Peguis opens doors to ‘labour of love’
Sun Lodge Village ceremony building to be hub of traditional knowledge sharing
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/01/2019 (2440 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Peguis First Nation has celebrated the opening of a permanent ceremony building, where traditional knowledge can be passed on to successive generations.
Sun Lodge Village, located two hours north of Winnipeg on Peguis land, was formally opened this week and is large enough to accommodate 200 people for ceremonies, workshops and community gatherings.
Construction of the circular timber frame structure began in 2015, and thanks to grants from a variety of foundations, the interior of the building was finished over the last year.
“The coolest thing about it is was all put together by grassroots people. There’s no government funding, just a few grants,” said Maurice Brubacher, resource development manager for Sun Lodge Village, noting contributions from the Winnipeg Foundation, United Church of Canada, Peguis Foundation and other Peguis-related agencies. The Turtle Lodge at Sagkeeng First Nation, 145 km northeast of Winnipeg, also provided support.
“It’s all built with the blood, sweat and tears from the people. It’s been a labour of love,” Brubacher said.
The Sun Lodge structure has central core that serves as a meeting hall, with eight rooms that radiate from it, like rays of the sun. The direction for the building came through a spiritual vision, according to a media announcement about the opening.
“It’s not something that just came from our minds, as a good thing to do. We were guided by spirit to create this sacred space,” said Dwayne McCorrister, a traditional knowledge keeper in Peguis.
Sun Lodge also marks an important milestone in Peguis’s progress to retrieve traditional Indigenous knowledge endangered during Canada’s colonial period.
“Through 40 years of research, we have learned again how to live according to the traditional teachings, and we are passing these traditions on to our children and grandchildren,” elder Garry McCorrister said in the announcement. “We welcome anyone who is willing to learn to come and participate with us.”
Peguis is a Cree and Ojibwa First Nation located in Manitoba’s Interlake, about 220 km north of Winnipeg.
alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca