by the members of these communities,” stressed one Sister, supported by the other Sisters at the table.

Some 25 people attended the meeting.

This activity had the merit of raising awareness, revealing facts and anecdotes that gave another dimension to the prevailing discourse, and ultimately leading to a better understanding of the diverse realities of aboriginal peoples. This event was hosted by Héloïse Vincent-Ozell, a partner member of the SNJM Québec Justice and Peace Committee, responsible for migrant and aboriginal issues.

The volunteers presence coincided with their semi-annual get-together. These women, who had been missionaries at another time in their lives, have been meeting, twice a year, since 2006, to deepen their understanding of various themes and to nurture their spiritual reflection.